May 23, 2013

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Celebs join the anti-fracking bandwagon

January 3, 2013 By Carol Greenberg

Update 1-3-13 9:50 pm.

H/t Kenny Solomon.

Matt Damon has been called a “liar” by the maker of the pro-fracking film “Frack Nation,” Phelim McAleer. According to Politico McAleer plans on erecting billboards in New York like the rendition below:

Sweet, sweet Karma.

Original post begins below.

First we have a fellow by the name of Josh Fox who made the incendiary anti-fracking film called Gasland. Josh Fox ranaround the country trying to set tap water on fire in fracking areas. The film won a Sundance award and went on to be nominated for an Academay Award for “best documentary.” Hint: it lost. But Fox became an overnight faux celebrity with the Hollywood crowd until it was proven tap water in these areas at times could be “set on fire” even well before fracking ever took place.

Actor Mark Ruffalo was placed on the “Terrorism Watch List” by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Homeland Security over his efforts to organize screenings for Gasland. 

Now we have other members of the *Hollywood Elite* jumping on the anti-fracking bandwagon as well. Apparently Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Matt Damon got tired of counting their millions and have too much time on their hands so they have made anti-fracking their projet du jour.

Yoko and Lennon had this billboard placed in New York on a route well-traveled by New York Governor Cuomo to urge him to continue the moratorium on some methods of natural gas fracking in the state:

And if this isn’t enough, now actor Matt Damon is making a film called Promised Land which is apparently so one-sided against fracking the liberal blog Huffington Post has even denounced it:

What has also became remarkably apparent is that we are dealing with an American resource that is in such abundant supply that it portends to become a major game changer for our economy, bringing thousands upon thousands of jobs into the field and to ancillary industries that are supplying the infrastructure hardware.[sic] Their [editor's note: see underneath this quote who *their* is.] forthcoming film Promised Land is meant to frighten Americans, and whomever, to resist the development of shale gas in their communities. No mention here of the long suffering communities of Pennsylvania who have celebrated an economic renaissance through the development and extraction of natural gas from the vast Marcellus Gas Formation.

And you will never guess who is bank-rolling this film: none other than Image Media Abu Dhabi. Yep. And in case you have forgotten who the charter members of OPEC are, Abu Dhabi is one.

The film has been dubbed “Good Will Fracking” and thankfully is showing only modest reviews but of course praised by environmentalists. But fracking companies such as Chesapeake Energy have been fighting back and launched The Real Promised Land highlighting testimony of those across the nation who are in support of fracking.

Pennsylvania gubernatorial Democrat candidate John Hanger had this to say about the film:

“It’s entertainment, and pretty silly entertainment,” said former Pennsylvania environmental regulator John Hanger. “It doesn’t pretend to deal with the real issues.”

And from a Washington Post review:

“Promised Land” fizzes and pops; otherwise it’s an attractive, well-intentioned dry well.

Box office stats last weekend revealed the film has only made $190,150 in 25 select theaters across the nation.

This author hopes it stays this way and believes these *Hollywood Elite* should stay away from subjects they know little or nothing about for the sake of our nations’s jobs and struggle for energy independence.

Crossposted at Unified Patriots and Grumpy Opinions

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Filed Under drilling moratorium, environmentalism, fracking Tagged With Abu Dhabi, fracking, Gasland, Hollywood elite, Josh Fox, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, OPEC, Promised Land, Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono

Romney/Ryan energy plan is “drill, baby drill”

August 25, 2012 By Carol Greenberg

Update 8/29/12 12:30 pm EST

With Hurricane Isaac raging in the Gulf, Obama is thinking of raiding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to lower gasoline prices. All rigs in the Gulf have been shut down and evacuated. Since Obama has BANNED drilling in all off-shore areas except the Gulf, we have all our eggs in one basket. Had Romney’s energy plan been in place we would not be facing this possibility. GWB did open the SPR after Katrina but there were far more dire circumstances. 

Original article begins below. 

Image at the right, titled “Romney’s inner Palin” courtesy of WaPo.

Finally it’s happened. Romney/Ryan has unveiled their plan to make the U.S. energy independent, and as you can see to the excitement of this writer and millions of others, it’s “Drill, baby. Drill.”

The full 21-page plan can be found here, and his campaign should be lauded for all their extensive research. The executive summary is:

A crucial component of Mitt Romney’s Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is to dramatically increase domestic energy production and partner closely with Canada and Mexico to achieve North American energy independence by 2020. While President Obama has described his own energy policy as a “hodgepodge,” sent billions of taxpayer dollars to green energy projects run by political cronies, rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline as not in “the national interest,” and sought repeatedly to stall development of America’s domestic resources, Romney’s path forward would establish America as an energy superpower in the 21st century.

His goal is for the U.S. to become energy independent by the year 2020.  Along with energy independence comes increased national security, millions of jobs, an estimated $1 trillion in revenue, lower energy prices, a stronger dollar and a reduced trade defecit.

The Agenda is:

  • Empower states to control onshore energy development;
  • Open offshore areas for energy development;
  • Pursue a North American Energy Partnership;
  • Ensure accurate assessment of energy resources;
  • Restore transparency and fairness to permitting and regulation; and
  • Facilitate private-sector-led development of new energy technologies

We all know what Obama’s energy “plan” is and has been: destroy the coal industry, regulate the energy industry into oblivion, kill jobs, create 5-year off-shore drill moratoriums, ban uranium mining on federal lands, kill the natural gas fracking industry, dump the Keystone Pipeline Project and throw taxpayers dollars into wind and solar companies who then go bankrupt.

Romney has laid out a “everything is on the table” unlike Obama, who has taken everything OFF the table except wind and solar.

Crossposted at Unified Patriots. 

Crossposted at Grumpy Elder

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Filed Under drilling moratorium, EPA, government regulations, Keystone Pipeline Project, war on coal Tagged With drill baby drill, drill moratoriums, energy independence, energy plan, Jobs, Mitt Romney, Obama, Paul Ryan, war on coal

Obama playing politics with Strategic Petroleum Reserve

August 24, 2012 By Carol Greenberg

It doesn’t take an expert to recognize the failure of President Obama’s energy policies. From refusing to take common-sense steps that would ensure American energy independence to imposing unwarranted regulations that steepen costs and harm a stagnant economy, the Obama administration has stood as a roadblock to lower gas prices every step of the way.

But November is drawing near, and as Americans struggle through the highest late-August gas prices in recent history, lo and behold reports say that the White House plans to release oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, oil set aside for the direst of emergencies, like war or natural disaster.

Half of me wants gas prices to stay high until the election, which could spell disaster for Obama. But the other half has been fearful Obama would have this trick up his sleeve after all, rising gas prices are an “emergency” not only for the American public, but for Obama.

The SPR contains 696 million barrels of oil stored in underground salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana. That’s about a 2-month supply under current consumption, not much of a buffer.

The first Congressman who has called for Obama to tap the SPR is of course a Democrat: Ed Markey of Massachusetts:

“President Obama is right to use all means necessary to protect families at the gas pump from Wall Street speculators and Middle East oil dictators. Earlier this year, I called for a release of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I am glad to hear the President is considering using the SPR as a shield for consumers against speculators and sheiks.

Obama raided 30 million gallons of oil from the SPR in June of 2011 in an attempt to combat rising gas prices, but of course this was only a short term bandaid.  The average cost paid for the oil in the SPR was $30 per barrel, making the “cost” of his release around $900 million. But to replenish that oil at current market values is around $3 billion, which means the American taxpayers lost $2.1 billion in a purely political move. Did we have a hurricane? A major disaster? An interruption in supply? None of the above.

America has plenty of her own oil but alas, Obama and the regulatory minions won’t let us get it out of the ground. Fast-tracking the Keystone Pipeline, opening up offshore-areas for drilling, reining in the over-zealous EPA will add billions of barrels of oil to our reserves and eventually help lower prices at the pump.

GWB tapped the SPR after Hurricane Katrina, which was a real national emergency. Obama’s fear of losing the election is not. 

Leave it alone Obama, for a real emergency.

Crossposted at Unified Patriots

Crossposted at Grumpy Elder

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Filed Under drilling moratorium, EPA regulations, Strategic Petroleum Reserve Tagged With drilling moratorium, energy, EPA, Keystone Pipeline Project, Obama, oil, oil drilling moratorium, SPR, Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Voices from the Gulf: Stop the energy freeze

May 28, 2011 By Carol Greenberg

This youtube is primarily from a worker and his business directly impacted by Obama’s de facto drill moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico and the slow walking of permits. From the Heritage Foundation and the Institute for Energy Research:

One thing you don’t calculate, is the government coming into your business and shutting it down.

But that is what Obama did on May 27, 2010 after the Deep Water Horizon accident. Obama shut down ALL drilling and suspended the issuance of new deep water permits to drill for 6 months. So he said. Workers thought they would be back to work after that but just the opposite has happened.

The moratorium was “officially ended” but the problem arose when no NEW permits were issued. One business reports a loss of over 55% of revenue last year and over 90% loss of revenue this year.

Sen Mary Landrieu (D-LA) even testified about her concerns. Michael Bromwich of BOEMRE (Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement) tried to skirt the issue of how many new drilling permits were issued. Landrieu caught his misstep. Bromwich said 14 new drills permits have been issued however Sen. Landrieu corrected him and said:

We have ONE new deep water drilling out of 14.

Yes, an economic calamity and a really, really, bad situation has been created. Costing jobs, revenue, income, economic pain for both businesses and consumers.

And if that wasn’t enough. Obama announced with all the oil and gas reserves in the US, he made a trip to Brazil, gave them money to drill and then said he wants the US to be:

One of your biggest customers.

Talk about the ultimate betrayal. Obama has been hostile to new drilling in the Gulf but then goes to Brazil and says he wants to support their offshore drilling, and then we want to buy your oil.

As one worker puts it, it’s like:

Obama is declaring war on American energy workers.

Related articles: Issa’s report: yes Obama, the rising cost of gas is YOUR DOING.

Obama betrays American people with intent to buy oil from Brazil.

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Filed Under drilling moratorium Tagged With BOEMRE, Brazil, Deep Water Horizon, drill moratorium, gas, Heritage Foundation, Institute for Energy Research, Michael Bromwich, Obama, oil

Natural Resources Committee Passes Three Energy Bills to Create Jobs and Lower Gasoline Prices

April 13, 2011 By Carol Greenberg

Natural Resources Committee

From an email from Chairman Hastings (R-WA).

Markup Update #2: Natural Resources Committee Passes Three Energy Bills to Create Jobs and Lower Gasoline Prices

WASHINGTON, DC – The House Natural Resources Committee today passed three energy bills with bipartisan support that are a part of House Republicans’ American Energy Initiative. These bills (H.R. 1229, H.R. 1230 and H.R. 1231) will expand American energy production, create jobs and lower gasoline prices by reversing Obama Administration policies that have placed our American energy resources off-limits.

“We’re actively working to address rising gasoline prices that are hurting families and small businesses by moving legislation to increase American energy production,” said Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04). “For the past two years the Obama Administration has actively blocked access to our American energy resources, increasing our reliance on foreign countries to meet our energy needs and costing American jobs. I hope the full House will soon consider these bills to unlock our energy resources in order to lower energy costs, create good-paying jobs and strengthen our national security.”

Background:

H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, passed the Committee by a bipartisan 27 to 16 vote.  It would end the Administration’s de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in a safe, responsible, transparent manner by setting firm time-lines for considering permits to drill.  It reforms current law by requiring the Secretary to issue a permit to drill and also requiring the Secretary to conduct a safety review.

H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, passed the Committee by a bipartisan 29 to 14 vote.  It would require the Administration to move forward promptly to conduct offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia that the Obama Administration has delayed or canceled.

Finally, H.R. 1231, the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act, passed the Committee by a bipartisan 29 to 14 vote.  It would lift the President’s ban on new offshore drilling by requiring the Administration to move forward in the 2012-2017 lease plan with energy production in areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources.  The bill sets a production goal of 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2027, which would reduce foreign imports by nearly one-third.

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Filed Under drilling moratorium, energy Tagged With American Energy Initiative, Doc Hastings, drill moratorium, gas, Natural Resources Committee, oil