Windmill Ugly....Oil Refinery Beautiful?
An Energy Bill passed the Senate recently.
The Bill that was offered initially differed from what they ended up with, largely through amendments that help campaign contributors, and do little to alleviate gas prices or to help the environment.
It was no accident that during this debate, we again turned our attention to Global Warming, and our oil-loving Conservative counterparts poo-pooed science as usual. It seems generous to call this position "conservative." After all, the conservative approach should be to side with caution, reduce harmful emissions, and check the results.
A few weeks ago, as our Senators smugly "debated" our nation's energy policy, I caught an hour of Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander. He stood on the Senate floor and made the following arguments:
1) All language regarding windmills, and construction thereof, should be removed from the Energy Bill.
2) Windmills are ugly. He claimed that they are as tall as three football fields. (I am not kidding. He actually said that windmills stand basically as tall as the Empire State Building.)
3) If we strived to derive 10% of our Nation's Energy from renewable resources**, then we will pollute our country with these Empire State Building-sized windmills in the GRAND CANYON.
These are the illustrations he used. And the thought occurred to me...how pretty oil refineries must be! I don't have much experience with refineries, but since oil has caused our nation so much grief, pollution, and war, surely its chief asset must be the beauty of its refineries. Indeed sir, windmills in the Grand Canyon??? Why, thank you for warning us, Senator! You clearly have America's best interest at heart. And may we one day place Refineries in the Grand Canyon. Oh, what a happy day this would be!
We have to get it straight in America. We are not going to fix the problems of the status quo, with status quo. The move to renewable resources will happen, it's just a question of time. But as long as arguments are being made that windmills are too ugly, or an electric car is not fast enough, we are doomed.
Now that John Ashcroft isn't using his $8,000 drapery to cover the breast of justice, perhaps we can borrow it to cover those ugly windmills in the Grand Canyon.
The Bill that was offered initially differed from what they ended up with, largely through amendments that help campaign contributors, and do little to alleviate gas prices or to help the environment.
It was no accident that during this debate, we again turned our attention to Global Warming, and our oil-loving Conservative counterparts poo-pooed science as usual. It seems generous to call this position "conservative." After all, the conservative approach should be to side with caution, reduce harmful emissions, and check the results.
A few weeks ago, as our Senators smugly "debated" our nation's energy policy, I caught an hour of Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander. He stood on the Senate floor and made the following arguments:
1) All language regarding windmills, and construction thereof, should be removed from the Energy Bill.
2) Windmills are ugly. He claimed that they are as tall as three football fields. (I am not kidding. He actually said that windmills stand basically as tall as the Empire State Building.)
3) If we strived to derive 10% of our Nation's Energy from renewable resources**, then we will pollute our country with these Empire State Building-sized windmills in the GRAND CANYON.
These are the illustrations he used. And the thought occurred to me...how pretty oil refineries must be! I don't have much experience with refineries, but since oil has caused our nation so much grief, pollution, and war, surely its chief asset must be the beauty of its refineries. Indeed sir, windmills in the Grand Canyon??? Why, thank you for warning us, Senator! You clearly have America's best interest at heart. And may we one day place Refineries in the Grand Canyon. Oh, what a happy day this would be!
We have to get it straight in America. We are not going to fix the problems of the status quo, with status quo. The move to renewable resources will happen, it's just a question of time. But as long as arguments are being made that windmills are too ugly, or an electric car is not fast enough, we are doomed.
Now that John Ashcroft isn't using his $8,000 drapery to cover the breast of justice, perhaps we can borrow it to cover those ugly windmills in the Grand Canyon.
posted by Oophless Wonder at 10:11 AM
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