Chapter Five
Offshore energy production started becoming a bigger issue for our federal fisheries with proposed wind farms as well as oil and gas exploration. A disturbing plan to let five different global corporations each conduct their own secret seismic testing to map our oil and gas deposits motivated me to attend public hearings. Seismic testing involves repeatedly blasting powerful soundwaves that penetrate deep beneath the seafloor to locate deposits. This kind of testing has proven to be harmful to marine life from plankton to whales. Logic dictates that five separate rounds of seismic blasting would be more harmful than one. I asked the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management staff why they didn’t work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to map our public oil and gas resources one time using the safest technology available and make the results public. This would help concerned citizens make informed decisions about whether extracting our Public Resources was worth the risk. They agreed this would be the best approach but bashfully said it was not the policy in place.
Trying to talk with other attendees was an exercise in futility as most of them had already made up their minds. It was either “drill baby drill” or “no offshore drilling”. Both sides agreed there was no need to discuss the kind of common-sense compromise I was advocating for. Pretty postcards once again helped spread the word about a topic few knew much about. Most people liked the public mapping idea and mailed in a card.
Oil and gas have been vilified for decades when they are just Natural Resources that can be used responsibly or not, the same as any other resource. Aren’t fossil fuels just nature’s way of storing solar energy for future use? Our standard of living has improved greatly thanks to countless products made with them. We have enough deposits on Public Property to be energy-independent while moving toward alternative energy sources. Rushing to abandon oil and gas is a destabilizing force that hurts us and our allies while giving hostile nations more money and power. Wise use of nature’s stored fuel is good for us and nature.
Offshore windfarm meetings basically brought out the same people with some supporting plans to subsidize corporate windfarms and give them control of our Public Waters on a massive scale while the drill baby drill crowd just said no to windmills. One concern for our fisheries was that hundreds of windmills in close proximity would make it difficult to navigate or fish around them. Years ago, I submitted public comments for a fisheries Visioning Project that included suggestions for lining the inshore edge of shipping lanes with energy production platforms that harnessed wind, solar, and ocean current energy. Desalination systems could be incorporated to produce an endless flow of fresh water. Platforms over oil or gas deposits could safely extract them. The right designs and placement can maximize production without impeding navigation. We could create an artificial reef system rivaling Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with similar protection from storm surges and tidal waves.
Platforms could also be used for research and stocking offshore seafood while offering safe refuge at sea. Another concern for any offshore energy production platform is what will be done when they are decommissioned. We don’t want to see a repeat of the Gulf of Mexico’s Idle Iron tragedy where old oil rigs were blown up along with everything living around them. Videos showed thousands of dead fish floating away after those explosions. The solution I promote is to design the base of new platforms as permanent artificial reef habitat with upper portions that can be dismantled to a safe navigational depth. We should learn from past mistakes and try not to repeat them.
The idea of subsidizing corporations that use our Public Resources to produce the power we buy doesn’t make much sense. Why don’t State and Local governments have the Right of First Refusal on any new leases being offered in Federal Waters adjacent to their borders? If we are going to subsidize energy production, why couldn’t we just use our money to hire existing companies that can build infrastructure and run operations with any profits paid directly to citizens? Alaska citizens receive dividend checks from oil and gas production on public lands. Can’t we do something similar in other places? Think about how many windmills and solar panels we could install along public roadways to produce power and profit for us. Powerlines run beside most roads for easy integration. Communities could use some of the inconsistent wind and solar power to produce hydrogen gas for vehicles and making electricity as needed.
We might as well tackle climate change at this point. Isn’t change the only constant in nature? The changes we are seeing to control nature really seem to be about controlling us and enriching those pushing the agenda. Some ideas to combat climate change are terrible. Remember the wood pellet scam? Electric cars are ethical and environmental nightmares. We need to be careful not to lock ourselves into bad ideas. If politicians are going to invest trillions of our dollars in alternative energy, shouldn’t we be involved in the process and share in the profits?
Let’s quickly address the socialist side of this that some will surely be thinking about. There is a huge difference between managing Public Resources to benefit local citizens monetarily and forcibly taking money from some to give others. Forced charity breeds contempt on all sides while wise management of Public Resources can enrich and empower all citizens. America is considered a capitalist nation even as our economic policies have become a grotesque hybrid of crony capitalism, corporate welfare, socialism, and fascism, with nefarious “non-profits” profiting from the financial chaos they help to foment. Proper management of our Public Resources can be the perfect blend of free-market principles and common-good goals. Trusting politicians with this kind of responsibility is another legitimate concern that needs to be addressed. Going back to the idea of practicing self-governance with official representation, these new revenue streams could be a way to make doing the People’s Business the people’s business that pays us for paying attention.
We need to accept the reality that automation and Artificial Intelligence will continue replacing many jobs. Politicians have floated the idea of a Universal Basic Income to cover living expenses. This doesn’t sound so bad until you consider funding options and what strings will be attached. Would politicians have more money printed, adding to the tens of trillions in national debt enslaving future generations while fueling inflation or will those left working be taxed even more? Will recipients be required to comply with medical mandates or the social whims of those in power? Isn’t it worth considering how we can create sources of income for citizens from Public Resources that allow us to live free from reliance on politicians?
Think about how wonderful it would be to have the kind of financial freedom that gives us more control over our time. We could usher in a new Renaissance Period where we are free to follow our dreams without fear of starvation or bankruptcy. We could spend more time raising our kids and pursuing happiness. Illness and accidents would no longer jeopardize our financial security. We could enrich and empower ourselves while securing freedom and resources necessary for modern lifestyles. Most social welfare programs could be abolished as we become more self-reliant. Fewer people having to work would reduce traffic and pollution. We could view advances in technology that will replace many of our jobs as liberating rather than threatening. We wouldn’t need busy work for the masses if everyone already has enough income to survive.
Trying to talk with other attendees was an exercise in futility as most of them had already made up their minds. It was either “drill baby drill” or “no offshore drilling”. Both sides agreed there was no need to discuss the kind of common-sense compromise I was advocating for. Pretty postcards once again helped spread the word about a topic few knew much about. Most people liked the public mapping idea and mailed in a card.
Oil and gas have been vilified for decades when they are just Natural Resources that can be used responsibly or not, the same as any other resource. Aren’t fossil fuels just nature’s way of storing solar energy for future use? Our standard of living has improved greatly thanks to countless products made with them. We have enough deposits on Public Property to be energy-independent while moving toward alternative energy sources. Rushing to abandon oil and gas is a destabilizing force that hurts us and our allies while giving hostile nations more money and power. Wise use of nature’s stored fuel is good for us and nature.
Offshore windfarm meetings basically brought out the same people with some supporting plans to subsidize corporate windfarms and give them control of our Public Waters on a massive scale while the drill baby drill crowd just said no to windmills. One concern for our fisheries was that hundreds of windmills in close proximity would make it difficult to navigate or fish around them. Years ago, I submitted public comments for a fisheries Visioning Project that included suggestions for lining the inshore edge of shipping lanes with energy production platforms that harnessed wind, solar, and ocean current energy. Desalination systems could be incorporated to produce an endless flow of fresh water. Platforms over oil or gas deposits could safely extract them. The right designs and placement can maximize production without impeding navigation. We could create an artificial reef system rivaling Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with similar protection from storm surges and tidal waves.
Platforms could also be used for research and stocking offshore seafood while offering safe refuge at sea. Another concern for any offshore energy production platform is what will be done when they are decommissioned. We don’t want to see a repeat of the Gulf of Mexico’s Idle Iron tragedy where old oil rigs were blown up along with everything living around them. Videos showed thousands of dead fish floating away after those explosions. The solution I promote is to design the base of new platforms as permanent artificial reef habitat with upper portions that can be dismantled to a safe navigational depth. We should learn from past mistakes and try not to repeat them.
The idea of subsidizing corporations that use our Public Resources to produce the power we buy doesn’t make much sense. Why don’t State and Local governments have the Right of First Refusal on any new leases being offered in Federal Waters adjacent to their borders? If we are going to subsidize energy production, why couldn’t we just use our money to hire existing companies that can build infrastructure and run operations with any profits paid directly to citizens? Alaska citizens receive dividend checks from oil and gas production on public lands. Can’t we do something similar in other places? Think about how many windmills and solar panels we could install along public roadways to produce power and profit for us. Powerlines run beside most roads for easy integration. Communities could use some of the inconsistent wind and solar power to produce hydrogen gas for vehicles and making electricity as needed.
We might as well tackle climate change at this point. Isn’t change the only constant in nature? The changes we are seeing to control nature really seem to be about controlling us and enriching those pushing the agenda. Some ideas to combat climate change are terrible. Remember the wood pellet scam? Electric cars are ethical and environmental nightmares. We need to be careful not to lock ourselves into bad ideas. If politicians are going to invest trillions of our dollars in alternative energy, shouldn’t we be involved in the process and share in the profits?
Let’s quickly address the socialist side of this that some will surely be thinking about. There is a huge difference between managing Public Resources to benefit local citizens monetarily and forcibly taking money from some to give others. Forced charity breeds contempt on all sides while wise management of Public Resources can enrich and empower all citizens. America is considered a capitalist nation even as our economic policies have become a grotesque hybrid of crony capitalism, corporate welfare, socialism, and fascism, with nefarious “non-profits” profiting from the financial chaos they help to foment. Proper management of our Public Resources can be the perfect blend of free-market principles and common-good goals. Trusting politicians with this kind of responsibility is another legitimate concern that needs to be addressed. Going back to the idea of practicing self-governance with official representation, these new revenue streams could be a way to make doing the People’s Business the people’s business that pays us for paying attention.
We need to accept the reality that automation and Artificial Intelligence will continue replacing many jobs. Politicians have floated the idea of a Universal Basic Income to cover living expenses. This doesn’t sound so bad until you consider funding options and what strings will be attached. Would politicians have more money printed, adding to the tens of trillions in national debt enslaving future generations while fueling inflation or will those left working be taxed even more? Will recipients be required to comply with medical mandates or the social whims of those in power? Isn’t it worth considering how we can create sources of income for citizens from Public Resources that allow us to live free from reliance on politicians?
Think about how wonderful it would be to have the kind of financial freedom that gives us more control over our time. We could usher in a new Renaissance Period where we are free to follow our dreams without fear of starvation or bankruptcy. We could spend more time raising our kids and pursuing happiness. Illness and accidents would no longer jeopardize our financial security. We could enrich and empower ourselves while securing freedom and resources necessary for modern lifestyles. Most social welfare programs could be abolished as we become more self-reliant. Fewer people having to work would reduce traffic and pollution. We could view advances in technology that will replace many of our jobs as liberating rather than threatening. We wouldn’t need busy work for the masses if everyone already has enough income to survive.