We Need Oil (and Gas) Don't We?

Q: We need oil – don’t we?

Yes we do – BUT just a little bit longer (about 5-20 years, depending on the political will to change – not for technical or financial reasons) until we are ready to switch to renewable energy sources for ALL of our energy needs. However, there is ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to tap into “unconventional oil sources”, like shale oil that is exploited in and around Adrian, nor tar sands that are pumped through failing pipelines around Stockbridge, MI and Marshall, MI. There is still plenty of relatively cheap oil from OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia available. As a matter of fact, a lot of the oil and especially natural gas that is pumped out of 100% Pure Michigan is refined out of state and sold to the highest bidder, which is usually not the US. This makes the entire “domestic oil and gas” campaign even a bigger hoax.

Q: Do we need natural gas as a “bridge fuel” until we can depend on cleaner energy from renewable?

A: No – NOT AT ALL – and it is a bad idea to go for natural gas to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as its production through fracking causes a lot of methane to escape into the atmosphere and methane is at least 100x worse in heating up the planet. In addition, the gas lines in the US are leaking in a big style causing additional massive and chronic methane spills all over the county. We should phase out this time bomb – not increase it. In addition, fracking threatens the integrity of our drinking water for centuries due to failing concrete casings and a highly toxic cocktail of chemicals pushed 3000-4000 feet down underground that will make its way into deep aquifers sooner or later. AND WE EVEN DON’T NEED IT! so why take the risk? It just makes the almost almighty energy corporations even richer!

Look how much money Oil & Gas (O&G) swallowed - and it still does. Even "Nuclear" is envious - and they also got a lot of tax money. The corn-lobby is behind the big "Biofuels" subsidies that are also not going to save us. Finally - and almost neclectable - look how little went into Wind, Water, Sun - imagine where we could be today if politics would have understood the times better!
Source: What would Jefferson do? – Nancy Pfund and Ben Healey, September 2011, DBL Investors, online at http://www.dblinvestors.com/resource/what-would-jefferson-do/

Instead of subsidizing and sponsoring dirty fossil fuels, it is far past-due to put more resources and money into renewable energy that is even with 2013 technology able to provide for all aspects of energy use for the ENTIRE WORLD by 2030. As we neglected to do the right things in the past, it will take us a short while - probably until 2030 (see the exciting research of the Stanford researchers Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi – e.g. in Scientific American, November 2009, available online here: http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/sad1109Jaco5p.indd.pdf ). More information about this research: http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/susenergy2030.html

In the words of the researchers:

"We conclude that barriers to a 100% conversion to WWS (Wind, Water or Sunlight) power worldwide are primarily social and political, not technological or even economic.” (Energy Policy 39 (2011) 1170–1190).

Other good resources are:

• “Myths
 and
 Realities 
about
 Wind, Water,
and
 Sun 
(WWS)
 Versus 
Current
 Fuels” by the same senior author, which is online here: http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/MythsvsRealitiesWWS.pdf 
• Documentary: Who Killed the Electric Car. Shows how far we could be today if politics, and the energy and car industry would not be so corrupt. Worth the buy - but also online for free at: http://vimeo.com/19863733

The doability of "Green Energy" increases even further if we finally reduce our footprint and use energy more consciously instead of being energy hogs, and save this wonderful planet for our children and children’s children - and all the other creatures on this planet that have the right to be healthy and happy - just as we do!