I'm really starting to grow weary of politicians (Republicans are certainly not the only example) focusing on foreign oil. Isn't it obvious by now that if we're forced into a rough transition from fossil fuels to renewables, some very bad things are going to happen? So why not spend the money we sort of have now on migrating away from all petroleum-based products, transportation, etc., towards renewable resources, rather than waiting till the economy tanks and we can barely afford anything?
There are a few politicians bold enough to speak out against domestic oil as well, one of them being Washington senator Maria Cantwell. Amazingly there are also politicians concerned about the fact that companies like Exxon create more revenue in three months than many nations in an entire year. In fact, Exxon's 2007 profits of $40.6 billion exceeds the 2006 GDP of 123 of 183 nations (the 2007 GDP numbers aren't out yet, but you get the point). I'm not saying insanely high profits are necessarily an indicator of evildoings (if Microsoft never existed humanity probably wouldn't be any closer to destruction or sustainability than we are today), but I am saying that when a corporation makes money by harming the environment, people can't be counted on to put a stop to it, and it'd be nice if the most powerful government in the world took some action for the people. Only problem is, most people don't really care about future generations, particularly while perdition seems so intangible.
Labels: Cantwell, Exxon, foreign oil, perdition, profits
1 comments:
- At March 16, 2008 at 4:43 PM Anonymous said...
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"when a corporation makes money by harming the environment, people can't be counted on to put a stop to it, and it'd be nice if the most powerful government in the world took some action for the people."
Some people are trying.
As the arctic melts, the coastal village of Kivalina in Alaska is falling into the sea. Soon, the four hundred or so Inupiat that live there will have to pack up and move out – a dislocation they say could cost up to $400 million. So they are suing for moving expenses. The defendants are two dozen energy companies, including ExxonMobil, BP, Peabody Energy and American Electric Power. The villagers charge the corporations with creating a public nuisance, and conspiring to mislead the public about climate change.
I particularly like the charge of conspiring to mislead the public, since that's been such a big roadblock, and they're still at it, especially the coal industry. Increasingly it seems like the most effective way to put a stop to climate change when the government won't act is to go to court. The Sierra Club and other environmental organizations have had a great deal of success using this method to stop new coal plants from being built.