An Oily Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving dinner will cost a minimum of 11% more this year due to feed, storage, and energy prices, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Petroleum is the reason for the increase. Oil production has reached its peak. As more nations vie for the fewer finite sources of petroleum, continuously increasing prices will be the norm. No more cheap oil.
The United States has been dependent on petroleum for so long that weaning itself will be hard, but it must be done. We need to turn from oil to renewable energy.
Detroit needs to redeem itself by manufacturing real fuel efficient cars. Comparing the fuel efficiency of American and Japanese cars leaves no question that GM and Ford have been completely, and apparently deliberately, behind the curve.
The top five American cars average 27.4 mpg in the city and 33.2 mpg on the highway, while the average of the top five Japanese cars get 46.2 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway. Meanwhile, there has been wrangling on Capitol Hill about even meeting 33%, the minimum required for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to even begin lifting America out of its energy problem hole. When Republicans controlled Congress, increased CAFE standards were anathema.
As for ethanol promoters, that's a dirty secret that needs to be exposed. The ethanol production process emits carcinogenic pollutants and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warning. It also enriches the coffers of Republican corporate agribusinesses like ADM, ranked as the tenth worst corporate air polluter, on the "Toxic 100" list of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts.
So, quit with the ethanol. Stop yanking out chains, GM and Ford, and make cars that are as fuel efficient as Japanese models, now, not by 2016 or two decades from today. Congress, stop enabling your "profits and greed" corporate and lobbyist donors to screw regular working Americans. Get serious about renewable energy. Global warming is a reality and the Statue of Liberty doesn't know how to swim.
Petroleum is the reason for the increase. Oil production has reached its peak. As more nations vie for the fewer finite sources of petroleum, continuously increasing prices will be the norm. No more cheap oil.
The United States has been dependent on petroleum for so long that weaning itself will be hard, but it must be done. We need to turn from oil to renewable energy.
Detroit needs to redeem itself by manufacturing real fuel efficient cars. Comparing the fuel efficiency of American and Japanese cars leaves no question that GM and Ford have been completely, and apparently deliberately, behind the curve.
The top five American cars average 27.4 mpg in the city and 33.2 mpg on the highway, while the average of the top five Japanese cars get 46.2 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway. Meanwhile, there has been wrangling on Capitol Hill about even meeting 33%, the minimum required for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to even begin lifting America out of its energy problem hole. When Republicans controlled Congress, increased CAFE standards were anathema.
As for ethanol promoters, that's a dirty secret that needs to be exposed. The ethanol production process emits carcinogenic pollutants and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warning. It also enriches the coffers of Republican corporate agribusinesses like ADM, ranked as the tenth worst corporate air polluter, on the "Toxic 100" list of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts.
So, quit with the ethanol. Stop yanking out chains, GM and Ford, and make cars that are as fuel efficient as Japanese models, now, not by 2016 or two decades from today. Congress, stop enabling your "profits and greed" corporate and lobbyist donors to screw regular working Americans. Get serious about renewable energy. Global warming is a reality and the Statue of Liberty doesn't know how to swim.
Posted by Kaz at 11/21/2007 4:12 PM 
Categories: Congress, Environment, Manufacturing, Economy, Economics
Categories: Congress, Environment, Manufacturing, Economy, Economics
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