My online friend who keeps me abreast of Peak Oil issues thinks a regional Op-Ed piece in Connecticut is not worth blogging about.
I disagree.
Consider the history of anthropogenic global warming (AGW).
In 1988, AGW was not discussed much beyond the climate science community. That was the year then Tennessee U. S. Senator Al Gore called James Hansen to testify about the issue before his Senate committee.
It got a little press at the time, and no doubt generated some op-ed commentaries in regional newspapers, but it took about ten years before the broader public became aware of the issue, even though Gore had become Vice President and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was publishing its early reports.
Nearly another decade has passed since then, and the world is still not addressing the AGW issue fully. As the polar regions warm and the risk of serious environmental and economic consequences of AGW become more clear, it is likely that governments will act more urgently soon.
Peak Oil is only now beginning to creep onto the radar screens of politicians, and the most forward-looking ones are calling for action.
For example, Connecticut State Representative Terry Backer and State Senator Bob Duff have just written an op-ed piece in the Connecticut Post entitled “Peak oil: We ignore it at our peril.”
Their point is that we cannot wait five or ten years to start talking about the appropriate political response to this geological/economical fact of life. Its impact will become evident very soon, and the solution will be complicated by efforts to address AGW as well.
I urge you to share the Connecticut legislators’ call for action with your representatives in state and national government. Get off your “Duff” and become a “Backer” of initiatives that recognize the coming impact of Peak Oil.
To follow the issue more closely rather than relying on this mere blogger and author to get your attention, my online friend and I recommend The Oil Drum website.
Fred,
The op-ed that Bob Duff and I wrote for the Connecticut Post was precedded by a infomational hearing of the Connecticut Legislative Peak Natural Gas Caucus (well its was writen before the hearing and ran a week after). Since the November first hearing I have written and submitted to the legislaltive leaders and the Gov. in Connectciut a report named Peak Oil Production and the Implications on Connecticut.
We are concened enough by the prospects of oil production falling or remaining level having unacceptable impacts on our people to start the dialog in the state. We don’t know when Peak Oil will happen – or if it has happened – our when or if technology will mitigate the impacts — we don’t care to debate that –we have all been around politics far long enough to know it moves at glacical pace. Even if we take the most optimistic of views like that of EIA or CERA –its not that long of a lead time considering the work that needs to be done and the slow pace of Goverment. The ecomnomist, oil men, bussiness folks all have a different duty than we do. Of course we will need them to make the change happen but we need to pick the destination or they will just do moreof the same.
You can read the report here on one of my websites http://www.terrybacker.com/notes_detail.php?notes_id=3
Your buddies in CT need to understand that progress on this matter will come from the local yokels not the indenturaed servents in DC
Thanks
Representative
Terry Backer