Be amazed at the latest...bribe attempts? ...clumsy efforts to buy off voter anger at the expense of ANWR and fiscal responsibility. How much is this idea gonna cost taxpayers and how much are the fuel distributors going to make off this deal?(hint:..what!...now come on do you really need a hint?)...check out the latest at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12509275/ Let's hope somebody in the Congress does the people a favor and drops this idea(and you could, you should, let your representative know what you think).
Now let's...Drop the drug analogy...we are not "addicted" to oil...Oil has been the most important energy source driving economic and social development for over a century. You can no more be addicted to oil than the human body can be addicted to food, water or air. It's more akin to having "A Fast Food Jones". People like the ease,speed, and price they can get fast food at even though they might know that long term diet of hi-fat/hi-sodium and tri-glydes ain't healthy and will weaken the body's systems... . Is this a simplified example? Yes(contrary to popular opinion Thotbot is not DeepThinker) but it illustrates that these problems come down to the choices we make. Perhaps we can balance our food policy eat a little less breathe a little more(diet and excercise) and balance our energy policy use less fossil fuels and invest a portion of oil revenues into replacement energy development(conserve and innovate). How about....
A panel of conservationists, engineers,geologists, (even a politicians,journalists and oil company executives) the appointments would be made then voted on by the public give 'em three year terms and modest but fair stipend of six to nine times the average american's salary out of oil revenues....workable or too close to an "Oil-tocracy"...they can work together on maximizing conservation, efficiency and development of alternative sources of energy using small portions of revenues.
Look the money package for a current oil executive exceeded 400,000,000 dollars... is that ethical..?..does it even make business sense to give someone that amount in compensation....?... Where's that guy's salary cap and What do he do for that kind of coin? Done asking questions it's time for contempletive reflection on harnassing the power of Earth's oceans...no use can't contempletively reflect enough.