Oil: What Is To Be Done?

A reader has posted a comment to my previous post wherein he mentions the amount of energy used in pleasure boating and flying private aircraft. He also advocates nuclear power and burning coal to produce electricity.

I thank him for the thoughtful post. He makes some good points about the fuel use involved in recreational boating and private aircraft. The problem there is that the rich don't care - they have plenty of money to go boating, flying in their private planes, and to continue to drive their gas guzzlers down the highway. That's one reason why I would favor much higher taxation on the initial purchases of pleasure boats, small planes and SUVs.

On nuclear power, however, I am not convinced that it is the way to go. I still consider it too dangerous and ecologically problematic.

Should we burn coal to generate power? Can we do it without contributing to greenhouse gases and global warming? I doubt it. We must face the harsh reality that we have to wean ourselves off of our dependence on foreign oil, and we must find ways to reduce our use of fossil fuels before we destroy the planet.

Our national leaders may not be able to control the price of oil, but there is a lot that they could do to foster conservation and the development of alternate forms of energy, both of which have been ignored under "Dubbya."

Americans are in for a rude awakening and a shock that might make the energy crisis of decades ago, with the large lines at the gas pumps and purchases limited to several gallons, pale in comparison.

The president should address the nation now on the looming crisis, to start with, except that he doesn't care as long as his big oil buddies are raking in the profits. I've written before that we need a "Marshall Plan" focused on our energy situation, but we'll never see it with Bush. He is a disgrace, and our do-nothing Congress is no better.

Jim

Do You Heat Your Home With Oil?

If so, your home heating bill will increase by a whopping 24 percent this winter, according to a report I just watched on the Today show. Natural gas is expected to increase in price by 6 percent. All of this is tied into the astounding increase in the price of oil recently, which is up about $25 dollars a barrel - up by a third - this year.

Question: where is our fearless leader in Washington, (or for that matter, any of our leaders on either side of the aisle,) on this issue? The increase in the price of oil and the economic impact that this will have on average Americans and on our economy is a national disaster waiting to happen. Already I've heard dire reports about the effect that rising energy costs will have on consumer spending during the holidays. Something big is coming and it's not going to be pleasant, and our political leaders are missing in action on this. This is not the first time I've sounded the alarm here about energy costs. I hate to think about what will happen when gasoline reaches $4 (or even $5) a gallon. It's not a question of if, only when.

PHOTO: Another beautiful boat house along the Schuylkill in Philadelphia

Jim

To Vote Or Not to Vote

Today is election day. I looked over the endorsements of the Philadelphia Gay News and I was impressed with the pro-gay credentials of many of the candidates who are running for mayor, council and judgeships. I felt like going out and voting or some of them today, but I probably won't.

I used to never miss voting on election day. I used to feel that voting was an important civic duty. However, as I have aged and observed the corrupt nature of politics in this country, I have become discouraged about voting. For many years, when faced, as I often felt I was, with no real choice at the ballot box, I used to vote for third party candidates that had principled positions on the issues that I agreed with. But, some of my friends would tell me that I was throwing my vote away. Actually, they were right, but not for the reason they think. My vote was worthless anyway, so why not throw it away. If this sounds too negative and defeatist, that's because it's the way I feel when it comes to politics in this country.

PHOTO: Boat House Row, Philadelphia, PA

Jim

Another Foreign Policy Disaster

Now we're stuck propping up General Musharraf in Pakistan as he enforces Marshall Law and throws his opposition into jail. Yep, as usual we will end up looking like the bad guys in this. Our terrorist enemies will be empowered. Bush's plan to democratize Islamic countries takes another hit. Could we be any more inept at conducting foreign policy? Stay tuned.

Jim

Who Would The Democrats Most Prefer To Run Against?

This is an interesting question that was posed this morning on one of the network political talk shows. The answer: Mitt Romney. There are at least three good reasons for this: 1. Romney has a reputation as a flip-flopper on issues; 2. Giuliani would be more formidable as a candidate generally; 3. Romney's Mormon religion is tough for the Republican right wing fundamentalist rank and file to swallow. The third of these reasons is the most interesting. There is even talk of Romney giving a John Kennedy-like speech stating that he is an American first and that he would not let religion interfere in the way he governed if elected president. In some respects, I am sympathetic to Romney's plight in this. I don't think a person's religion, or lack of it, should make a difference when it comes to whether or not they deserve your vote. Religion is far too pervasive of an influence in American politics, thanks in large measure to the Christian Evangelicals and their Republican lackeys. Dubbya, of course, is the prime example of the negative influence of right wing religious nut cases on our politics and government.

Jim

Another Road Trip

PHOTO: The ceiling at the great Howard Gilman Opera House, AKA the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM.) We've seen a few memorable performances in this hall including baroque opera, contemporary music and modern dance.

I'm on the road again this morning to the outskirts of Wilmington, Delaware to attend a small toy train show. I Hope to be back in time to watch the Sunday morning political talk shows, AKA, the "Sunday Funnies."

Jim

Democrats Enable Bush - Again

Two Democratic senators have now said they'll vote in favor of Bush's nominee for Attorney General, in spite of the fact that the nominee will not state his position on waterboarding (torture.) Once again, the Democratic Party fails the nation by not insisting that any nominee for Attorney General clearly renounce torture. It's another sad day for this once great country.

Read the review of Sufjan Stevens' "The BQE" in today's New York Times.

PHOTO: One of the joys of visiting the Metropolitan Museum Of Art in New York City are the floral displays that are always present in the entry hall. This autumn arrangement graced the main desk on Thursday.

Jim

"THE BQE" At BAM

PHOTOS: "The BQE" at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music, Thursday, November 1, 2007. Five performers with Hula-Hoops, and overhead visual projections accompanied the 30 piece chamber orchestra with Sufjan Stevens and his band. The 30 minute orchestral piece contained a wealth of new melodic material. The program contains an essay explaining the significance of the Hula-Hoops, including the obvious connection to the wheel and motion, staples of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Sufjan Stevens on stage at the conclusion of "THE BQE"

A Great Concert AT BAM

The photo is a little dark (click it to enlarge,) but it gives you the idea. Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens brought his band and a 30 piece chamber orchestra to BAM to perform a commission entitled "The BQE." Stevens is at the piano in the photo. The 30 minute orchestral tone poem, done with overhead projections showing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, traffic, and neighborhoods, and also accompanied at times by five performers, two guys and three women with Hula-Hoops, was sort of a "Koyannisquatsi" for Brooklyn yuppies. In fact there are many echoes of Philip Glass-like minimalism in Steven's music. The house was packed and the audience roared its approval. After an intermission, Stevens and all the musicians performed selections from his previous albums, including the wonderful "Illionise." I had to leave a few minutes early to make my bus connection back to Philadelphia, but the trip was surely worth it. Stevens is a true musical genius.

Jim

Sufjan's "BQE" In Brooklyn

This afternoon I'll be heading up to Brooklyn for a concert featuring singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. I'm a big fan and have been for about the past two years. His music is hard to describe. It's an eclectic blend of folk and rock with classical influences and more. Tonight's concert feature a 30 minute composition entitled "BQE," which focuses on the roadway by the same name that cuts through the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. Here's some of what the Brooklyn Academy Of Music has to say about the work, which BAM commissioned:

BAM presents singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens
in the world premiere of the 25th Next Wave
commissioned work The BQE—a 30-minute
symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York
City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
A controversial roadway since its inception in
the 1930s, the BQE tears through 11.7
miles of Brooklyn and Queens, severing neighborhoods,
pillaging industrial yards, and contouring waterways with the brute force of modern urban planning.

I'm sure it will be a fantastic concert. All three performances have been sold out.

Jim