"We need to be moving away from oil..."

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2006
"We need to be moving away from oil..."
18
Fri, 08-29-2008 - 7:15pm

from another post:
""We need to be moving away from oil, not reinvesting in it." "

I just wanted to take this point on. Bear with me if you can. NOTE: I know that in the internet world, capitals mean yelling. For whatever reason the formatting in ivillage does not show up in my browser on this computer- so from here on out, capital does not mean I am yelling, it is a point- like italics. I know, I know- I could use html to make italics, but when I get going on this stuff I cannot take the time to stop do code- I assume most all of you on this board know what I mean. so please don't flame me for "yelling" cause I am not. k? thanks.

I agree that we need to find other methods of energy- The idea of America becoming like China with its "fog" of pollution scares and revolts me. I think twice about everything I buy, every time I drive. I bring my own grocery bags to the store. I pack my sons sandwich in a reusable container. I walk whenever I can (often with three kids on bikes, one in a stroller and one in a baby carrier on my back!) I do a lot of those things. Not because I believe in global warming or climate change- not because I want to feel Good about myself; but because I believe we should be good stewards of this earth.

HOWEVER- the oil discussion comes down to one thing- we are a country of growth and change and we rely on oil for ENERGY. We need energy. Not because we are addicted to oil- because of the makeup of our country. We HAVE to drive sometimes to get to where we need to be. If you live in one town, yet your work and daycare are in another town- you can't very well ride a bike with three kids on it over a bridge in the middle of winter. Yes, we could change our habits and lifestyles (which is partly why we moved to a small town), but not everyone has the luxury of doing so. Even with all I do, and with the fact that I work from home- I still have to drive the van sometimes! I need energy to do that. Medical supplies need to be delivered to hospitals, food needs to be delivered to communities and cities who cannot produce enough of their own, tvs and refrigerators and carpet and everything need to be delivered- which requires gas in trucks, which is energy from oil. We need energy to live- period. While we work to find new forms of energy, we will STILL NEED OIL. So ask yourself these two very important questions:

**If we are going to be using oil for energy for the next however many years, would you rather get it from our own land- where environmental groups can oversee the procedure and make sure the earth is taken care of in the process and where we have the best technology to get it out safely and carefully,
OR would you rather get it from other small countries where nobody oversees anything, where they have old technology and where those who care about the environment are likely to be sent to jail if they protest shoddy oil collection methods?

**Would you rather it be shipped to the gas companies over a short trip by land (stable, predictable) OR by a long trip by sea (dangerous, very unpredictable). Also keep into account that by land if there were a spill, it could quickly be contained (and would eventually work its way back into the soil it came from) whereas that oil from other countries can spill in the ocean and take forever to clean, damaging so much marine life in the process.

I once read of a boy who used junk items to create wind power for his home in Africa; and I applaud that effort- that spirit of discovery and action- and that spirit is alive and well in America as well... but it takes time! In the meantime, shouldn't we be the ones getting the oil we need for energy so that we can make sure it is done safely and with concern for Mother Earth? Or do those other little countries who get the oil for us now not matter? If land is destroyed on another continent, is it not still land destroyed? Because let me tell you, land IS destroyed on those other lands. Whereas the land we bring oil out of in America is taken care of (I am not talking about the old school methods- I mean new technology methods that exist). And now with all eyes on the process, even better environmental standards would be in place.

If you are worried about natural grasses and trees being flattened for oil extraction- think about this:
the richest area of shale oil in America is in the desert. That is right- the desert. Tell me, who lives in the deep desert? What animals live there? Nobody and None. Because it is uninhabitable. So let's get to that oil and shut down the cruddy extraction plants overseas who ARE actually damaging the earth. Let's do the oil extraction in new ways that will not cause huge damage. And while we are doing that- those Americans who are capable will find new forms of energy. Not because it is what people are crying for- because the American spirit is one of industry and capitalism. Americans see a way to make a living by creating and selling products that others want. Look at TBone Pickens- he is huge in oil, yet he sees an opportunity to make buck on new energy, so he is going there- not because the masses cry "we are addicted to oil and it must change to make us feel better!" but because he knows there are things out there that will create energy at a lower production cost and he knows those things will make him richer than he already is. God Bless the American Spirit.

so- think about it and tell me- do you still oppose drilling in America?

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trishia

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2005
Fri, 08-29-2008 - 7:34pm
Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. When we are comfy with cheap gas we do not innovate, when the government is taking money from big oil companies, who are not altruistic providers of energy, we do not innovate we continue to use oil. We continue to make products from petroleum that harm not only the environment, but the human body... I know, its safe says the government that takes money hand over fist from the oil companies. So please, I'll take 4-5 dollar gas so that people will actually change their driving habits (they are, I know many many people who ride their bikes to work now that never did before, that use mass transit, that walk...), stop using the plastic bags, there are other technologies out there, they exist we just need to fund the transition. I applaud all you do for the environment, I also do all those things in an urban setting, we chose to live close in (we are both with in a mile from work) we do all the 3 Rs, make environmentalism part of the value system we teach our children because we value the earth and think we should care for it. We buy organic because we value the earth, even if it means we go with out other things. So, no I do not agree with you on this or any of your other rebuttals because through my research it does not jive with my belief system and what I want for the future of my country, Its not what I want to pass onto my children. Not to mention I have lived in areas where they do the lovely "off shore drilling" it does impact the environment, it made going to the beach with my family a disgusting experience. So sorry, you did not convince me.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2006
Fri, 08-29-2008 - 7:59pm

<<**If we are going to be using oil for energy for the next however many years, would you rather get it from our own land- where environmental groups can oversee the procedure and make sure the earth is taken care of in the process and where we have the best technology to get it out safely and carefully,
OR would you rather get it from other small countries where nobody oversees anything, where they have old technology and where those who care about the environment are likely to be sent to jail if they protest shoddy oil collection methods?>>


This particular argument falls flat.

 

Avatar for bmcm1
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 08-29-2008 - 9:32pm
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-30-2008 - 9:40am
We've known for 30 years that we are vulnerable to foreign oil providers and yet we have done little or nothing to reduce our dependance on oil.

 


 


I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-21-2005
Tue, 09-02-2008 - 1:09am

Yes, we need to drill for oil here. I believe we can do it in an environmentally

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2006
Tue, 09-02-2008 - 1:45pm

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 09-02-2008 - 2:27pm
It's going to take 10 years or more to find an alternative, convert to it, and there will still be a need for oil.....did you know that wind power still needs oil to run the motors for times when the wind diminishes.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2005
Tue, 09-02-2008 - 2:45pm
***lso there will be contries who will be behind us and still be using oil. So why not drill and sell it to India and China at a huge profit.....thus increasing trade income from China?? *** Why should we profit from the destruction of the earth and its resources. I think this is pretty disgusting actually. Not to mention while it may take awhile to make the transition away from oil, but it will take a long time to get any oil that they start the process of drilling for now to the market and nothing says that any oil company will increase its production capacity which is really the biggest problem. Not to mention, it doesn't take away from the fact that we need to moving away from oil, higher gas prices have encouraged americans to make better choices and while it feels tough and its hard to get used to it is ultimately the best thing for our country and the environment.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2006
Tue, 09-02-2008 - 2:52pm

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2003
Tue, 09-02-2008 - 2:54pm

I thought I had read that even if we drill here, that WE don't automatically get that oil, that it would be sold on a world market?


 


Mich

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