One of the most dangerous threats to the US, the world and the planet, is the pursuit of the energy required to sustain a burgeoning world. There won’t be time today to write the book required for a comprehensive understanding of energy from a national security perspective but, let’s put this issue into perspective so that we can all be on the same page.
I have often been critical of “big oil” or the fossil fuel industry. People mistake my criticisms as a dislike of the industry. That is completely false. What I truly despise is the overt and covert dishonesty of the industry, not the hard-working professionals that devote their time to keeping us running, globally. Searching for, developing and producing fossil fuels is one of the most technologically advanced industries and an absolute requirement. It’s criticality though will diminish over a couple more generations due to the damage done to our earth. Yes… our earth and only place that we can currently sustain human life.
As we transition to greener energy, we must realize that fossil fuels will still be with us for a very long time. It’s simply a matter of math. The world becomes more dependent on energy, every single day. Here’s what we must consider along the coming generations of change:
1. It’s not political and we’re long overdue to stop the nonsense of either, demonizing the oil industry or green/ renewable energy. This ridiculousness by politicians is not only dishonest but counter-productive to the future of our children, grandchildren and beyond.
2. It’s okay to be furious with the leadership of the oil industry. Their overt and covert dishonesty is the foundation of climate change denial that includes dishonest scientists, lies, funding for dishonest politicians and more.
a. The major producers like ExxonMobil, British Petroleum, Marathon, Phillips etc. have not only financed bust sustained a four-plus decade campaign of mis and disinformation. Politicians taking their campaign donations have turned the major’s effort into a foundational plank of the campaigns. In the Trump years, this campaign has morphed into an extraordinary campaign of conspiracy theories fueling greed.
b. Renewable sources and politicians on the other “side,” must stop promising a miracle by transitioning right now and pushing to punish big oil. Let’s hold them accountable but not destroy their willingness to keep us afloat or to profit handsomely for their hard, necessary work.
c. The Trump era is over or thankfully, waning substantially. This includes the ability of his sycophants to disrupt common-sense, by principled citizens on both sides of the aisle. This gives all of the opportunity to listen to real science and strategists, that are not “hired guns” spreading dishonesty about either industry.
d. Where I come from, common-sense is the mainstay. With a family of small farmers, and other working-class folks, lies and conspiracies don’t put food on the table. Even now, citizens are learning that by allowing political parties to influence and manipulate voters to sustain their parties, folks are figuring out that they often are voting against their own best interests.
e. The fog of influence as practiced professionally by people like me on the battlefield, is being imposed on everyday citizens for the purpose of sustaining the political parties that are NOT… part of our founding beliefs/ constitution. At some point in our history, most parties take an extreme turn. At the moment, it’s the party most benefiting from the lies imposed on the world, by big oil.
f. Just like a farmer, you can’t just say it rained to make your crops grow in a drought. Neither can government, organisations and leaders say that their influential mis/ disinformation campaigns will solve our substantial problems and threats. Like most, I’d love to just say I have a billion dollars in my checking account but that doesn’t make it true, does it? Truth (all known facts, presented in context) matters. Full stop!
g. Working together is essential. It’s perfectly logical for all of us to support fossil fuels and renewable sources. It is perfectly logical that both profits handsomely from their hard work. It’s NOT logical to allow any industry to profit dishonestly while concurrently destroying our world via lies.
3. I will wrap this up with the following summary:
We are better as a nation than we are showing in our current, manipulated hyper-partisanship. American values regarding freedom do not include the, freedom to abuse citizens for profit. Dishonesty and injury such as imposed on the globe by big oil deserves deep scrutiny. In my personal opinion, big oil’s actions regarding climate and the environment are criminal due to the sustained and ongoing injury to everyone around the globe. We have courts for that unless politicians intervene. Revenge is not justice. Let us all seek the justice that is part of our constitution and move forward, partnering with oil and renewables for a better, more sustainable future.
Both industries are capable and willing to contribute, and it is not, one or the other. It is both. Only voters can determine whether we get moral progress based on actual values or we continue to make up new definitions for American values that are NOT true. Our founders bequeathed a moral foundation for our nation. At the moment, we are not honoring those values. We may have turned the corner, but there’s a long way to go to return to our birthright values. It is literally up to every one of us. I’m all in. Please join me.
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