Rising Gas Prices - What's the Fix?

With each uptick of the price of gas, people start clamoring for the government to do something, which has led President Obama to fast-track approval of the XL pipeline from Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast of Texas. The Canadian pipeline originates above Montana, and was halted in the midwest due to serious concerns about the huge aquifer that serves water to many states should the pipeline ever break. Or perhaps I should say, when the pipeline breaks.

There is no doubt the pipeline will break. Pipelines break all the time, and one branch of the XL has already contaminated a large area of Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2010, and effects are still being felt. The chemicals needed to break down this tar-sands oil so it can flow through the pipes can contaminate water and land for generations, making it unsuitable for life.

What people who are pushing to approve this pipeline venture, as well as more domestic drilling, fail to understand is that supply has little to do with current gas prices. The oil companies control pricing, period. They sell crude and refined oil to whatever country pays the most, and if that is Japan or China, that is just fine with Exxon - Mobil.

The U. S. exports 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, so that begs the question, why do we do that and then turn around and import 13 million barrels? Some of the reasons are explained HERE, but the basic reason is that that is the way world commerce works.

I'm not sure that just because this can be explained, that is reason enough to keep doing something that might not be the right something. As Megan McArdle pointed out in a recent article about corporations that keep repeating the same mistakes because they are afraid to change, maybe it is time we, the people and the government, need to make drastic changes in how we deal with energy issues. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend that our reliance on fossil fuels is not a problem. There are children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are counting on us to give them a world they can live in.

On a different note, I am again part of a Mega-Event to help an author showcase her work. There will be a blog-fest and lots of other fun things happening from mid-April to mid-May, but ahead of time there are some neat opportunities for some free gifts.

Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, Artella Mae's NEW Altered Ancestors!, a 58-page eBook overflowing with ideas and techniques for using vintage photos in your artwork. Download your copy here!

Friday's Odds and Ends

A Frenchman whose arms and legs were amputated swam across the English Channel. Philippe Croizon used specially designed leg prostheses that have flippers attached, and made the swim in just over 13 hours.

Wow, talk about overcoming life's adversities.

A 14-year old high school student in Raleigh N.C. said her school should not have kicked her out because of a a nose piercing. She claimed First Amendment rights, "I belong to the Church of body Modification."

The church of what????  Let's see the ACLU get involved in this one.

The Obama administration's call for tighter federal oversight of oil and gas pipelines in the wake of a deadly California gas explosion is raising alarms about the safety of the nation's aging infrastructure — but Congress is unlikely to act this year with midterm elections looming.

 So, politics is more important than national safety?

Republican House Candidate Renee Ellmers of North Carolina has an ad running that calls a controversial mosque and Islamic cultural center near ground zero a "victory mosque." "After the Muslims conquered Jerusalem and Cordoba and Constantinople, they built victory mosques," the narrator in the ad says. "And now, they want to build a mosque by ground zero." 

Way to promote peace and understanding there Renee.

Kansas District Court Judge Wesley E. Brown is 103 years old. He is the oldest sitting judge in the U.S. In a recent interview he joked, "At this age, I'm not even buying green bananas."

Also wanted to note that I have an interview up on David Wisehart's terrific blog where he interviews Kindle Authors. If you have never visited his blog, this is a good opportunity. He has interviews with some terrific writers,  and I am so honored to be among them.  HERE IS  A LINK