Sen. James Inhofe's Prideful Ignorance

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Inhofe: Oil And Gas Usage Doesn’t Create Any Pollution

This afternoon, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) took to the Senate floor and basically made a pitch for the oil and gas industry. He said that to ensure “energy security,” the United States should increasingly “extract our own resources.” According to Inhofe, this solution would not only achieve energy independence, but it would also be pollution-free:

People complain that we are buying — importing from the Middle East — oil and gas. And then they find out that we have it all right here. We don’t have to do that. If their argument there is “Well, we don’t want to use oil and gas because we think it pollutes” — which it doesn’t — but if that’s their argument, then why are we willing to import it from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East?

Watch it: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/27/inhofe-pollution/


Inhofe is an anti-science senator who thinks that global warming is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” Not only does oil and gas drilling release greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, but they also release other dangerous pollutants that endanger American health. As the Natural Resources Defense Council wrote in a 2008 report:

Oil and gas drilling operations can release a number of hazardous pollutants, including hydrogen sulfide, benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and diesel exhaust. Exposure is known to lead to short-term illnesses, cancer, or even death. For example, benzene and formaldehyde are both known to cause cancer, and diesel exhaust contains a number of compounds known to cause cancer. Emissions can come from oil and gas itself, chemical additives used in drilling, or fuel combustion.

Additionally, a 2003 University of California at Irvine study found that “oil and natural gas wells and refineries create regional air pollution levels in excess of some of the nation’s smoggiest urban areas.” In states like Wyoming and New Mexico, “oil and gas drilling operations are the second largest source of statewide carbon dioxide and methane emissions,” two key greenhouse gases.

Of course there are also oil spills; big oil spills put approximately 37 million gallons of oil into the world’s oceans each year. Several hundred million more gallons wind up in the waterways through other means, such as air pollution.

More drilling is Inhofe’s solution to all the nation’s economic problems. He even thought it would help low-income families pay their heating bills. Of course, actual solutions to achieving energy independence and creating jobs are ones that Inhofe is unwilling to even consider because they won’t benefit his friends in the gas and oil industry.


http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/27/inhofe-pollution/

[annabanana]

1. What a stupid man . . . n/t

[vixengrl]

2. If he truly believes that using oil and gas doesn't pollute or

that an inbalance of gases in a closed system (like our atmosphere) has little effect, he is welcome to try the following experiment:

First, he'll need to obtain something that burns gasoline, such as a running automobile.

Then, he will require a closed space, such as, I dunno, a garage.




He might want to try that out as a thought-experiment, first, though. But for people who like the *idea* of the experiment even after giving it a good think, they are welcome to participate.

(Disclaimer--"Dark snark". Not actually death-wishing people.)

[HillbillyBob]

3. No the greatest hoax on us is the gop starting w/raygu and 'family values'.

and reaganomics drizzlin shit theory frankly it has been mostly downhill for us middleclass now po folks.
Instead of talking about cap and trade and all that other stuff, our house hold is doing something different.
Individual responsibility for our own pollution.
Limiting what we buy from far away, prepackaged or unnecessary.
We are doing garden(not so good this year due to me being in hospital).
If I have to buy packaged goods I try to buy packaging that can be reused or recycled.

We are not sitting in the dark and cold or heat(well since our ac is broke and we can't afford to fix it....). We have replaced the tv with a projector that uses less power and we can read the crawl on the news again!

We have added insulation, sealed leaks, low flow shower and faucets, put double insulation on the electric water heater, we have a solar water heater to install but need the balance of system, it will also drive under floor heat meaning 0$ for fuel oil for heating when we get it installed as the pumps to move the hot water though the pipes we will install will be solar powered with battery back up. Yes the system will cost to install and have an ROI of about 5 years, but fuel prices will continue to rise. We will install an efficient wood stove for when the solar cannot do the job, we have 9 acres, 7 of woods that we can harvest fire wood in a sustainable way.
The batteries will last 6-10 years or more and then be recycled.
I painted the roof with white reflective paint, that lowers the inside temperature from 15 degrees below outside temp to 10 degrees lower than outside temperature.
I use covered pots and pans to cook in, even when baking.
I also have a 1500 watt toaster oven/convection/rotisserie the big oven uses 2500 to 3000 watts. I use rechargeable batteries where I have to use batteries. We are using fans to cool the house with several in fact switching direction to pull cooler air from the shaded side of the house through out the day. We will be building covered porches for more shade as we are in a wooded area, but the house was build in an old tobacco field and the trees are 100 feet from the house.
Pine woods and that limits the fire danger to the house.

We have started switching from CFLs to LEDs. We are using LEDs in the most used lights. With exception of reading lights, LEDs that bright are still too expensive to use as a single bulb. Most of the multiple bulb fixtures we have LEDs like bathrooms, over the kitchen sink, dinning room chandelier.
As the old appliances die off we replace with super efficient ones, we have to save up for them so we are constantly trying to keep some in savings(no we are not well off).
We are better off than we were 3 years ago. We found an abandoned home on some land got a fixed rate VA loan and got a very good deal on it, the payments are half what our rent in the city was, though the payments on the 40mpg car hurt some. It does have working ac though and is dependable and rides like a much larger car(nissan versa).

I have been loosely keeping track of what we have spent..not every penny mind, but a general over all. In the last 2 1/2 years we have spent about 3500$ including the price of the replacement front loader washer and energy star dishwasher, great foam in cans(recycled the steel cans) to seal up air leaks, gaskets in the light and outlet switch covers (50c ea). We still need to replace windows, insulate the crawlspace and between ceiling and roof. Modular homes do not have attics.

[MisterP]

4. oh, this is his Mel Gibson moment n/t