Petroleum and My Prayer
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
Dearest Mister George Walker Bush . . .
This morning as I sat in what I would wish to think of as my safe little sanctuary from danger, I watched you mount the stairs and ascend into Air Force One. The television announcer spoke of your impending trip to the Midwest. As one with family in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois, I was grateful for your travel. I am certain the people in these regions will be comforted by your presence. Most will feel they have reason to hope that you will offer help. I truly appreciate you "swift" response to their needs. I am gratified that you have decided to fly high above the flooded terrain, and perhaps spend a moment with an individual or two. Perchance, you will speak to my sister or my Dad.
As I observed the day's news break on screen, I perused the printed page and realized the American people may have another reason to thank you. The New York Times reported Bush Calls for End to Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling. I am confident those on dry land, still able to drive through the streets are pleased. Your grand gesture will gratify them, belatedly if at all. The United States House Committee on Natural Resources thinks the move will not improve circumstances. I sigh.
There is no reason to let little details such as well-researched assessment get in the way of the glorious work you do Mister Bush. As you well know, the public cares not what the future might bring. The people prefer to be catered to in the immediate. I know you understand this Mister President. You felt the repercussions of a delayed action. I remember your late response to Katrina, and even to the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center Towers.
Woe, to the politician who does not take measures to calm the citizens quickly. Mister Bush, I am consoled as I witness all you have learned. Indeed, today, you quieted fears and felt the people's pain. You did as is necessary.
In this nation, an elected official who bows to the will of his or her constituency will be judged well. After all, as you are aware Mister Bush, the people are the power. The populace casts a ballot at the poll. Even for those such as you, an individual who cannot hold the office of the President again, that is as long as the Constitution remains unchanged, legacies are the legends of history.
Mister Bush, I applaud your heroism, your ability to reach out and to touch the common folk. Yet, while I might admire the actions you took on this 19th day of June, I only wish that consolations would clean the mess you created.
I fear each of the events of the day is the result of earlier enactments. What occurred in the Midwest is as much that the world has seen recently. Granted Mister President, you only preside over a portion of a North American continent; nonetheless, what is in our air travels overseas. Water also journeys to shores far beyond our horizon.
Contaminants and toxins permissible in the United States will be found in the heavens above foreign soil. Oceans, far from our homeland, will contain elements hurled into American waterways.
I know you might muse Mister Bush, as you did for near a decade ago, humans have little effect on the environment. Ah, but President Bush, as you now relent, we do alter the balance of nature. Decisions you made in our name, accelerated the cycle of unwelcome warmth on a globe too fragile to fight off the effects of a fever.
You, Mister Bush may have learned the laws of motion in your studies. As Sir Isaac Newton discovered in an Earthly environment, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Perchance, as a Chief Executive and one who received a Master's degree in Business Administration, you are more familiar with a similar premise, economic in nature, "You scrub my back, and I will cleanse yours."
In the financial world, the policies you endorsed illustrate that you embrace this "theoretical" truth. I recall your first hundred days in the Oval Office. Much to the benefit of business buds, who supported your rise, you chose to initiate practices that filled your friends' purses. . . . and oh, yes, these very guidelines damaged the milieu. Ooops.
- Bush administration marks 100 days in office (04/29/01)
- EPA drops objections to Florida rule that undermines Clean Water Act protections (04/26/01)
- Gale Norton nominates William G. Myers III as solicitor for Department of the Interior (04/24/01)
- Yellowstone snowmobile ban goes into effect, but perhaps not for long (04/23/01)
- Bush seeks to relax requirements of Endangered Species Act (04/09/01)
- Bush administration delays hard-rock mining regulations that protect watersheds (03/21/01)
- Bush withdraws new arsenic-in-drinking-water standard (03/20/01)
- Bush appoints industry apologist as regulatory gatekeeper (03/06/01)
- EPA upholds Clinton decision to clean up diesel pollution (02/28/01)
- EPA delays, then upholds, new rule protecting wetlands (02/15/01)
- White House announces regulatory freeze (01/20/01)
Indeed, you were a busy man Mister Bush, just as you have been today, and throughout your terms. You entered the White House and released the latch on barn doors throughout the nation. Domesticated animals, Americans, did not rush out, for they had long felt as though they were not in harm's way. Centuries of relative calm encouraged citizens, beasts of few burdens, to believe they were sheltered from storms. However, once the portals were open, predators, or was it you Mister President, ran in.
Marauders came though back gateways, side entries, windows, and slats in the ceiling. Perhaps these too were but friends of the fellow we all know as George, you, Mister Bush.
Oh, Sir, you must know, corporations, intent on earnings, ignored the warnings of environmentalists. Scientists could not be heard above the hum of oil drills. The clang of change as it fell into deep pockets muffled the melodious mantra of the few concerned citizens. This circumstances Mister Bush caused the globe to warm. Now the water falls from the sky without end. Levees poorly maintained or engineered break.
My Dad hopes his sump pump will not fail. My sister prays that her home will remain on a hill. My best friend fears for his roof. A friend in Racine, Wisconsin I hope is well. No one has been able to reach him.
Mister Bush, when you first arrived in Washington District of Columbia you changed the fabric of the land. You did not steward the territory we each occupy. Economic favors flourished as did environmental hazards. The rich grew richer; the poor did not prosper. Those who had wealth garnered dividends. Those with few resources received less. Now, we all suffer.
Wind and water does not discriminate. Homes, bought and paid for wash away in a torrid tempest just as shacks do.
Oh my dear Mister Bush, you promised to be the Compassionate Conservative. If only you had chosen to be the Consummate Conservationist.
Each day Mother Nature cries out. She weeps and the terrain floods. Her heart breaks, and tectonic plates move. Cyclones are the swell of tears her eyes cannot hold. Mother Earth pounds us with hail; she means no harm. Her children, under the tutelage of an oil moneyed man are out of control. She knows not what to do to get their attention. She throws what she has at hand, and hopes, perhaps, her brood will stop the insanity.
Mister Bush, please I plead, do not pander, or patronize. My Dad does not need cheaper fuel. He is a patient man and willing to wait for alternatives that do not leave him soaked and sorrowful in the next five-hundred year flood, which may occur only a month from now.
My sister would be content, if she could tell he son with certainty, she will leave him a world better than the one she grew up in. Sensitive as she is, my sibling hopes to bequeath her grandchildren with a glorious existence. However, as you fly to her home with promises too late, and replete of a skewed reality, she fears a dependency on fossil fuels will never end.
She too, just as Daddy, does not concern herself with what cannot be salvaged. Each requests that we secure the future, clean the environment, and do not drill for more oil, offshore or anywhere.
Mister Bush, the time is now. For as much as any American would wish to believe they are safe in their now dry homes, as long as we continue to rape the few resources we have left, as long as we waste, and want more and more "conveniences" no one will be secure.
As you peruse the cities and crops destroyed by rains and runoff, you might realize climate change is evidence of what you sowed. No promises will repair broken hearts. No policies that allow for more petroleum usage will produce calm or clean seas. We now reap the rewards of gluttony and gratification. It is not a pretty picture.
Mister Bush, tomorrow does come. Our actions today will be the cause. The effects of your past performances are what you see today in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri . . . Let us no longer wash the back of a egocentric executive, at the expense of the environment. Instead, kiss my sister, hug my Dad, and if you can find my friend, lost in the tragedy, please tell him I love him.
Resources, No More Oil . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on June 19, 2008 at 12:00 PM in Bush 43 Administration, Energy Enigma, Environment, Global Warming | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bush and His Billionaires Caused It. Let Them Pay ©
It is true; we as a nation and as a world have seen an increase in the number and intensity of cataclysmic storms. Tornados, droughts, hurricanes and other recent disasters have caused great calamity. We are mired in misfortune. However, we are working to pay for what we caused. We are closing the barn door behind us; our prides and joys are all long gone. We now, belatedly, prepare for what was our own ignorance. We elected George W. Bush, twice. Well actually,
. . . in 2000, Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist appointed or anointed this sly desperado. It was 36 days after his first Presidential run that George W. Bush was selected as our President.
See what the true winner, by many counts, is now doing. Al Gore presents his concern.
• An Inconvenient Truth
• The Trailer
• A Campaign Gore Can't Lose, By Richard Cohen. Washington Post. Tuesday, April 18, 2006; Page A19
Nevertheless, four years later, we as a people essentially elected this twit. What were we thinking, or more accurately, what were those that voted for him thinking? Many admittedly envisioned GW as the great protector. He sheltered us [US] from terrorists. However, no radical fanatic did more damage than he. Bush battered this nation and our Earth. He did so under the guise of a compassionate conservative. I myself prefer a caring individual, one that conserves.
However, supporters of this scoundrel did not. They knew that this unethical Emperor had worked to destroy our environment. Immediately after his initial inauguration, King George II changed our environmental standards. He chose to lessen the ecologically sound restrictions that had been previously placed on the books. The Blundering Bush allowed for more arsenic in water.
Then and now, Gas Guzzling GW refuses to admit that burning coal is a problem. He encourages it. Bush belies the belief that cars using Chevron with Techron have served to increase temperatures worldwide. He says that he wants to reduce this nations addiction to fossil fuels. Why, if it does not harm? Perhaps, he, his family, and familiars are planning to invest in renewable energy. It is possible, though I find the theory questionable. Actions do speak louder than words.
If we consider the emission regulations Bush supports, we know his true desires. Sports Utility Vehicle owners receive tax breaks under Bush. A Republican Congress and the King allow these “small trucks” to emit toxic gases. Recent changes in the laws that govern these monstrosities do little to better our surroundings.
Baby George Bush believes or pretends to that natural causes are the reason we have had 19 of the 20 hottest years since 1980. This man or monster takes no personal responsibility. However, those of us that care and have watched the climate change wonder.
We Americans, those that never marked our ballots for this buffoon, note the irrefutable connections. We acknowledge that this administration is not only friendly toward oil interests. They are these. George W. Bush and his majestic dynasty made their money by investing in petroleum. They still do, as do their friends.
Moguls and magnates from these flourishing fuel-pumping conglomerates were America’s energy commission. Scientists were banned. These industrialists and entrepreneurs created what now is policy. They have generated storms of infinite proportion. Global warming is their legacy; yet, they are unwilling to pay for it and we, the people, do not ask them to. We again, chose to mistakenly let this administration be.
State governments are struggling to break even. Insurance companies are refusing to issue policies for weather-related tragedies. >People, ah the people. Those that are directly affected by decisions of the Bush Band are barely surviving. Still, we speak of Catastrophe Funds. The public is relying on its own taxes to pay for the damage that nature and we did not create.
Why are we not asking those that caused this ruin to pay? They have Billions. The price of their pleasure increases as the common folks suffer. Is this the “justice” George W. speaks of?
If we are to authentically spread democracy, might we not begin at home? Here in the USA, let us adopt laws that protect and provide for all equally. Let us no longer supplement the suffering imposed by a self-serving administration. If we were to pass and enforce regulations that ended global warming, if we demanded repayment for the damage caused by a corrupt Cabinet, imagine what a world this would be.
Sources of possible interest . . .
• George W. Bush, et al., Petitioners v. Albert Gore, Jr., et al. Cornell Law School
• Extra funds may ease woes By Beatrice E. Garcia, MiamiHerald.com Tuesday, April 18, 2006
• President Bush Discusses Global Climate Change June 2001
• Bush energy plan includes coal-burning power plants CNN Inside Politics. May 17, 2001
• Bush-Cheney Energy Plan: Plunder, Pollute, Price-Gouge and Profiteer Public Citizen May 17, 2001
• Bush's Energy Policy Philadelphia Inquirer February 2, 2006
• Bush: Global warming is just hot air By Katharine Mieszkowski. Salon. September 10, 2004
• Global Warming Information Center
• Bush Family Values: War, Wealth, Oil by Kevin Phillips. The Los Angeles Times.Sunday, February 8, 2004
• Humans cause global warming, US admits, BBC News. Monday, 3 June, 2002
• The 2004 Presidential Election: Who Won The Popular Vote? By Jonathan D. Simon, J.D. and Ron P. Baiman, Ph.D. Free Press
• The crisis at hand: covering Fla. homes, By Beatrice E. Garcia, MiamiHerald.com Sunday, April 16, 2006
• Katrina Clean-Up By Susanna Schrobsdorff. Newsweek. September 1, 2005
• Post-Katrina Promises Unfulfilled By Spencer S. Hsu. Washington Post Saturday, January 28, 2006
• Hurricane FAQs Hurricane Insurance Information Center
• Coalition Seeks Catastrophe Insurance Funds in N.Y., Other States Insurance Journal. October 3, 2005
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on April 18, 2006 at 05:05 PM in Business, Catastrophe Funds, Compassionate Conservatives, Consumption and Conservation, Current Affairs, Energy Enigma, Environment, Global Warming, Katrina Evacuees, Oil, Powerful Polluters, Price of Petroleum | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Energy Enigma; Bush Consumption Advocate, Encourages Conservation ©
Each and every week, the Bush administration offers inconsistencies. This week a contradiction seems so strikingly absurd, I cannot ignore it. I feel compelled to comment on the recent change in the Bush energy policy.
In September 2002, the President of the United States spoke emphatically of energy concerns. He spoke of consumption and the importance of this. At the time Baby Bush said, “Congress also must understand they've got to pass an energy bill. You see, an energy bill will be good for jobs. An energy bill will be good for national security. We need an energy bill that encourages consumption [sic].”
Now, he advocates the contrary, or so it seems.
In recent days, the President has been out on the stump. He is encouraging Americans to use mass transit. The King told citizenry to get out of their cars, their Sports Utility Vehicles, their light trucks, and Hummers. Junior asked the public to take the bus, the subway, or possibly, car pool. He even suggested staying at home. The Bush Boy is pleading with an anxious public; please do not travel. Imagine that.
Under Bush, one was able to buy a Hummer and deduct the cost from their tax returns. Now, the same man that proposed giving tax cuts to those that buy the greatest of gas-guzzlers is asking very same consumers to leave their vehicles behind.
Leave the idyllic image of consumerism? Was it not Bush that preached buy, buy, buy, even after the 9/11 catastrophe? It was. He and his subordinate, or is it his superior, had said, in the United States consumption for the sake of consumption is the only palatable way of life!
Years earlier, in 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney expressed his belief, "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy." The President agreed wholeheartedly.
In that same year, former White House Press Secretary Air Fleisher was asked of the President’s perspective on energy. The press wanted to know was reducing energy consumption the plan. They asked and Fleisher, replied, “That's a big no. The president believes that it's [consuming is] an American way of life." Yet, now it is not? Why not?
I will leave that question stand. Feel free to cogitate aloud and in writing. Please share your thoughts. Mine may be too cynical to express.
Might I just offer these thoughts for your consideration? Petroleum has long been the source of Bush prosperity. The family fortune was found in oil. One might wonder would the Baby truly want its use to decline.
The Bush/Cheney energy policy, from the first, exploited the American desire to consume. Fulfilling whims advances profits for each of these [former] business moguls. Their friends benefit as well. Are these magnets really ready, willing, or able to curb their greed? I think not.
The axiom states, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Perhaps, we are witnessing that need is the parent of re-invention?
The President seems to be re-formulating his policy when he asks us not to use fuel. However, he is not. Mr. Bush actually postulates that a lack of power is only a temporary setback. He portends Katrina and Rita caused for the current crisis; however, once the effects of these storms pass, all will be well. Yet, I wonder. Did the Bush energy policy contribute to global warming, and thus create Katrina and Rita. Might there be a truer calamity coming?
Possibly, for Bush and the Band, power is not the problem; it is the solution. They will feel fulfilled when they have it; therefore, they seek it. Gas gauges may not be a consideration at all; polls numbers may be the authentic indicator. When we reflect upon the President’s use of fuel, and the reason for it, we know this to be true.
I wish to share an incongruity to this recent paradox. While Bush is bolstering conservation, he is expending ample energy. He is devoting his time and the nation’s fuel to his own personal cause. King George II is using an enormous amount of petroleum as he promotes his numbers in the polls. Reuters Alternet writes on this, Bush burns up fuel when he travels.
For your entertainment, I offer these references.
• To Conserve Gas, President Calls for Less Driving, By David Leonhardt, Jad Mouawad and David E. Sanger, New York Times.
• President Bush Calls on Congress to Act on Nation's Priorities, The White House
• Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer, The White House
• Bush Family Values, By Elizabeth Drew, The Nation
• Bush-Cheney Energy Strategy: Procuring the Rest of the World’s Oil, By Michael Klare
• Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy Discusses the effects of Katrina and Rita
• CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 16-18, 2005
• Bush burns up fuel when he travels, Reuters Alternet
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on September 27, 2005 at 11:38 PM in Bush 43 Administration, Consumption and Conservation, Current Affairs, Energy Enigma, Oil | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
