- In a CNN/Opinion Research Poll from last month 70% of respondents said gas prices would be "extremely/very" important in their choice for President. The same poll stated that 73% of respondents backed offshore drilling, and 69% were in favor of drilling in currently protected federal lands.
-Other polls have shown that the majority of Americans believe that more drilling for oil in the US would alleviate the problem of dependency on foreign oil and rising gas prices.
-The US Department of Energy estimates that the amount of recoverable oil available from offshore drilling in the continental US would last only 7 months at the current rate of consumption.
-A D.O.E. report from last year indicates that it would take 2 decades for domestic drilling to have a noticeable impact on domestic production and the impact on overall fuel costs would be insignificant. Recently John McCain himself has admitted that offshore resources would "take years to develop". He is now running on a platform that promotes the idea of vastly increased domestic drilling, which will have little to no effect on overall fuel costs or the long term energy crisis. In addition, his overall stance on viable sources of energy is heavily reliant on our current model of oil production and use, the dire consequences of which have been predicted by such disparate sources as NASA, Al Gore, the United Nations, and the Pope (along with a continually rising number of other organizations and individuals).
-The US only accounts for 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of it's oil. The US is second only to China as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. 1 barrel of oil burned adds approximately 1000 pounds of carbon dioxide to the air.
Source: New Yorker Aug 8-11 2008.
Illustrations: A. Turner, Fall 2000.
Depressing stuff, and wonderful pictures.
ReplyDeletewe all know the end s coming
ReplyDeleteOver here we pay £1.20 for a litre of unleaded petrol (or gas as it's known in America) and most of that price is made up of tax.
ReplyDeleteWould Americans use quite as much 'gas' if it was over $2 a litre?
Probably not.
But then they might do.
It's down to the USA government to pull the strings and change the way the USA does things (not only in terms of enviromental matters).
The huge disparity in the figures you have quoted demonstrate why so much of the rest of the world view USA as a fallen super-power.
All the banter that comes out of Washington is based on USA being a world leader.
Aaron, you are a well travelled person.
The problem i find with a lot of American rhetoric is it comes from Americans who clearly AREN'T well travelled...
They simply don't know or care what goes on in the wider world, yet give the impression of being the world's policeman in matters that might affect their oil.
Hey - use a bit less, and you might not need so much...
... and so it will go, as long as we continue to view growth as unending and limitless instead of cyclical, resounding, finite. The free market isn't solving any of our meaningful problems, but I fear its short term rewards are too sexy for some (precisely 69%-73% in this instance) to resist. Are we really leaving the future of our environment in the hands of the same people who bought up and closed down public transit utilities in major cities to sell more cars?
ReplyDeleteit's great to see that you use your blog to spread awareness and cause people to consider more important issues in the world rather than shamelessly promote yourself and your art (which you don't in the least). Your words are always refreshing. Thank you for being you.
ReplyDeleteTrue enough, but until we are all ready to make real sacrifices I just see us spiraling downward.
ReplyDeleteI mean, are we ready to curb oil consumption in everything we do?
Touring bands burn a lot of fuel, so does shipping records around the world. Know what I mean? We're all implicated to an extent, myself included.
And then let's say I make drastic changes and sacrifices and stop buying glorious colored vinyl, and get rid of my car, will everyone else? Or is it all for naught.
Yo dude - I've been silently wishing for gas to hit $5-$9/gallon, in all honesty. Not only is it a reflection of the going rate in other parts of the world, but it would certainly be enough to finally make people here truly livid/vocal on a grand scale (it hits them directly where it hurts). And unfortunately, pissing people off is one of the only great motivators left when it comes to eliciting action and critical thinking in these parts.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I wish somebody would just present a button that would arbitrarily wipe about 4 billion people from the face of the planet. I don't know how else to get humanity back to sustainable consumption after breeding and adopting such rampant habits.
Outside of that, just checked out the stuff you've been up to lately - good shit. Hope to run into you soon - it's been a while.
excellent drawings Aaron! Hell yesssss... McCain can't win or it's over for us all.
ReplyDelete