One Small (and very Paltry) Step for Man
A country’s might and strength relative to national, economic, and military security can be measured by their production of energy. At one time, just a few short years ago, the United States was energy dominant or in other words, the country produced more than it could use. And certainly, that was not because of wells drying up but a change of government and the introduction of regressive production policies.
In a recent move, which I perceive as entirely political, the Biden Administration approved a scaled-down version of the Willow Project located in the Alaskan National Petroleum Reserve (NPR). The NPR is located in an area west of the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea to the north. The Willow Project is well west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While this project has been approved, 15 million acres of the dedicated and legislated Petroleum Reserve remain under lock and key and unlawful prohibition.
Naturally, the fanatics are up in arms, calling the Willow Project a “carbon bomb”, while not understanding that many centrist moves from here through to the election of Tuesday, November 5, 2024, will deceptively and insidiously reposition the administration and their party temporarily towards the center. This is despite the declaration of “no more drilling” made by an unrestrained and politically unshackled Biden just a few months ago. Naturally, lawsuits have already been brought by activist organizations, including Earthjustice and Trustees for Alaska which is certain to stall the project for months if not years.
Of course with escalating inflation, shortages, and the high petroleum pricing, the Willow Project is clearly meant as an appeasement, even though it will not produce any oil for quite some time. The project is expected to last for 30 years with a production output of 200,000 barrels per day which would be approximately 1% to 1.5% of the US total daily usage.
Climate alarmists, wear blinders that cannot see beyond the American national borders or the inhumane work and other conditions maintained in other petroleum-producing countries. While these fanatics constantly virtue signal climate change as entirely a global problem, requisite oil can seemingly and hypocritically come from sources other than their own country. This clearly brings into question the authenticity of their climate conviction, but also their disloyalty, as well as actions of treason against their own nation.
When a person, group, or groups are willing to dismantle or deprive a nation of its ability to sustain itself and stop or suspend that nation’s ability to grow in all of its securities, that is an act of treason – and they do this with a total disregard for any science or evidence. I believe these people have been selfishly spoon-fed and are negligently secure in their own unenlightened arrogance.
During political campaigns, parties have a tendency to move to the center knowing the undersized but devoted base will not contain enough votes for election success. This is exactly the action involved with the Willow Project approval, but as one can unmistakably recognize this is a very far cry from any meaningful action on energy.