(Reuters story) House of Representatives Democrats on Wednesday criticized an $8 billion energy bill they said favored big oil companies and President Bush acknowledged the legislation would do nothing to immediately ease record gasoline prices. ...
...While the House bill offers no short-term price relief for motorists, it would immediately protect oil companies from some lawsuits over the water-polluting gasoline additive MTBE. ...
... The House bill would also allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The House voted 231-200 against removing ANWR drilling from the chamber's energy bill during the House floor debate. ...
...In the Senate, a coalition of Republicans and Democrats opposes giving oil companies access to the Arctic refuge and has enough votes to filibuster an energy bill over the issue. ... (emphasis mine)
I was going to post something else, saw this and got a little angry. If the Senate can filibuster, that's great if they can actually kill the passage, but if a few cave to what is bound to be pressure from the party and the oil companies....
What is it with Republicans on the environment and raping the planet for short term profit? I don't get it; they have children and grandchildren too. I am only mildly heartened that a few of them are joined with the Dems in opposition to this. It is ludicrous to offer oil companies relief from law suits connected with MTBE. And one of the most frustrating things about drilling in the Alaskan Preserve is that it is only a few years worth of oil and who knows how many thousands of years of damage. And they know that!
I don't understand why the money isn't all thrown into incentives for alternative energy. Nothing is going to reduce oil prices in the short term, so why aren't we passing bills that would actually serve to rid us of the dependence on oil entirely? Why aren't we at least giving the auto companies breaks so that they can retool to produce cheaper hybrid cars? That technology is available. Others could be quickly developed.
I have been expecting that with Gov Terminator in office that the moratorium on offshore drilling off the California coast will be under pressure. If there is enough incentive for him, it won't matter that the 9th circuit upheld our right to disapprove the leases.
Yes, yes, I have already turned from some of my pessimism to wondering who to flood with faxes and emails to join what are bound to be others of similar mind trying to make their voice heard. It does no good to sit here and gripe; action is required, even if it is only the equivalent of a whisper.
I am going to wade through the bill when I cool off a little bit more too:
H.R.6 : Energy Policy Act of 2005
#
No comments:
Post a Comment