Rusted Sky

I was unfortunate enough to listen to Fox News today. Neal Cavuto was talking with a Representative from California about why they were investigating the oil companies. There was a brief exerpt of the Representative's speech to the oil executives today that went something like this... (I've been unable to find a transcript on-line.)

"I have no evidence of collusion and price fixing, gentlemen, but I believe that you're doing something illegal. The FEC (?) hasn't been able to find it, so you have to persuade me that you're not."

So what are the oil companies supposed to say? "You can tell your constituents that your refusal to allow infrastructure upgrades have contributed to the current problem."? Yeah, that'd go well.

Neal then asked her why she was blocking new drilling. The response? "We can't drill our way out of this situation!" Energy conservation and big government alternative energy projects seemed to be the way to go - private sector nuclear and oil were out of the question.

So - garden variety stupid, or simply monomaniacal on the idea that no new drilling should be done anywhere in the continental US? I wish I had the transcripts - it'd be a lot easier to tell.

But more and more I'm thinking the Democrats have disconnected themselves from reality on this one. Energy conservation? Sure! That's why I installed motion sensing switches where practical. CF lights also. Alternative energy? Good f'n luck there - you need something workable NOW, not something that'll provide a government jobs program for the next 30 years. Let the private sector decide what'll work - and stand out of the way on new development of nuclear energy. We're supposed to be more like France, right? Well, they use a LOT of nuclear-generated electricity. Why don't we?

But in the mean time - explore. Drill like our economy depended on it. Develop solar and nuclear power to replace coal-fired power plants, but we have to have oil. There's just no substitute. And to block exploration/exploitation of that resource while we try to find other solutions... well, that's just plain idiocy.

J.