Friday, January 6, 2012

Drugspeak: Language of BP

BP stands for Big Petroleum, Big Pollution, Big Problems, and Big Propaganda.

The world can't seem to deal with fossil fuel problems, because civilization, for the most part, is not dealing with it as an addiction.

Furthermore, political dogma within some nations is corrupting the science to the point that people seem to be willing to enter into the growing denial, giving in to the falsehood that global warming and climate change are not really happening.

One presidential candidate in the U.S.A. recently cut a chapter on global warming from a soon to be released book, because of criticism from Rush Limbaugh and other deniers in the GOP.

Effects of Oil Abuse and Addiction

What makes oil addiction problems so challenging to face, as opposed to other national problems? Oil abuse affects the nation’s life in many ways, including health, finances and stability. It also affects the world community. What’s more, the strong denial and rationalization of the nation using oil makes it extremely difficult to implement renewable energy remedies, and can even make those who are concerned about oil addiction sometimes feel like they are the problem.

Health, Employment and Crime

Those nations that abuse oil have a greater risk for health problems down the road, from the risk of increasing disease, climate catastrophe, to eventual ecocide. Heavy oil use by one nation directly affects the health of other nations as well, including lung disease, brain damage, and even death from spills, air pollution, and accidents. Productivity decrease during the peak oil demise phase can also lead to oil wars, as nations fight over their share of the diminishing supply of the oil drug.

Staying Addicted: Denial and Rationalization

One of the most powerful effects of oil abuse and addiction is denial. The need to use oil is so strong that the oil barons use many tricks to rationalize oil use. Nations abusing oil may drastically underestimate the quantity of oil they are using, the quantity available, how much it is costing them, and how much it actually takes away from economies. The oil barons may lash out at concerned citizens, making the concerned activists sometimes feel like they are exaggerating or overstating the problem. What makes this so frustrating for concerned members of society is that the nation abusing oil often sincerely believes it does not have a problem, and will try to make the concerned citizen feel like they are the dysfunctional ones.

This denial and rationalization can lead to increased problems with political and governmental relationships. The nations abusing oil may blame political opponents by calling them promoters of the greatest hoax ever. While difficult stresses happen to every nation, an overall pattern of deterioration and blaming others may be a sign of further national trouble.

The Climate Catastrophes Are Here Now

Everyone knows that 2011 was a year of climate catastrophe, but some don't know that 2012 is off to a less than hopeful start. A year or so ago there was 55 feet of snow pack in some areas, but things have changed:
The snow drought across the U.S. so far this winter has raised questions about impacts on water supply, ski resorts and agriculture.

Only 22 percent of the nation was covered by snow on Jan. 4, 2012.

A snow depth analysis on Jan. 4 from 2004-2012 reveals the smallest area of the U.S. is covered by snow this year. The year 2007 ranks as the second smallest area of the U.S. with snowcover of about 27 percent.

The Intermountain West, especially the Sierra of California and the mountains of Nevada and Utah, shows a substantial snow drought this year when compared to normal and past years. The northern Plains and the upper Great Lakes are other areas that have little snowcover compared to past years.

...

According to the California Department of Water Resources, a snow survey on Jan. 3, 2012, suggests one of the lowest mountain snowpacks on record for the date.
(Scientific American). A sudden reversal like that should raise flags. The U.N. should begin to treat the oil problem as an addiction, and member nations should do likewise.

1 comment:

  1. There is an abundance of examples of addicted thinking in Bush II and Obama.

    Here is an astounding quote from Obama soon after the House Democrats were destroyed in the 2010 election:

    One encounter was more bittersweet than the others. On a late fall morning, the president hosted a breakfast for a handful of members of Congress who had lost their seats: Kathy Dahlkemper, from Pennsylvania; John Spratt, the House budget chairman, from South Carolina; Jim Oberstar, the House Transportation Committee chairman, from Minnesota; and Melissa Bean, from Illinois. All were from moderate middle America districts. Over breakfast in the Roosevelt Room, they told Obama that unless he acted quickly, he was going to end up like them in 2012 -- out.
    ...
    This group, too, was struck by Obama's lack of regret. "In retrospect, we can look back and say we could have done things differently, but I had a very ambitious agenda," Oberstar recalled Obama saying. "In the end, this is for the greater good of the country." He seemed entirely sure he knew what was best for the country; he seemed to think that he was a better judge than the public.


    Link to quote

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