Recently, as you may all have seen, there has been a proliferation of ads supporting drilling and using "clean" coal. I feel that those ads are nothing more than a bunch of lying idiots trying to make a last ditch effort to support an industry that will clearly be diminished and eventually eradicated by more viable sources of renewable and truly clean energy.
Oil and natural gas run our world today, but those sources have caused many of our problems in the world today. The Middle East is in chaos and the main reason why we went there in the first place was to exploit the oil reserves. In doing so, we exploited the people who lived there and now they look upon the West with a burning hatred. Global warming is also an issue exacerbated by the use of fossil fuels. Disregarding everything that Republicans or any one has said about global warming being a hoax. Global Warming is real, it's pretty obvious about what it has done to our environment. Forests are dying off because beetles that normality would have been killed by the cold winters are now multiplying in ever greater numbers because more of them survive. Droughts in Texas and warm temperatures in Russia are causing wildfires that are polluting our environment even more while harming everything in its way. Flooding in many places has taken countless lives and cost billions in damages. Is this what we want in our future? This is what fossil fuels have caused. Why should we continue to do this then?
The answer lies in the oil companies. They are huge, powerful, and most of all, have a huge influence on our world. The world today simply won't function if we didn't have oil or natural gas. However, we do have the resources and capabilities to ween ourselves off of this addiction within decades. Solar, wind, and hydro power all have the potential to supply all of our energy needs in the future. The only thing that is holding us back is money. Where can we get this money in such a tight economy? The answer is simple, oil companies and other big corporations. As the economy has been lagging and millions suffering, big businesses are reaping in millions in profits from loopholes in the tax code, to small amenities such as charging for carry on bags. In order to stop these injustices we have to reform our tax code to make sure that there are no loopholes. Everyone and every business will have to pay their dues to the government, no matter what. And to protect the consumers, the government must pass federal laws that prevent these big businesses from taking their "suffering" out on us.
These oil and natural gas ads claim that they can create millions of jobs. That might be true, but you have to ask yourself, what kind of jobs? Do I even want to risk my life for this job? For example, an oil company might hire you to work on an oil rig in the middle of a pristine forest that was previously a protected area home to many endangered species. However, you might be working there as a janitor or some other low paying job that will barely support you. You will be isolated, staying on site for months working in harsh conditions that will not be worth your paycheck. Also, there's the concern for your safety. As seen in the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill, rules were disregarded in the name of profit. What would happen if someone at your work site decided to take the cheaper but less safe option in the name of money? Not only would you be at risk, but the local environment would be under threat too. Why would you want that?
As for clean coal, there is NO such thing. Burning coal produces CO2 just like any other fossil fuel. Not to mention the process of getting coal completely destroys the environment. Strip mining, which is inefficient but cheap has turned part of the Appalachians into the surface of the moon. What was once beautiful forest is now a barren waste land. The coal companies just buy the land, evict whoever lives there, tears down everything and leaves without any regard to the people affected. How can anyone support this kind of company or fuel source? Normal mining for coal is dangerous and hazardous. You always have the risk of collapse in the mountain. It's dark, gloomy, and dusty in the tunnels. Coal dust cakes every square inch of you. The result, every minute you spend in that mine is like telling Death to move your scheduled due date ahead a day.
The only way to solve this is to rally the people. We must stand together, united, and with complete resolve to reject these scums who claim that they are here to help us. They are only here for the money, to them, we are just collateral damage. As long as they get the money they are happy. This has to stop now.
