OIL THIS

What is happening in Egypt, North Africa
and elsewhere in the Middle East, can be
understood in relation to this article on
the end to the era of cheap oil:

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/peak-oil-cheap-oil-is-gone-for-/19837213/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%7C201111

The end of the era of cheap oil, means
major changes for our way of life, including
an end to cheap food, commuting , urban
sprawl settlement, and an end to tourism
and travel,  as well as the ability to sustain
global military operations, including
aiding allies who come under attack.

The U S and Canada have large shale oil
deposits that must be conserved for the
long haul.

The U S has vast coal reserves which can
be brought into play more quickly and
more inexpensively than building nuclear
power plants. In addition, our neighbor
Canada, has huge hydro electric capability
which can be made available to the U S
if Canada is willing.

We also have large reserves of natural gas
which can be utilized, taking care to
protect aquifers and surface waters.

Drill for oil offshore, safely. It is foolish
for the U S government to have a
moratorium  on offshore oil drilling while
our enemies are drilling everywhere.

Green energy alternatives can play a
limited role in the future, but are very
expensive,  variable and  not able to
meet the energy needs of our huge metro
areas.

With the end of cheap oil goes the end
of the era of motor vehicle use for daily
commuting and transporting food, goods
and materials in commerce. Trans-
continental travel and transportation
by motor vehicle will be over. Intercity
bus transportation as well.

Forget about the mirage of high speed
rail. Instead, the nation, states  and
cities, must embark immediately on
efforts to rebuild and expand conventional
rail networks, including light rail to
connect populated suburbs, and rural
areas with cities.

Waterways, canals, ports and our merchant
marine  fleet must be rebuilt and used to
move bulk cargoes, freight and passengers.

Land use and settlement patterns will
change. People will move back to cities
and where the jobs are. Decaying urban
water/sewer systems will have to be
rebuilt. Old housing stock replaced.
Regional shopping centers will decline.

Cities will have to be rebuilt. Our
manufacturing base restored,

All these actions will create needed
jobs to put people back to work and
stimulate our economy.

The adaptations required are myriad
and will not happen overnight. But
they must begin, now!

We need political leaders with vision
and an informed electorate which
understand that their very survival
and way of life are on the line.

The mainstream media has a critical
role to play in saving America. Serving
as a political publicity arm for pc
"progressive" politicians must end.

The media holds the key to our
collective survival. It can and must
provide the education that our public
schools are failing to provide.

Our whole educational system is in
need of  reform from top to bottom.
Our schools are not turning out
graduates who are equipped to
comprehend and deal with their own
futures, nor to view their futures in
light of local, state national and world
realities and events.

The schools and media must end
their promotion of pc, partisan, political
agendas.  Focus on the dire need to truly
educate and inform the current electorate
and future generations, so that our
Republic and way of life survive the
changes and challenges we face in a
world which is rapidly spinning out
of control.

                                     Joe Sullivan