Who Speaks for Earth?

Tags

Democrats, energy, environment, John McCain, Oil, Republicans

I get sorrowful, then angry, then hopeless, then determined, and it circles round and round. I never stay in one place too long. A day or so ago, there was a report that bathers off the east coast were having a tough time because of a huge increase in jelly fish. While not deadly as they are in some places, they apparently sting quite strongly and are a bane sometimes to long distance swimmers. The reason for the upsurge in jelly fish? Something about how the oceans are changing, being over fished and polluted.

Today, I was treated to Sam Champion, from GMA showing us the “largest” garbage fill in the world–in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists who have collected samples over the years, claim the mess is growing at exponential rates, and many fish now eat the plastic, which certainly can’t be good.

We all have heard of the coral reef devastation that is occurring on many of our shorelines throughout the world. The oceans are being fished clean, and the refuse and other pollutants are making it inhabitable to many creatures. We are facing a bad situation, and I don’t know how long this can go on.

Of course, the oceans are only a part of the problem. This all collides with the shrinking ice fields at the poles. Those change the heat/cold cycles in the oceans which drive the currents, which drive weather of all kinds. All that impacts again on wildlife of all sorts. It also impacts on agriculture through the world with new drought, longer drought, and on and on and on.

The Democrats are taking some heat from Republicans on this “off shore drilling” idea. Nancy Pelosi says she’s attempting to help save a planet. At least, as Paul Krugman points outthat at least chief Republican wingnut Senator James Inhofe, who claims global warming is a “giant hoax” is not in control of the senate committee on the subject any more.

From what I have learned, McCain is just pandering to fear, the type of tactic he has become enamoured of since he has no real policy position on the issue, when he clamours for “off-shore drilling.” Such will not have any short term effect on prices at all, and many believe it can have dire consequences on the life of this planet, when coupled with a list of other bad things we are doing.

McCain of course, might know this, it’s hard to tell. As Krugman points out, he was a bill sponsor of cap-and-trade, but his recent remarks suggest he may not understand the subject much at all. He was against off-shore drilling of course, before he saw it as some floating life jacket for his campaign. So now, he’s a strutting proponent.

The American people, never long on facts, are for relief, and they will grasp at any straw that is pro-offered. It’s not clear they are “for” off-shore drilling at all. It depends, as it usually does, on how the question is posited. It seems there is a majority if, and I say IF there are environmental controls in place that make it safe.

What is going on in Congress is a joke. Democrats want oil companies to drill on land they already have leases for. Republicans want to move to off-shore drilling. They know a campaign tactic when they see one. Reid and others are also attempting to pass legislation that would cut down on oil speculators, something most agree has some impact on prices

. It’s all bogged down because Republicans won’t give up on the idea of off-shore drilling. They have precious few campaign ideas this season and they smell that this could be a big one for them, if they can continue to bamboozle the public that off-shore drilling will make a difference.

One can only hope that Dems won’t take the bait and cave, fearful that the public will turn against them. I submit that what they need to do is hammer it home that this Republican tactic will not make a difference to anyone for years to come, some say as late as 2017, and then hardly a difference anyone would realize. Take out ads if you have to, but don’t cave. We have been down that road before; it lead to the Patriot Act, and Iraq.

I know this planet will survive me. I am not so sure it will survive the next generation, but I suspect it probably will. After that? I have a sinking feeling it may be too late. To all those who say that global warming is not “proven,” I say, well little in science is. Gravity isn’t proven if you want to get technical. And even if this is normal cycling that the planet is going through, we are going to be just as dead if we can’t survive the changes. It behooves us to do what we can, while we can to give our children and their children a place they can live in not under.