Energy Debate and Donald Lambro

Mr. Lambro:

Since my unimportant local blog entries seem to have provoked such interest and your comment on my simple efforts to present the facts regarding energy, instead of responding with a pot shot as your original comment seemed to indicate, maybe you could defend mountaintop removal and the videos that are posted. (For anyone interested, there are far more videos posted on YouTube if you are inclined to do a search for "mountain top removal.")

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In a recent article in the Telegram, Massachusetts Republican Senators said:

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Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, complained the state was ignoring the need for more power supplies.

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“Give me a break, ....The oilman in the White House? We point the finger? My constituents are paying $4 a gallon for gas. There is nothing in the bill that is going to help them,” he said, arguing new conventional energy sources were needed and not being encouraged. “Let’s not go crazy with the accolades and patting ourselves on the back. God forbid we drill,” he said, arguing for more domestic oil drilling. Mr. Knapik also complained about opposition and delays in development of a proposed wind turbine farm in Nantucket Sound that would provide clean power to Cape Cod. “Wind power — God forbid, we help the Cape. We can’t even get that right,” Mr. Knapik said.

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He said the state has the highest electric rates in the nation and there is serious worry about heating costs next winter. “This legislation does nothing to drive down those costs,” he said. Mr. Knapik, however, supported the legislation, commenting, “It does begin to move us incrementally in the right direction.”
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Another Republican, Sen. Bruce E. Tarr of Gloucester, said the bill would restrict electrical supply at a time when the state needs more power. “There is no doubt we need to be exploring renewables … but does that mean we need to restrict ourselves on our supply of energy?” he asked.

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One might make the argument that consumers are being duped by lobbyists, dirty coal, and corporate campaign contributors with a vested interest who dismiss environmental issues.

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Why do the Republicans who repeat the party line by rote sound like bobble heads?

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Coal sequestration? Now that's funny.

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Let's destroy the mountains, the towns where economically disadvantaged people live - those with no voices, those with no economic clout to fight the environmental disasters unlike any we have ever witnessed that coal companies leave in their wake as they ride off to the next mountain to destroy. The floods have caused toxic waste to flood houses, sicken families, yet those generous campaign contributions continue to flow in.

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Senator Knapik got most things wrong, but not Cape Wind, a project that has been vigorously opposed by wealthy Cape residents unwilling to see their view disturbed or their sailing race course rerouted, and Coal Company Execs and Lobbyists. The delay in approval has doubled the price. Will King Coal aka the opposition Alliance further delay this issue in court? Will the Commonwealth continue to drag its heels?

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As a footnote, since Americans consume more energy and water than their EU counterparts, that implies the potential for conservation. Cambridge is a great example that Middleboro should be copying.

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NPR had a discussion program on this AM discussing energy and ways to reduce consumption, that was only partially heard, but a gentleman from Oakland called and explained that county employees were working 4 10 hour days, successfully reducing their commuting costs and municipal energy costs 20%. (And Middleboro is doing what?)
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Energy costs are WASTED expenses. You have nothing to show for the expense. How about the novel approach of reducing that WASTED money? How about empowering people with the information, technology and comparable subsidies the US is providing to energy companies to reduce those unnecessary expenses? It's an idea whose time has arrived.

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And just maybe we wouldn't have to send our young people to be killed or maimed fighting costly resource wars.