Energy

In 2005, more than 1,800 people died in Hurricane Katrina, which flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, causing epic proportions of destruction and displacing thousands of people.

Many suffering people thought the government’s immediate response to the hurricane’s aftermath in New Orleans was not quick enough, and former President George Bush was widely criticized for not realizing the scope of the disaster until later. Those are simply nonpartisan facts. People still disagree on whether Bush deserved the criticism or not.

It’s important to keep these facts in mind as Republicans try to spin the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana as President Barack Obama’s “Katrina.” The initial explosion on the ocean oil platform killed 11 people, which is tragic, but it’s not anywhere close to 1,800 deaths. No one has been displaced. No homes or schools have been destroyed. There are not thousands upon thousands of people suffering in the heat without water or food. The federal government is doing everything it can to stop the leak in conjunction with BP, which is going to pay for the cleanup.

In fact, the leak, which is causing an environmental disaster, can on one level be attributed to the GOP-backed philosophy of drilling for oil wherever it can be found despite the consequences on the environment. It can also be attributed to market fundamentalism, another piece of GOP ideology, which supports deregulation and fewer government restrictions on businesses like oil companies. I’m not arguing that there are no Democrats who support these positions, but market fundamentalism—the idea that markets will correct errors on their own without government intervention—has been a mainstay of Republican ideology.

The loss of lives on the oil platform is tragic and the spill is creating an environmental disaster, but to compare it to Katrina is to minimize what happened in 2005. It’s just an obvious political ploy to distort the underlying causes of the spill and to deflect attention away from GOP “drill, baby, drill” sloganeering. The leak, which some experts say has spewed as much as 39 million gallons of oil into the ocean, shows this country needs to turn to renewable, alternative energy sources as quickly as possible. That’s the real story of the spill, a story the GOP wants to hide with a pointless, absurd comparison.

Obama is not responsible for decades of deregulation and corporate favoritism. He’s not responsible for the fact the country needs to have better public transportation systems so Americans will use less oil. He didn’t invent the SUV.

The spill is not Obama’s Katrina; it’s the culmination of harmful political ideologies that place corporate profits above anything else.

Rising oil prices should make Oklahoma residents and officials reconsider mass transit and energy conservation ideas.

Oil barrel prices reached a record high Monday at $103.96, and some economists are predicting Americans might be spending $4 or more a gallon for gasoline this summer. Meanwhile, energy companies are reporting record profits as the country slips into a recession.

Oklahoma City is hard hit by rising gasoline prices. The metropolitan area encompasses a large geographical area. Many vital institutions, such as major hospitals and medical offices, can be miles away from residential areas and rural communities. For example, the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in north Oklahoma City is approximately 30 miles and more away from Norman neighborhoods.

Local officials need to continue planning to improve and increase mass transit. Undoubtedly, there will come a time when mass transit and energy conservation will become emergency issues. Is Oklahoma City ready? Is the state ready?

On the political front, state Sen. Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City) recently proposed a bill that would “reduce hydrocarbon emissions and utilize state resources by converting state government vehicle fleets to clean-burning compressed natural gas or other alternative fuels,” but the state Senate Republicans refused to hear the legislation in committee.

The Sierra Club, the largest environmentalist group in America, recently endorsed Rice in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe this year. (Here is Rice's campaign site. Rice is also pushing legislation to improve health care.)

The question becomes this: At what price per gallon of gasoline will Oklahomans feel compelled to conserve and elect representatives who will create a sensible state and national energy policy? Anecdotal evidence suggests Oklahomans are more aware--if not freaking out--of how much they drive these days and how much it costs, though the corporate media, especially The Daily Oklahoman, downplay their concerns.

(Sites like Okie Funk are deeply rooted in the politics and writing of progressives such as the legendary Molly Ivins, who died Wednesday. Here is a tribute to her life and work. Go to Blue Okahoma for more links.)

Oklahoma Govenor Brad Henry and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett recently announced far-sighted and bold initiatives that could help our state prosper in years to come.

On Tuesday, Henry announced a proposal to create a bioenergy center here that would focus on researching alternative fuels. Meanwhile, in his recent 2007 State of the City speech, Cornett told Oklahoma Cityans that it is now time to start getting serious about creating more local public transportation systems.

The background for both initiatives is the country’s declining fortunes in The Oil Age. Fossil fuel based energy costs will continue to rise in years to come as supplies dwindle, threatening our geopolitical and financial security. Both Henry and Cornett are leading the way with their initiatives. This is real leadership at a crucial, precarious juncture in our history.

Henry’s plan is to create a $40 million Oklahoma Bioenergy Center. The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation would be founding members of the center’s consortium. The legislature must and should approve Henry’s proposal in order to fund it over a four-year period.

“With 60 percent of the nation’s oil supply coming from foreign countries, many of which are openly hostile to the U.S., the need for renewable energy is clearly a matter of national security,” according to the governor’s press release about the proposal. “Not only would the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center play a vital role in reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil, but it would be a great boon for Oklahoma in a number of ways. This institute would help diversify our state’s economy, protect our environment, create high-paying jobs and contribute to a revitalization of rural Oklahoma.”

Among other things, the center will look into how certain crops can be turned into fuels. The center could then help state farmers switch to these crops.

“A thriving oil and gas industry certainly does not nullify our need to pursue other sources of energy,” the governor said. “In fact, more and more oil companies today are making the necessary investments in alternative energy. Aside from the concerns stemming from our dependence on foreign oil, the fact is that oil continues to get harder and harder to find and more expensive to produce. The emerging economic powers of China and India only mean more intense competition for the oil that does exist.”

Cornett’s comments about creating more public transportation in the Oklahoma City area were remarkable and refreshing for their bluntness about the area’s vast suburban sprawl.

“… we must prepare for a day when traffic is more congested and gas is more expensive,” Cornett said in his recent speech. “If you asked one of our typical, learned residents to look at the city we’ve created and ask them to start thinking about a comprehensive plan for mass transit, their first reaction would probably be to have a heart attack. They would have a heart attack for two reasons. First, because adapting our sprawling community to mass transit seems so daunting, and secondly, because they spend so much time in their cars, they are out of shape and susceptible to heart disease.”

Cornett, who pointed to the Oklahoma Fixed Guideway Study, which identifies “futuristic” public transportation systems, said action on this issue must involve the state as well.

“We cannot ignore our public transformation problems forever. The study and research is done. Now, we as a regional community need to be thinking long-term about implementation.”