Yesterday Sen. John McCain, (Next President of the United States of America) called for the end of the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. However, there are people out there that are yelling, NO you can't do that.
Well, here are the facts folks, just 200 miles from shore, is the continental shelf outside the Gulf of Mexico, and China is currently has the contract to drill for oil there with Cuba. Sen. Larry Craig, Republican of Idaho told the times " Red China should not be left to drill for oil within spitting distance of our shores without competition from U.S. industries."
Adding insult to injury, US firms where invited to bid on the Cuban contracts, however the US Government barred them because of the embargo of communist Cuba. But we do trades with China all day long, now wait, am I wrong, or is China a communist country also?
Now, let's just take a step back here for a second, China is going to start drilling off of Cuba and they do not have the safety controls that we have for our drilling platforms, so because its a China platform and they have a spill, the oil will not come our way, well because it's China not the US.
This is what the environmentalists groups out there believe that keep stopping us from drilling off our shores.
As I wrote in a my blog earlier, Oil is used for a lot more than just energy, and I do believe that energy prices are out-of-control. However, until we can find a better way we need to find more oil.
Gas companies are part of the issue, as for they are getting larger and larger profits as the we have to pay higher and higher cost at the pumps and at the house for our light bills. I fully understand that these companies are in to make a profit, but come on, 84 Billion in profit, I sure 10 Billion profit would have been cool also, but that would have helped the average person out and we can't have that.
I do not know if ending the ban of offshore drilling is the correct answer and I'm sure it's going to annoy the hell out of two republican governor's (Crist - Florida & Schwarzenegger - California), never the less, Sen. McCain is putting ideas out there, not just staying with the same old same old, like Sen. Obama is trying to do.
Just one dog's point of view.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Paper vs. Plastic...
Just a short time ago, China launched a crackdown on plastic bags used in the retail world. So that go me thinking. What does it really take to create those handled plastic bags you get from Wal-Mart or other stores.
Well, did you know that China estimates that the country of 1.3 billion people must refine 5 million tons, or 37 million barrels, of crude oil every year to meet the demands for those plastic bags.
If that estimate is correct, that means China uses as many bags in 4 weeks (one month) than the U.S. uses in a year.
Also, just so you know... Plastic accounts for 4% of the worlds total oil production. WOW!
So, lets see... Paper vs. Plastic...
Paper (Thrown away):
Paper, can be thrown away, or can either be recycled. If you thrown them away and they end up in the landfill, over time it will break down, it will take many years to do this, however it will break down.
Plastic (Thrown away):
Plastic bags can be thrown away or can either be recycled. If you thrown them away and they end up in the landfill it will stay intact for thousands of years, as for plastic does not compost like paper.
Just a few side notes, with plastic in the mix, garbage does not have a chance to break down over time, as for landfills are considered airtight, which explains shy after 20 years you can find a hot dog that is still fully intact and a newspaper with articles clearly legible.
Paper (recycled):
If you use paper bags for your groceries, did you know that one paper bag holds the same volume as 4 plastic bags, wow... That's a great savings right there. Also, you can reuse them as trash can liners and for craft projects. They are also make a great weed barriers and eventually break down and naturally compost.
And if you choose to send your paper bags off to be recycled, here's the low down on that:
First the paper must be returned to pulp and this is done by using different chemicals. These chemicals bleach and spread out the pulp fibers, then those fibers are then run through cleaning and screening sequences that remove any contaminants. The pulp must then be washed to remove ink particles that were removed from the paper by the chemical process.
After the pulp is cleaned, it leaves what is called sludge, this sludge is composed of water, inks, pigments, and small particles of waste. The materials are separated and cleaned, these cleaned materials can be used in bricks, fertilizers and other useful products.
Plastic (recycled):
Plastic is fabulous in that it is recyclable, all that needs to be done is basically re-melt and re-form it. The re-melting process also sterilizes the plastic thus allowing any recycled plastic to be made into hospital grade products. Plastic can be recycled many times before it becomes to brittle to recycle. Please note, NOT ALL plastic bags can be recycled and many stores that collect them, simply send them to the landfill for lack of another alternative.
So, the next time you go to the store, and you are asked Paper or Plastic, based on all the information above, feel confident that you are making a informed decision the next time you hear that question.
Gas is not the only user of oil, so lets start looking at other things also that could help reduce our oil usage.
Well, did you know that China estimates that the country of 1.3 billion people must refine 5 million tons, or 37 million barrels, of crude oil every year to meet the demands for those plastic bags.
If that estimate is correct, that means China uses as many bags in 4 weeks (one month) than the U.S. uses in a year.
Also, just so you know... Plastic accounts for 4% of the worlds total oil production. WOW!
So, lets see... Paper vs. Plastic...
Paper (Thrown away):
Paper, can be thrown away, or can either be recycled. If you thrown them away and they end up in the landfill, over time it will break down, it will take many years to do this, however it will break down.
Plastic (Thrown away):
Plastic bags can be thrown away or can either be recycled. If you thrown them away and they end up in the landfill it will stay intact for thousands of years, as for plastic does not compost like paper.
Just a few side notes, with plastic in the mix, garbage does not have a chance to break down over time, as for landfills are considered airtight, which explains shy after 20 years you can find a hot dog that is still fully intact and a newspaper with articles clearly legible.
Paper (recycled):
If you use paper bags for your groceries, did you know that one paper bag holds the same volume as 4 plastic bags, wow... That's a great savings right there. Also, you can reuse them as trash can liners and for craft projects. They are also make a great weed barriers and eventually break down and naturally compost.
And if you choose to send your paper bags off to be recycled, here's the low down on that:
First the paper must be returned to pulp and this is done by using different chemicals. These chemicals bleach and spread out the pulp fibers, then those fibers are then run through cleaning and screening sequences that remove any contaminants. The pulp must then be washed to remove ink particles that were removed from the paper by the chemical process.
After the pulp is cleaned, it leaves what is called sludge, this sludge is composed of water, inks, pigments, and small particles of waste. The materials are separated and cleaned, these cleaned materials can be used in bricks, fertilizers and other useful products.
Plastic (recycled):
Plastic is fabulous in that it is recyclable, all that needs to be done is basically re-melt and re-form it. The re-melting process also sterilizes the plastic thus allowing any recycled plastic to be made into hospital grade products. Plastic can be recycled many times before it becomes to brittle to recycle. Please note, NOT ALL plastic bags can be recycled and many stores that collect them, simply send them to the landfill for lack of another alternative.
So, the next time you go to the store, and you are asked Paper or Plastic, based on all the information above, feel confident that you are making a informed decision the next time you hear that question.
Gas is not the only user of oil, so lets start looking at other things also that could help reduce our oil usage.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
In just ONE Year... (Three Parts)
Part 1
Remember the election in 2006?
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.
Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummets;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!
Remember its Congress that makes law not The President. He has to work with what's handed to him.
Part 2
Taxes...
Whether Democrat or a Republican you will find these statistics enlightening and amazing.
www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
Remember the election in 2006?
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.
Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummets;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!
Remember its Congress that makes law not The President. He has to work with what's handed to him.
Part 2
Taxes...
Whether Democrat or a Republican you will find these statistics enlightening and amazing.
www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
Both democratic candidates will return to the higher tax rates
It is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever.
If Obama or Hillary are elected, they both say they will repeal the Bush Tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the Categories above can't wait for it to happen. This is like the movie The Sting with Paul Newman; you scam somebody out of some money and they don't even know what happened.
Part 3
You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much? Read this:
Boy am I confused, I have been hammered with the propaganda that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting the US. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS. I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of reading them. I have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts.
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments. Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border. Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National Policy Institute, 'estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.' Verify at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. Verify at: http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
14. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants in The United States...' Verify at: http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
Are we THAT stupid? If this doesn't bother you then just delete the message. If, on the other hand, if it does raise the hair on the back of your neck, I hope you forward it to every legal resident in the country including every representative in Washington, D.C. – five times a week for as long as it takes to restore some semblance of intelligence (sanity?) in our policies and enforcement thereof.
It is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever.
If Obama or Hillary are elected, they both say they will repeal the Bush Tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the Categories above can't wait for it to happen. This is like the movie The Sting with Paul Newman; you scam somebody out of some money and they don't even know what happened.
Part 3
You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much? Read this:
Boy am I confused, I have been hammered with the propaganda that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting the US. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS. I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of reading them. I have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts.
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments. Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border. Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National Policy Institute, 'estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.' Verify at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. Verify at: http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
14. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants in The United States...' Verify at: http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
Are we THAT stupid? If this doesn't bother you then just delete the message. If, on the other hand, if it does raise the hair on the back of your neck, I hope you forward it to every legal resident in the country including every representative in Washington, D.C. – five times a week for as long as it takes to restore some semblance of intelligence (sanity?) in our policies and enforcement thereof.
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