... on behalf of the Sierra Club was that of oil resource lands
currently available for drilling, only 26% are being accessed.
His point was -- why rush into opening up new land when
existing resources are not being used. His point was -- a push
to open up new land distracts attention from the necessity to
acknowlege that oil supply is ultimately finite and we need to direct energy into developing new technologies ASAP.

And of course, no one even mentioned simplifying lifestyles and lowering consumption.  Because after all, we're amerikkkans and we can do whatever we want.  Who needs a stupid planet, anyway?

Being an intense dinosaurophile -- I mean, a lover of Mesozoic Ornithischia and Saurischia -- , I hate that the metaphor "dinosaur" is used as it is.

But I certainly agree with the sentiment (and of course with Wolverine's "Less Consumption!" message).  Ironically, the "keep drilling!" crowd ("wherever we want!"; "and screw the caribou, and the Gwich'in, and the Inupiat too, and best of all the polar bears, ha ha ha ha ha!") are the ones seeking the violation of paleontological remains of prehistoric living creatures.  So sure, let us vilify them, all the time, whenever.

Nevertheless, let us also not forget our fundamental respect for all living creatures.  Dinosaurs were fun beasts.  There were lots of them; and the whole bunch of them lived off-and-on for 150 million years, at least, which is mighty respectable.

And birds are dinosaurs too: not very distant cousins from Velociraptor mongoliensis.  Think about that, next time you bite into your Chicken McCluckburger (which I do not recommend, actually, the ordering-plus-biting, I mean, but far be it from me to pontificate).

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

Oh, I thought we were talking about Congress, not oil.

Randy Cunningham
Cleveland, OH

Randy Cunningham

The think the title should be "No Country for Old Bacteria".

That might clear up the confusion regarding whether it refers to petroleum or our representatives in Washington... or does it?

Generally, Americans, though they don't believe in evolution, appear very fond of dead dinosaurs. So I'd say this IS a country for dead dinosaurs. Indeed, we NEED them. Dinosaurs, by stimulating the curiosity of our youngsters, are the only thing standing between us and a new dark age of religious fundamentalism.

So... leave "sleeping" bacteria lie, in  the ground, where they belong.

I don't think any blog out there has better titles for its posts than Grist.

Anyway, I think we should be listening to Nobuo Tanaka of the IEA and create an energy revolution, or as Ted Turner would say, another renaissance.  That level of change is the only way to get out of the energy/environmental mess we're in.

Reducing consumption is good too, but I've tried being the gadfly to push that message on folks, and most of them just roll their eyes.  In the meantime, I try to do my part.

Now that gas is $4 a gallon, my commuter bus has become crowded to the point that it's practically half as full as a chicken bus in Guatemala (which get pretty packed in).  Our DC metro is now almost 1/3 as overflowing as the trains in Rio de Janeiro.  It's bad!

Honestly though, the hardest part of riding a commuter bus now is that it's full of SUV drivers who can't wait to get back out on the road in their Escalades (Escape/Escalante/Excapade/Excalibur) as soon as the price of gas drops back to a reasonable price ($3.85/gal.).  It used to be that all of us bus-riders could laugh about the price of gas and bash SUV drivers openly...now we have to self-censor.

Shu pas a vende.

JfM wrote...

"It used to be that all of us bus-riders could laugh about the price of gas and bash SUV drivers openly...now we have to self-censor."

I suggest continuing the joyous laughter regarding the price of gas. Perhaps the SUV drivers will recognize the joy of not relying on gasoline and they'll be motivated to permanently abandon their vehicles. Openly discuss the benefits of vegetarianism, recycling, et cetera as well. Consider this an opportunity to educate a community that normally insulates itself from the more progressive elements of our society. They can no longer hide in their steel cocoons.

It is, however, very kind of you and probably wise to not "bash" them openly. You should consider trying to help them by demonstrating a better way of life, not further alienate them and reinforce any bad stereotypes.