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98 comments on A quote from Obama in Oregon..."We can't eat as much as we want...and then expect other countries...to say OK"

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Robert Marston on May 18, 2008 - 11:02pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Full quote:

"Pitching his message to Oregon's environmentally-conscious voters, Obama called on the United States to "lead by example" on global warming, and develop new technologies at home which could be exported to developing countries.

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said.

"That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added."

Goose took it a little out of context...

Obama wants to produce cutting edge technologies at home that benefit both the US and the rest of the world. It seems he understands the responsible thing to do is tighten our belts in the interim.

In my opinion, he's saying things that need to be said. All the while, the other candidates are playing political patty cakes...

Clinton will say or do anything to be elected and therefore stands for very little. McCain is being branded as an indie but if you look at his voting record he's all-pro smokestack industry.

I know it's been said before that no candidate could help our situation vis a vis peak oil. I disagree. I think Obama is by far the best choice in the context of energy.

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baratunde on May 18, 2008 - 11:26pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Robert, I just saw that you pulled the full quote. Must have posted while I was writing my response. Sorry for the repeat.

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Robert Marston on May 18, 2008 - 11:30pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

No worries! The more the merrier ;)

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garyp on May 19, 2008 - 3:25am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It seems he understands the responsible thing to do is tighten our belts in the interim.

Thing is, when you crunch the figures and look at the likely peak date and decline rate - Obama needs to be managing a 1-2Mbpd reduction in US demand every year for the next 5 years to be in OK shape. Its not tightening belts, its crash diet.

I see nothing which recognises that so far, so instead he's going to be managing riots, economic collapse and disintegration.

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Robert Marston on May 19, 2008 - 1:50pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Your extrapolation, all things being equal, predicts a 4-8 million barrel per day shortfall year on year, for the next five. Even at only 4 million barrels per day, you're looking at 65 mbpd total production by 2013 or about 21 mbpd total world exports?

Now that is, indeed a hard crash scenario. I could be wrong, but I think we'll likely fight this thing a little better than that.

In any case, as hard or soft as the crash may be, better to have someone who's willing to put in measures to soften the blow, than to have someone who's going to whistle as the whole system starts to shake itself to shambles.

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Grautr on May 19, 2008 - 3:56am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I also think Obama is your best bet but I think the problems he is going to face are to great. We are sitting on the peak now and any initiative he comes up with will never be implimented in time or be scaled up enouugh to stop the worst of what will happen.

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Robert Marston on May 19, 2008 - 1:55pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Better to do something than to do nothing. Better to get as many people to the lifeboats as possible. Better to run the pumps as long and as fast as we can. The better we manage this thing, the less people will be harmed for it. Good leadership now is about mitigation -- reducing impact to the lowest level possible.

Right now we don't really know how rapidly the situation will evolve or how effective our response will be. But if we fail to respond, then, for a certainty, things will be much, much, worse.

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cynus on May 19, 2008 - 9:22am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

What a bold move! Obama comes out in favor of...wait for it... developing new technologies! And the liberals all go nuts with excitement.
Wait a second... hasn't Bush been attacked nonstop as a do-nothing all these years by saying we should develop new technologies as the answer to our problems?

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Petrus on May 19, 2008 - 1:42pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Whoa!

Kudos to Obama. The Only polititian, who eats fifth of what he wants, lives in house at 30degrees and drives bicycle.

I encourage Obama to switch off all heating, stay at home and eat nothing at all until the end of elections. Such a wisdom will impress even Republicans.

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Will Stewart on May 19, 2008 - 2:01pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

This is a standard propaganda technique; exaggerate the goals to create a strawman and then attack the strawman. I can understand a Republican's desire for Obama to stay home, but such a request is silly and lowers the perceived veracity of the poster.

Bush (2002): "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption".
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020923-2.html

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Robert Marston on May 19, 2008 - 2:01pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Cygnus -- Petrus.

Better yet, how about you guys go live in the woods with the animals. Obviously, since you think technology is worthless, might as well just quit it altogether? Heck, why post on the internet? It obviously can't solve the problem of communication over vast distances. And since you believe solar, wind, renewables, and nuclear technology can't help deal with the energy problem you could at least cut your consumption by the approx 25% they represent and then consign yourself to the decline curve in fossil fuels as well -- since to you that represents the only valid form of energy ever produced.

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cynus on May 19, 2008 - 3:20pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Re-read my post. Where did I ever say technology is worthless? I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of those who laud Obama for saying we need new technologies, but attack others for saying the same thing as being part of the "unrealistic," "technology will save us" camp.

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98 comments on A quote from Obama in Oregon..."We can't eat as much as we want...and then expect other countries...to say OK"

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