Stupid Politics

      On Sunday, January 29, 2023 the Orange County Register carried a story that originated in the New York Times entitled “Oil Drilled in Amazon Rainforest Ends Up in California.”  The article stated that, due to the Ecuadorian government’s need for revenue, it is now allowing oil to be drilled in its Yasuni National Park, which it used to protect.  The article further stated that this is “one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and home to Indigenous groups.”  And half of the crude exported from the Amazon overall goes to California, to the extent that “One in every nine tanks of gas, diesel or jet fuel pumped in California comes from the Amazon.”  In fact, California imports more crude oil from Ecuador than any other country.  Furthermore, just like was stated in last week’s edition of our 2 Paragraphs, “The Amazon rainforest is home to vast genetic diversity, much of it unstudied, that could unlock medical cures or technological innovations.  The region stashes away planet-warming carbon and influences rainfall across South America.  But the Amazon is besieged by deforestation and climate change, and it is reaching a tipping point, scientists say.  Some parts of the region already emit more carbon than they store.”

      How can this happen?  Because, due solely to politics, oil drilling has been severely cut back in California, but the demand remains the same.  So this has resulted in our importing more crude oil from places like Ecuador and Saudi Arabia.  How stupid!  Imagine the effect upon global warming to have all of those extra ships bringing in this product from so far away!  Why not drill it here, since that would not only reduce the price, it would also reduce the overall emissions of climate-warming gases!  The article closes with “. . . many state leaders didn’t even know about California’s connection to Amazonian drilling.  In Sacramento, it’s just crazy.  When you tell lawmakers, policymakers, that this is where the oil is coming from, they have no idea.” So this just once again re-affirms the old saying that “In politics reality is irrelevant.  It’s only the voter’s perception of reality that counts.”  It is up to us to help spread the word and stop this madness!

Quote for the week:  “If you think the problems government causes are bad, wait until you see their solutions.”  Lars Mapstead, Libertarian