Vermont Bans Hydraulic Fracturing

When CBS runs an examination of climate change then you know it's serious. I wonder if everyone isn't being alarmist and exaggerating the problem but the evidence is strong in favor of trouble on the horizon. It seems Capitalism is not actually a way to live, but it's a good way to develop a civilization infrastructure. Namely, to borrow borrow borrow, build build build and pray pray pray. It's kind of ingenious because it does work to create infrastructure that's like a maze of wires and pipes more complicated than the brain. And it does it without actually paying for any of it. AND there is always some left over to build battleships that will never be used except to intimidate. It's an economic slight of hand, not necessarily a Ponzi scheme and it has worked up til now. (polite applause) But, the consequences have been immediate. The Kickapoo lived for 6000 years near the river and hardly changed a twig. Capitalists will not get away with 300 years of resource intensive living. Not only are the resources going to be depleted, but the global effects of reckless consumption are destroying towns 12000 miles away. That's impressive and tragic.

In a recent indicator that all things are coming to a head I see that Vermont has banned hydraulic fract
uring in Vermont, where no hydraulic fracturing occurs. All these links can be found on the homepage of my blog but in case you are too lazy to read the whole article here's what Exxonmobil has to say about this.:

"Vermont is surrounded by production of natural gas supplies in Canada and the enormous Marcellus Shale formation stretching across several states in the Northeast. So while Vermont itself may have no natural gas – and while it denounces the process used to obtain the gas – state leaders are fine reaping the benefits of the activity going on around them."

This is dangerously close to a philosophical argument so I could not remain silent. I periodically take on Ken Cohen, the VP of Exxonmobil's pubic and government affairs, but I don't think I've changed his mind yet. When I'm near Dallas, I'll invite him for dinner in the van to have a roundtable discussion. Would make very interesting debate material. So, after a night of deep meditations (watching porn) I came up with my response:

"Are oil companies under any legal obligation to sell oil to certain states? If not then call Vermont's bluff and stop all sales of any petroleum products to any business in Vermont or any business that trades with Vermont. They boycott you and you boycott them. Sounds fair to me. It is contradictory for Vermont to benefit from hydraulic fracturing as long as it doesn't take place in Vermont. Sounds like the cat who eats fish but doesn't want to get his paws wet. I'd like to see the issue promptly escalated with an industry-wide boycott of Vermont. It would be a good test of alternative technologies and a good test of industry integrity. Trading with a hypocrite only enables hypocrisy."

I love Vermont and I love America. Let me say that in advance of your criticisms of my tactics and beard. It is hypocritical to casually boycott a single gas production technique while ignoring the many tentacles of the gas production industry. You are either in or out, in my opinion. And to boycott a technique that isn't even taking place in your state or will ever take place, is paying lip service to a serious issue. I think the hydro-fracturing and oil refinery and nuclear power will not last and have caused serious harm to the environment. Of course, if you ask a kid to surrender his iPod and we'll replace it with some wild Bison that he never knew existed and will never see then it will be a short conversation because each generation becomes acclimated to the wealth or poverty of that generation. Only crazy Oggy with his wacky and unhealthy resentments directed at long dead Nazi leaders and divorced parents and colonists who insulted and dishonored pretty native Mohawk Indian maidens, only Oggy lives the hellish existence of wondering what could have been. But Oggy is not normal so most people simply accept that there are no wild Bison, there are no Kickapoo, there are no wolves or bald eagles or unpolluted streams, there is also no Polio or Bubonic Plague or Malaria. And you can instantly watch your favorite movie from pretty much any place near a big town. We live longer lives and even if you are obese you will probably live longer than a skinny person in 1412 did. I get it. But as far as contentment and stability and security I see no relative change. But that's another essay.

I want Exxonmobil to boycott Vermont because it makes sense. Call their bluff. It shows integrity and it also forces Vermont to take the next critical step into alternative fuels. Only when we have to change will we change. Believe me, I'm going to wait until my bank account is running on fumes before getting a job. When my stomach starts rumbling, I'll get serious. And right now we are too content with $4 gas, it's too easy to adjust to it. What needs to happen is a whole state gets cut off from the oil industry. CLIMATE CHANGE IS SERIOUS SO IT IS TIME TO GET SERIOUS. Yes, some would abandon Vermont and move to NH or NY. The remaining folks would GET SERIOUS. Their cars would not run on dreams and political agendas. Everything would be escalated to where it needs to be for something tangible to take place, a paradigm shift. Right now we are plodding along toward some kind of half apocalypse. It's like the football team that kicks a field goal when they are losing by 45 points. They want to lose by fewer points?? So it is 3rd and 20. Big deal. Go for seven points because you're going to lose if you don't. Why not go for the long shot touchdown. Why not try to win? This isn't football, it's the environment and droughts and tornadoes and famine and pollution are right around the corner. I would sincerely like to see Vermont get kicked out of the petro buffet. I might even move there and live in my van on a wind farm to tend to the turbines.

Hell, I'd be satisfied if Vermont was cut off for only one year. Like an experiment. That would make so much sense to me. And truthfully, they are begging to have their bluff called with this ridiculous paper thin boycott. They ban the process in Vermont but ignore that the same process is being used to produce the natural gas they import?? What kind of stoned political philosopher flunked out of his Harvard Ethics class to come up with that sham? Either you go all in or all out. It's not a boycott if you fund it in other states.

Food For Thought: it's been determined that every person who was responsible for the economic meltdown in 2008 didn't just graduate from college, they graduated from a Business College. Reminds me of the joke in Hollywood: 
"How many overpaid producers does it take to fuck up a $50,000,000 movie?"
(I don't know. How many?)
"You're fired! Get me Spielberg!"

It really makes me wonder.