EDITOR’S NOTE: Ranger Rick is on vacation this week and he asked Army Bob to pinch hit for him today in the continuing effort to promote the “write the right is right” movement on this on-line rag.
by Robert M. Traxler
I received a communication from a reader who said he would like to see a column on the subject of pipelines and our government’s attitude toward them. On the same day, my colleague Ranger Rick contacted me asking if I could cover his column this week; he is fine, just off to enjoy his semi-retirement. So, a few words on pipelines.
Let’s see, pipelines in the United States from Canada are bad, like the Keystone pipeline, and are dangerous and must be stopped at all costs, and you will pay the cost. Pipelines going under the Straits of Mackinac are dangerous and must be stopped at all costs, but pipelines from the Russia Federation to Western Europe are good and perfectly safe? Got it!
Make sense? Not one bit, but who cares? To see our allies dependent on the Russians for the fuel that keeps their economies and lives moving is apparently a good idea, giving the Russians the ability to blackmail Western Europe with the loss of life-sustaining fuel. Just ask President Joe Biden, the American socialist movement and our governor.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but was not President Donald Trump a Russian agent? On President Putin’s payroll? President Trump blocked the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia under the pristine waters of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. President Biden, who said he would deal sternly with the Russians in general and President Putin in particular, has given them a weapon as powerful as their nuclear arsenal, an economic strangle hold on Europe. With the opening of the Nord Stream pipeline 70% of their gas will come from Russia. Dance to the Russian tune, or starve and freeze.
In 1959, we took steps to maximize oil piped from Canada and Mexico to lessen our dependence on Mideast oil, an economic and strategic decision. Today we are trying very hard to return to the bad old days of oil embargos and punitive price increases from OPEC and others. In no time flat we went from oil independent to being beggars on a world stage dominated by others.
But who cares? Oil is bad and we should use less of it. No argument from me on that point, but how about we first have the infrastructure in place to replace oil and petroleum byproducts before we shut down oil production and delivery systems?
More than 6,000 products are made from oil. Tires and batteries for electric vehicles and tires for bicycles, rugs, gaskets and washers, roofing, antihistamines, soap, shoe polish, guitar strings, aspirin, heart valves, CDs and DVDs, surf boards, soft contacts, basketballs, eyeglasses and more. Before banning oil, perhaps we need to figure out a way to replace the items we take for granted everyday with no thought of where they come from.
Pipelines move oil cheaply and safely; we need oil to live. Take away the seven major pipelines in the United States and we cease to exist as a nation. Just look at what happened when the Russian-based hackers shutdown the Colonial pipeline for a few days, briefly stopping 20% of our oil. Now imagine Europe having 70% of its gas shutdown because President Putin is mad at them or wishes to extort them.
So, we must never ask truly stupid questions, like why are American pipelines bad, but Russian pipelines good? Why does our Governor want to stop a pipeline in Michigan, but fully supports President Biden lifting restrictions so the Russians can build pipelines? Why did President Trump, supposedly a paid Russian operative and Russian agent, a friend of Putin, block the Nord Stream pipeline, and then President Biden ran at light speed to allow it?
Common sense is not so common when it comes to oil. The socialists and their Green New Deal wish to mindlessly stop the use of oil and oil byproducts, to include shutting down pipelines at all cost, with no thought given to how and where we are going to replace oil.
But who cares? Oil is bad and we must stop its use by 2030 or all die — an irrefutable, unquestionable, settled fact of science, according to the socialist movement. My opinion.
Ban all oil pipes. We don’t need them. Wind and sun work. This is crap from oil lovers that want to kill earth.
Mr. Jones,
Sir,
Of all the “must believe in the settled science of Climate Change” legions you are the only one with the guts to still stand by the belief. I can respect that.
Oh!!! Mr Jones
Just what condition would “Mother Earth” be in if we banned all petroleum products and any sub products based on petroleum?
Sir, the Sun and wind could not possibly heat the homes in Michigan during our mildest winters. Guess, you would than rely on wood and coal …oophs… can’t use those cause you would “kill the earth “.
You may not like pipelines, but you will have a very hard time living without them. I’m wagering you could not survive if you refused to use any product that relies on oil to function, be manufactured, or exist.
Let me know next year how that works out for you.