oil

Ads from Sierra Club and MoveOn hit McCain over energy policy

“Big Oil companies have our economy and politics in a choke hold,” says a new TV ad released today by the Sierra Club Political Committee. “They are getting billions from the government, raking in record profits, while we pay more and more for gas.” “John McCain’s answer?” the ad continues. “Another $4 billion giveaway to […]

Obama responds to McCain’s ‘Pump’ ad with call for higher mileage standards and renewables

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama released a new television ad on energy prices yesterday — a direct response to John McCain’s recent ad blaming Obama for high gas prices. “Have you seen John McCain’s TV ad?” the Obama ad asks. “John McCain is blaming Barack Obama for gas prices. The same old politics.” “Barack Obama […]

Short, medium, and long-term solutions to phase out oil

As opposed to emission or energy, what can we do about oil? As I've said in the past: not a lot. But "not a lot" is not equal to zero.

Here are some pretty immediate things we can do:

1. There have been some real drops in oil use in response to increased prices. I think Charles Komanoff once suggested that various types of conservation and efficiency measures could reduce oil use 10 percent more or less overnight [PDF]. Many of his suggestions are not exactly pain-free, but neither are the reductions we are making anyway in response $100 plus per barrel oil.
2. Alan Blinder's proposal to buy oil guzzling clunkers back from owner at a premium -- old, fairly cheap cars only. These tend not to be the cars driven the most miles. Still, there would be real savings.
3. Increased telecommuting. We are not going to switch everyone with an office job to 100 percent work-from-home mode. But putting in place some modest incentives, along with public education that help rebut some of the most common myths about telecommuting could get some modest immediate increases.
4. Increased subsidies to existing rapid transit. Existing buses and trains should not have to cut services right when more people want to use them.
5. Increased support for car pooling and van pooling. More incentives for companies to set up such pools, plus funding for services (such as the ones we already see) will make it easy for people interested in pooling private vehicles across companies to do so.

Below the fold you will find some things we can do that are not immediate, but can be done pretty quickly.

The offshore drilling hoax, part 2

In part 1 we saw that lifting the moratorium on coastal drilling can't possibly reduce gasoline prices. After all, two years ago, we opened most of the Gulf of Mexico -- with its estimated 41 billion barrels of oil -- and oil prices then doubled. The remaining prohibited coastal areas have only 18 billion barrels, of which 10 billion is off of California and likely to be blocked by the state. Another four of the 18 billion is in the Eastern Gulf off of Florida, which most Republican bills do not fully open for drilling since that would piss of Sen. Martinez.

Tom Cole, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, sent out an email (reprinted below) titled "Democrats Want You To Pay High Gas Prices." The email quotes a conservative publication claiming, "Given that lower gasoline prices would defeat the purpose of their entire environmental program, Democrats are in a very awkward position on the energy issue."

That is among the most laughable things I've read. It is conservatives who want high gas prices because energy companies are among their biggest donors, and high prices mean bigger profits. That's why Republicans have consistently opposed serious efforts on energy efficiency, fuel economy standards, conservation, and alternative for over a quarter of a century. That's why former maverick and now card-carrying hard-core conservative John McCain flip-flopped on this position.

Deep Throat said, "Follow the money." Duh!

Big Oil tries to hide behind an acronym

Ever watch the cable news networks during the afternoon? You're bombarded with issue ad after issue ad. Well, imagine that every TV and radio station was like that 24 hours a day. That's local media here in D.C. And since the climate and energy debate began in earnest on Capitol Hill last summer, it seems like you can't get through one commercial break without hearing GM or Big Oil explain how they don't need big government telling them what to do (unless, of course, big government wants to tell them to drill for more oil).

Every morning over breakfast, WTOP Radio gives me a steady diet of news, traffic, weather, and propaganda. But Monday morning brought a new twist that perked me up even before my organic coffee could kick in. It was an ad I'd heard before featuring actors pretending to be "average Joes" saying we need to drill anywhere Big Oil wants. Previously, it had closed with "paid for by the American Petroleum Institute." But this morning, the ad closed with "paid for by API." (To hear the ad without the tag line, go here and scroll down to "Times are changing.")

Of course, if you look at the American Petroleum Institute's print ads, you won't even find an "API." They're tagged with "the people of America's oil and natural gas industry," which sounds vaguely like employees took up a collection on their own to buy the ad. Is Big Oil afraid of its own shadow?

Wildlife so far largely safe from Mississippi River oil spill

Louisiana wildlife have so far largely escaped harm from the oil spill that shut down 100 miles of the Mississippi River last week. But biologists remain nervous as the oil slick heads downstream toward the Delta National Wildlife Refuge and neighboring marshy areas, where nearly 100,000 migratory birds will alight in the fall. Barriers are […]

McCain’s switch on offshore drilling brings him big money from Big Oil

While the drumbeat for more domestic drilling is unlikely to get additional oil flowing anytime soon, it has increased the flow of cash to GOP presidential candidate John McCain. McCain changed his position on offshore drilling last month, calling for coastal areas to be opened to exploration, and since then he has been campaigning hard […]

The crucial mistake Dems made in the energy fight

Following up on this — I think the Democrats have made a specific and costly error. Consider the following Republican argument: Americans are hurting from high gasoline prices; politicians must act. Therefore, it’s the responsibility of Congress to lower gasoline prices. Therefore, we must open up new areas to oil drilling. Democrats have accepted No. […]

Republicans are bluffing on drilling

Republicans have mastered a political technique that seems to work on Democrats every time: the projection of strength. No matter the issue, when it comes up for dispute Republicans claim that Americans support their position; they claim that Democrats are out of touch with ordinary folk; they claim that Democrats are on defensive; they put […]