U.S. must disengage from oil policies

[Algorem]

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080226/OPINION04/802260302/1014/CUSTOMERSERVICE02
Roger Dodds



We hear a lot about the proposed "oil law" whose purpose is to distribute revenue equitably among the regions. What we hear is a lie. Three ambiguous sentences out of some 35 pages refer to the distribution of oil revenues.

The purpose of the proposed law is to allow Western oil companies a controlling investment in some 80 percent of Iraqi oil reserves (see Dennis Kucinich's May 23 address to the House)...


But consider this. If our invasion of Iraq leads to a de facto control of their oil reserves, we will have lost any grounds for claiming it is a "just war." We will be a devouring culture, engaged in a war of aggression.

I think the majority of Americans have an honest heart, but we've been fed many lies. If we don't wake up, we could get 100 years of war, which we can never win because we do not have justice on our side.

Roger Dodds was a contributor to the conference, "9/11 - A Theological Response," recently co-sponsored by the Theologian-in-Residence program of John XXIII Parish, Vital Theology magazine and the Colorado State University Philosophy Department.

[anthilltiger]

1. Oil, Gas, Solar , Coal and Nuclear

Lets drill lets build more Nuke plants and your snivelers will have cleaner better fuel and we wont have to rely so mush on the Dictators of the worlds. I mean you people would be the biggest finger pointer if all of a sudden the Mid East cut us from oil and you all were walking to work.. Id like to see you lazy butts in LA and NY walk to work.. But hey we could cover the state of nevada and Arizona with Solar Panels. there might be enough electricity produced to run Las vegas and LA but then some Desert Tortoise would become extinct and we cant have that so what? lets may everyone have then new "Energy efficient light bulbs in their house it will save them about 30 cents a mont.. Oh crap i forgot they have Mercury in them so now we need to have a government regulated "Union" payed agency to make sure the bulbs are disposed of properly. When all is said we use more oil and gas and energy disposing if the Enviro wackos bulb then it ever was worth. But hey it felt like a good idea and made some of us feel good didn't it. Yeah and what about Global Warming Oh gee?
Build some Nukes and lets kick these wackos to the curb so we can get this country moving in the Right direction and not into the 1880's.
Thank you very much.

[comtec]

2. little hyperbolic are we today?

I admit I've never understood why there can't be re-refining of nuclear cores for re-use, thus reducing the amount of waste. i understand the water needs, but what about basic recycling there?

as far as solar, it's been calculated that a 10 square (I could be off by a bit) mile solar collector would provide enough energy for the US.

Don't forget about wind, bio-mass, and hydro (Vegas is RUN by Hoover dam)

I don't approve of nuclear plants, but in the mid term, I would not be against building a nuclear plant if reasonable recycling programs were in place (for the water and rods), especially if they could close down several coal burning plants.

As far as reasonable solar goals, require that all house roofs that face the sun be at least 25% covered would provide a great deal of power for the area they reside. Having a lower power use mindset (use of LCD screen whenever possible, turning lights off when the room is not in use, turning computers off at night, or using low-power processors like the AMD cool n quiet options) would go a vary long way to reducing our power needs in general!

I remember the brown outs in California when I was a kid. We learned how to manage power usage. We can probably all save at least one dirty plant per state worth of power a day (and night)

A great deal can be done without building more nuke plants, and more can be done to minimize their environmental effects.

The problem has been oversight, AND greedy power plant owners who don't adhere to the regulations.

more nuke plants, would actually end up causing as much (in their own way, because the damage is different) environmental problems as the coal plants they are supposed to be producing because of lack of adherence to the regulations designed to protect us all.

That's the main problem with "Just build more nuke plants". It doesn't solve the underlying problem...greed and ignorance.

[nightrider767]

3. It's sickening to watch,,,

How many of our men died for this?

How much better off could we have been if we instead used that trillion dollars for the war, on developing new energy technologies...