Drilling De Arctic

It's an ugly place, really, it is. Honest. It's not
like we can build condos there.

The End is Really the Beginning

I can't express enough my anger and exasperation over the U.S. Senate vote this week to drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. On National Public Radio I heard plenty of Republican Senators justifying their votes, and, well, all their arguments are STUPID. The point being, is that not hardly a word was mentioned about CONSERVATION.

See, the Senate Republicans don't mind rolling over the environmentalists and screwing the local Native Americans who live in the region, but they won't dare stand up to the auto and oil companies. After all, they are the "milk tit." And may I remind everyone that now that the Senate is packed with more Republicans, this long-time controversial issue finally passed by a vote of 51-49.

"This project will keep our economy growing by creating jobs and ensuring that businesses can expand," Bush said in a statement. "And it will make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, eventually by up to a million barrels of oil a day." — AP Wire

So, this is the usual trite Republican propaganda that has no bearing on reality. See, SURPRISE! The world's resources are finite and we can't keep growing forever. I know this is a shock to tunnel vision conservatives, but the reality of the next few decades may sober them up. The truth is, the population and economies of the world are exploding in growth and the poor oil pumps and refineries can't even keep up. This is causing oil prices to rise and the oil sucked up and sold to SUV owners will only make a small dent in overall demand.

Come on — oil demand is increasing, global population is skyrocketing, and industrial economies are expanding. What, OH WHAT do you think is going to happen?

I will tell you. The days of cheap oil are ending. So, about everything in your life is connected to oil, including the tons of plastic you throw in the trash every day. Not to mention your car, your airlines, your tires, your dandruff shampoo. OH MY GOD! We are all going to have flaky heads and have to walk everywhere.

In the next three decades we will see intense competition for the remaining oil, fresh water, food, and other natural resources. There will be wars, terrorism, mass environmental ruin, endless crowding, new diseases, and mass misery. Millions, if not billions, of people will die.

We could change our ways now and make a sharp U-turn. But the religious conservatives who now control the money, the government, the largest religious institutions, and the corporations, well, they are thick-headed and will have to learn the hard way.

To President Bush and your "base," mark my words: On March 19, 2005, I, the Yellow Canary, have warned thee. You can either heed my warning and make major changes, or you can continue living in your Business-As-Usual fantasy world.

"So, what happens, Canary? How does the story end?"

After the end of The Oil Age, the surviving humans will learn to live VERY differently. These will be mainly humans who lived in remote places and planned for this event. They will learn to live a lot more peacefully and sustainably. Technology and material wealth will mean little to them, and spiritual values will take precedence. They will discover that fulfillment in life is not about material possessions, but rather, the sheer joy of living and learning to live in communion with other animals and nature..

I would like to sum up my rant with the words of a fellow Canary named Tom. He does a perfect job of expressing my sentiments for today:

The opening of the ANWR to drilling is a sad milestone in the the history of human civilization. Please remember, however, that there is no "end of Nature."

This event symbolizes civilization's war on the rest of the world, and as they say, Nature bats last. In this case, geology plays a central role. For almost two centuries, civilization has "industrialized" using fossil fuels, and I am convinced we are now entering civilization's final phase, where cheap petroleum becomes harder to obtain and civilization's generally-accepted notion of unlimited "progress" becomes painfully naive to many.

Our leaders have no Plan B, other than to enact ever-more-desperate attempts to hoard what material wealth remains and prolong the business-as-usual. In their minds, civilization is non-negotiable, and the opening of ANWR to drilling proves this mindset.

I feel a sense of loss, but not so much for the nonhuman inhabitants of the ANWR. Eventually, the grass pushes through the cracks in civilization's abandoned parking lots; the dams are breached; the steel bridges rust. The caribou may even find their way home. I feel for the real losers: us and our heirs--especially those who have no clue about what's happening.

If you have not already done so, now is a good time to imagine what steps you'll take if our System does fail--either gradually or suddenly. And keep an eye on the news about oil prices...