Cowtown Chronicles

Sent today via his webform:

I’m extremely disappointed that you did not heed the will of your constituents in supporting the Climate Security Act (S. 3036) this week. Poll after poll has shown that the desire for action on climate change crosses party, locality, income, religious, and race boundaries, but somehow it still gets slammed for being some kind of “extremist environmentalist” position.

And this week when you had the chance to stand up to the partisans in your party who are creating fear, uncertainty, and doubt, you chose to stick your head in the sand instead of standing up for what’s right.

This is even more disappointing and exasperating because you claim to be an outdoorsman and to love the natural environment of Texas. I’ve read your articles in various newspapers and outdoors groups’ newsletters. I can tell that you truly love the diverse and rich natural environment we enjoy in Texas, so why won’t you work to protect it?

Your stated reasons, jobs and gas prices, aren’t good enough. I’ll remind you that in the words of WWII veteran and staunch environmentalist David Brower - “There is no business to be done on a dead planet.” If we continue to destroy the world we live in, it won’t matter how many jobs there are in Texas, because no one will want to live here.

As for gas prices — I’d really appreciate it if you and your fellow Senators would provide some context when speaking about opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here are a couple of points that are NEVER addressed when this is mentioned by either side (I’m afraid they don’t look good for your stated position):

1. Drilling in ANWAR (or off the continental shelf) would not produce oil or refined gasoline soon enough to do anything to affect the current price of oil, yet whenever high gas prices are mentioned, ANWAR (in the form of increased domestic oil production) is given as the solution.

2. There is only enough oil in ANWAR to supply 7 months (maybe 13 if you go by the most hopeful estimates) of the daily oil consumption in the US. Do you really think such a small amount of oil will have any affect on the price of fuel? (I know your answer to that is “NO,” but you could never say that publicly.)

Please, give the dogma a rest and start working with the Democratic party to find REAL, LONG-TERM solutions to our energy needs. Climbing up on the backs of your struggling constituents to make a speech about how “I’d love to help, but the Democrats won’t let me” is not the job you were elected to do.

Thank you for your time, I sincerely hope you actually read this message.

Pete Wann
Fort Worth

Does this guy seriously not understand the words (or perhaps the order of the words) that are coming out of his mouth? No, it’s not the order. He just doesn’t understand the meanings of the words he’s speaking.

And also some complete losses of reason.

Once again I’ve given in and read the comments on a story at the S-T’s website. The story happens to be about how the increase in gas prices is affecting commuters around the city. Generally the people quoted in the piece are handling it like adults, taking responsibility for their actions and choosing to modify their behavior or downsize their vehicles. (Huh. Proof that the markets really do work!)

But the comments are where the REAL action is. Take this nutjob for example:

Conservation CANNOT solve the problem. Congress should stop taking money from the Environmentalists and pass legislation to unplug wells first and then allow drilling in Alaska and off California and New England and the building of refineries on fast track (minimal environmental restrictions). Most of all Americans need to get over this national guilt conplex over using Earth’s resources.

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Posted by: Tired of the stupidity of the ignorant masses

Apparently it’s the ENVIRONMENTALIST lobby that’s been raking in all those massive profits on oil and funneling that money directly into the pockets of legislators. Damn! How could I have been so stupid?

I hope this isn’t a commonly held opinion in conservative circles, because it (obviously) couldn’t be more wrong. (It’s a “guilt conplex” that’s making us want to protect and conserve Earth’s resources? Apparently we’re all stupid because we don’t want to breathe poisoned air or drink poisoned water.)

I agree that conservation cannot solve the problem (although I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the root of “Conservative” is “conserve”), at least not alone. Conservation combined with exploration of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, nuclear, etc. IS the answer. Clinging to dirty, destructive energy sources like coal and petroleum JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE CHEAP is a ridiculous position.

If someone said “I’ll give you this truck, but I have to take one of your legs in return,” would you make that deal? That’s essentially what we’re doing when we refuse to give up environmentally damaging things solely for convenience or frugality’s sake.

We’re poisoning ourselves slowly and causing untold damage to our ecosystems, but at least everyone has a car, right?