Veterans Push Back Against Big Oil
Guest post by Frankie Sturm
Frankie Sturm is communications director at the Truman National Security Project and a freelance journalist.
Ed. note: As part of our ongoing relationship with the Truman National Security Project, I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be cross-posting some pieces from Operation FREE, a new initiative that seeks to raise awareness about the links between climate change, energy, and national security — an extemely worthwhile endeavour, to be sure. Operation FREE’s coalition includes the Truman Project, the National Security Network, VoteVets.org, and VetPAC. I encourage you to check out Operation FREE, including its blog — Michael Stickings.
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No one is surprised that the American Petroleum Institute (API) is pulling out all the stops to prevent meaningful climate and energy legislation. By fronting a so-called “grassroots” organization called Energy Citizen, API is trying create the impression that the public is opposed to taking action to curb climate change and lessen our dependence on oil. But by busing in API employees, handing our hamburgers and hot dogs at rallies, and denying entrance to Energy Citizen events to actual citizens, few are buying API’s Potemkin publicity. And there’s one group in particular that isn’t having any of it: veterans.
On August 20, veterans pushed back against Big Oil in a conference call with reporters. Drew Sloan, veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and former employee of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, referred to climate change as “death by a thousand cuts.” Iraq veteran Scott Holcomb reminded those on the call how military personnel know that “tomorrow isn’t promised,” arguing that tomorrow is too late to begin taking action against climate change. All the veterans on the call expressed dismay that oil companies would be standing in the way of legislation to curb climate change and reduce our dependence on oil. They pointed out that a changing climate will destabilize volatile regions of the world, put U.S. military installations at risk, and force the U.S. to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian catastrophes.
The Financial Times and Grist magazine covered the veterans’ push against big oil, while Jim Morin of Operation Free and Lee Gunn of the American Security Project — both veterans — took to the pages of The New York Times to explain the links between climate change and national security.
[Ed. note: You can read Mr. Morin's and Admiral Gunn's letters to the editor here. Morin: "Put quite simply, if we refuse to fight climate change, we're choosing to put more American military men and women in harm's way." Gunn: "The writing is on the wall. The question is not whether we act or not, but whether we do so now or later, and deal with much more dire -- and expensive -- consequences." -- MS]
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“an extemely [sic] worthwhile endeavour”
Of course you say that, as it's silliness and worse.
Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, USN (Ret.) & member of the Center for Naval Analysis Advisory Board: “A business-as-usual [energy] approach constitutes a threat to our national security.”
It's silly to equivocate (much less to have Mikey express his florid psychosis and pathetic imitation of the worst of US left-extremism — so much for one's own nationalism or at least separate, healthy self-image!) when it comes to foreign oil imports, much less the politics and worse related to global warming, climate change, or whatever next phrase is substituted for this pathological religious Movement.
Our foreign petroleum imports are set to triple in the next twenty years or so.
Electric vehicles (which have been misappropriated and distorted by the idiot leftists) would be welcome, but they, in whatever form, are years and decades away. We can't escape the use of petroleum for our transportation right now (not to mention for space heating, the other use to which we put rather than to use its chemical constituents for other, longer-lasting purposes).
Foreign oil dependence (distorted into a revised anti-Bush, anti-war looniness) is no excuse for hopping aboard the idiot ecofascistic menagerie circus train. (Even if Mikey and others want to ride in it or on the roof of the cars)
I'm always amazed at how liars project their lies on to others, those in a religious movement [malignant capitalism] point the finger at others, even respected and thorough impartial scientists far more accredited than they and call them “whack-jobs”.
When the information doesn't reflect well on the goal…simply lie until fact becomes fiction and fiction becomes fact. And let the future worry about rising sea levels and disappearing ice sheets. Ever had a beer in the cooler? It stays nice and cold even if there's just a little bit of ice left floating in the meltwater. But when that last chunk is gone, the water gets warm really fast. And stays that way until more ice is added.. The specific heat of the water molecule is why and the dynamics of its phase changes from solid to liquid to gas. But that's just all silly relgious gibberish to you right?
Nothing quite like warm beer on a never ending hot Summer day..
“I'm always amazed at how liars project their lies on to others, those in a religious movement [malignant capitalism] point the finger at others, even respected and thorough impartial scientists far more accredited than they and call them 'whack-jobs'.”
Wow Sil, that's the best post I've seen from you in months.
May we have a post from someone from the Conservative Heritage Foundation, and the Libertarian Cato Institute if we are going to have threads from folks from Progressive think tanks?
This site obviously isn't moderate. (I wouldn't want to play cards against someone using a similarly stacked deck, to say the least.) As for Stickings's routine extremism, it is often accompanied by florid psychosis, though Silhouette has surpassed Stickings on this thread. Congratulations, Sil.