Stop Big Oil. Strengthen Our Democracy. End the Wars. Create Jobs. Save the Planet.

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Activist Resources
Power Without Petroleum (PWP) is an important campaign, launched by the Brave New Foundation.  As you might know, this is the organization that brought us the excellent Rethink Afghanistan campaign and film.
There are two outstanding short videos that I want to share with you, created by the PWP campaign.  The first video is called, “Stuck on Stupid: Big Oil Says NO To Green Jobs.”  In this three-minute video, we learn that, if Congress supports it, we could create, in the next few years, 110,000 new jobs in the field of solar energy. The video indicates the numerous types of jobs that would be created.  These would include, for example, jobs for sheet metal workers and jobs for civil engineers, if we construct wind farms and expand our systems of mass transit.  The video points out that we could create 185,000 new wind energy jobs.  In fact, the video notes, over the next twenty years, we could create over 37,000,000 renewable energy jobs.
Of course, to accomplish all this, we need to fund the research, development, and implementation of these clean energy solutions.  How do we find the funding for this?  Well, if we bring home our 100,000 troops from Afghanistan, we would find ourselves with over $100,000,000,000 that could be spent developing clean energy, creating jobs, rebuilding our infrastructure, and reducing the deficit. As a matter of fact, for every soldier we bring home, we could create twenty-three jobs here at home.  The war is illegal and immoral.  It is making us less safe.  Let’s end the war.  Let’s bring our war dollars home.
Let’s not forget, of course, that there is really no shortage of the funds that are needed to create jobs and produce clean energy.  The gap in both wealth and income, between the top 1% and the bottom 50% of our country is greater than it has been in decades.  If we insist that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, we will be better able to create jobs, develop clean energy, and provide essential services to our people.
That brings us to the second video from Power Without Petroleum.  It is called, “Drill Baby Drill.”  This two-minute video does a great job of pointing out the huge influence that the oil companies have on our national policy decisions. British Petroleum, we learn, spent $16,000,000 lobbying Congress in 2009.  The oil and gas lobby spent a total of $174,000,000 on lobbying in that year alone. The numbers presented are compelling.  Mississippi Governor Barbour was given $1,800,000 by the oil and gas lobby.  Congressman Barton of Texas took more than $1,400,000 from the lobby.  Senator Vitter of Louisiana took more than $385,000 from the oil and gas lobby.  Etc.  Etc.  The list goes on and on.
The planet is heating up fast.  Millions could be displaced, and tens of thousands could die if we do not stop global warming.  We need to rapidly transition from the use of fossil fuels to the use of clean energy.  We need to stop the corporations from setting our nation’s energy policy.
Check out the two videos:
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9 Responses to Stop Big Oil. Strengthen Our Democracy. End the Wars. Create Jobs. Save the Planet.

  1. PatC says:
    March 20, 2011 at 3:04 am

    I am dismayed when, even those who purport to have this view (clean energy will create and support jobs, human beings, all life, higher living standards and environment), perpetuate the lie that the “plutocracy” doesn’t understand or just doesn’t care.
    The truth is, the powers that oppose the change from fossil fuels are still wringing out the last drops of MONEY from the placated population as much as they are wringing out the last bits of carbon based pollution into our atmosphere.
    We have not given them enough incentive to stop. We are still too worried about our horrible jobs. We are afraid to be as creative as Americans can be about making the change we know must be made, for fear that things will get worse for us – when the worst that can happen is leaving the power in the hands of the people who MAKE MONEY off of our labor and pain.
    And it will only get worse until we, THE PEOPLE, give CPR to our failing Democracy.

    Reply
    • Activist Resources says:
      March 21, 2011 at 12:48 am

      Pat- Thanks for commenting. I agree that greed is a huge factor, and that allowing it to influence our policies weakens our democracy. -Bob for PJO

      Reply
      • Diane Castle says:
        July 14, 2011 at 10:16 am

        The “jobs” argument is nothing but a scare tactic that Big Oil uses to curry favor with the public. I was very encouraged to see a report that came out this week talking about how the green energy sector ALREADY provides more jobs than the entire fossil fuel industry (oil, coal, natural gas) combined. And green energy is only in its infancy. More info on my blog here: http://blackoilredblood.com/2011/07/clean-energy-creates-more-jobs-than-fossil-fuels/

        Thanks for this comprehensive and informative blog post. We really need to band together to raise awareness about the issue. Our survival does indeed depend upon it.

      • Activist Resources says:
        July 14, 2011 at 8:35 pm

        Diane,
        Thanks for commenting.
        I took a look at your blog. I’ll recommend it to people.
        –Bob, for Peace and Justice Online

  2. Pingback: Stop Big Oil. Strengthen Our Democracy. End the Wars. Create Jobs. Save the Planet. (via Peace and Justice Online) « OntheWilderSide

  3. Tom Degan says:
    March 10, 2011 at 12:20 am

    Van Jones? HE’S A COMMUNIST!!!

    Just kidding.

    This is the only way to go. Not only does America’s survival depend on it, but the human race’s as well. Why does the plutocracy refuse to understand this? What the hell is the matter with them?

    http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

    Tom Degan

    Reply

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