The Oil Drum: Europe

This is an excerpted letter from Members of Congress Don Young and Roscoe Bartlett asking for other MoC's to support and/or co-sponsor H.R. 6107, an Important Step to American Energy Independence and Price Reductions for Consumers.

It would seem to me that it contains policy options we should discuss...more under the fold.

If you wish to find your Representative's number or email to express your support or contempt for this legislation, go to http://house.gov. To learn more about the details of the legislation, look it up at http://thomas.loc.gov .

We must act now and illustrate that we are serious about bringing down the high cost of energy and generating good paying jobs in our communities. Abundant, affordable, and secure supplies of energy are essential to this Nation's economic and national security.

Just an update: http://bartlett.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=90703

Congressman Roscoe G. Bartlett, joined by 34 House colleagues, today introduced a bipartisan companion to S. 2821, the bipartisan Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008. S. 2821 was introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John Ensign (R-NV) and has 43 cosponsors. S. 2821 was included as an amendment to The Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 which was approved by a vote of 88-8. House leaders stripped that provision from the bill when it was considered in the House.

We discussed S. 2821 and Bartlett's Peak Oil Special Order in detail earlier in the week here. Make sure to call your senators and representatives if you are in support of this legislation. Look up your representatives' contact info at http://www.house.gov and http://senate.gov .

I urge my colleagues to join me to support four better solutions:

1. A SMART GREEN SHOWCASE hosted by the SMART Organization in conjunction with me on July 18, 2008 in Frederick, Maryland will offer SMART ENERGY SOLUTIONS for homeowners and small business owners: practical ways you can use less energy, save money, and help our country transition to domestic, cleaner and renewable energy sources. The conference will provide educational and networking opportunities for home owners and representatives of large and small businesses, academic and non-profit organizations. For more information, go to: http://www.smartgreenconference.com

2. Next week, I will be introducing the companion House legislation to S. 2821, the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008. It is sponsored by Sen Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] and was introduced on April 3, 2008 with lead Republican cosponsor, Sen. Ensign, John [NV]. It currently has 43 Cosponsors. [ED Note: If you wish to see more of the legislation, co-sponsors, etc., go to THOMAS (Library of Congress), type in S. 2821 or any of the bill numbers below.]

Two other pending bills that I recommend looking at are:

3. My Self-powered Farm Bill: H.R. 80 and
4. the DRIVE Act, H.R. 670

To help solve America’s energy problems, we need to reduce our country’s dependence upon oil to grow our food and for transportation. These two bills would provide incentives to reduce the dependence of our farmers and our businesses and commuters on oil.

We need your help in calling your congresspersons and helping us get this legislation moving. More detail under the fold.

Roscoe Bartlett seems to always be 2 steps ahead. For several years now he has been speaking, often to only a few Members, on the issues surrounding Peak Oil and our nations need to change our oil intensive way of life. Now, as House leaders are lauding a new Energy Bill (details of which Robert Rapier highlighted here) that will create agricultural jobs and make us depend on the 'Midwest instead of the Middle East", Congressman Bartlett is again ahead of the pack. Knowing that all energy is not created equal, and that biofuels have large costs in terms of energy, water demands, pesticide and fertilizer use, as well as competition for food, the science-trained Congressman voted nay on the Energy bill which included a more than doubling of corn ethanol production over the next decade. He references the National Academy of Science report on The Implications of Biofuel Production on US Water Supplies, and is looking ahead to where we really need to change - efficiency, conservation and new ways of structuring our society. Below the fold is the press release from the Congressmans website.

We have a new set of commenting and site guidelines on the FAQ. I hope that you will read them and cite them often.

Here's a link to a video of Representatives Bartlett and Udall (aka "the Peak Oil Caucus") reacting to the NPC Report. (Description under the fold.)

Finally here's a link to Friend of TOD Charlie Hall's new book, Making World Development Work: Scientific Alternatives to Neoclassical Economic Theory. (Book blurb and information under the fold.)

Here's three four pieces of media that you can send to folks to explain the basic arguments regarding peak oil. First is Matt Simmons on CNBC a month ago talking about the GAO report (7 mins), then under the fold a link to Jim Kunstler's latest talk (which is great), a piece by ABC Radio of Australia on the GAO report and peak oil, and Boone Pickens on the issue as well.

"The GAO report found no focussed coordinated government plans to prepare for peak oil or other supply disruptions."
"We are on the verge of replacing the term 'global warming' with the term 'peak oil.'"
"The best new oil basin we will ever find is the one called 'conservation.'"

Prepared Statement of Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-6-MD)
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Hearing on Energy
June 15, 2007

I appreciate the opportunity to testify today before the Members of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission concerning energy.

The Commission has been charged to examine and report to Congress about energy considering: “The effect of the large and growing economy of the People’s Republic of China on world energy supplies and the role the United States can play (including joint research and development efforts and technological assistance), in influencing the energy policy of the People’s Republic of China.”

Energy is a topic of intense interest and concern to me. I have been studying energy, and in particular oil, for the past 40 years. I believe that energy will be the dominant issue affecting our nation and our world in the 21st Century. In 8,000 years of recorded history, we are 150 years into the Age of Oil. This period of 150 years has lulled Americans, but not our counterparts in China, into a false sense of complacency. (Much more under the fold)

Here's three four pieces of media that you can send to folks to explain the basic arguments regarding peak oil. First is Matt Simmons on CNBC yesterday talking about the GAO report (7 mins), then under the fold a link to Jim Kunstler's latest talk, a piece by ABC Radio of Australia on the GAO report and peak oil, and Boone Pickens on the issue as well.

"The GAO report found no focussed coordinated government plans to prepare for peak oil or other supply disruptions."
"We are on the verge of replacing the term 'global warming' with the term 'peak oil.'"
"The best new oil basin we will ever find is the one called 'conservation.'"

ED by PG: I moved the Simmons video under the fold for load times--also I have also posted the Simmons video on the GAO report/peak oil to another post above as well that contains three other pieces of video/audio media on the topic.

I don't know how many of you actually watch C-Span, but I do now and again (hazard of my job...). When members of Congress give special orders speeches, they often just stand up in the well of the House and read 'em, usually to a (very) empty chamber.

This was also true of Roscoe Bartlett's latest speech (which if you have not read yet, you really should. It's well done.)

Bartlett's speech needs to be spread around to local, state, and federal government officials of all stripes, parties, colors, and creeds. I hope that you will take a minute to pass it on to people in power or to someone you want to understand the problems of a plateauing supply. Bartlett has also been involved in promoting the DRIVE Act (Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy Act), a first step in what needs to be a very long process of reform.

Bartlett's website can be found here; Bartlett also refers to Admiral Rickover's speech, which can be found here.