Green Pork

In the last days before the Congressional break, the Republican outcry was, “Green pork!” It wasn’t a long-lost Dr. Seuss sequel to Green Eggs and Ham, it’s how Republicans are describing a new energy bill passed by the House. Green for environmental and pork for excessive political spending.

It seems the Democrat-controlled House had the nerve to eliminate $16 billion in tax breaks for the oil industry. That’s pork? This is an industry in which a single company, Exxon Mobil, posted an annual profit of $39.6 billion. As Oppenheimer & Co. oil analyst Fadel Gheit says, “They have so much profit, it’s almost an embarrassment of riches. They don’t know what to do with it.” Sounds like they can afford to do without the tax breaks.

Not only that, but part of the Republican argument is that if we take away oil companies’ tax breaks, they won’t have the money for new exploration. However, one of the reasons their profit has been so high is that they no longer reinvest as much in new exploration. Other than buying into foreign oil companies, they’re simply running out of places to look for oil domestically. So, instead, they have massive amounts of cash they don’t know what to do with, and no debt.

But that’s not how the Republicans see it: “There's a war going on against energy from fossil fuels," says Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas. "I can't understand the pure venom felt against the oil and gas industry." I can’t understand why Rep. Hall doesn’t understand what’s wrong with fossil fuels. First, we’re running out of them; second, they pollute the environment and contribute to global warming; and third, the oil companies are making enough money all by themselves ― throwing them more billions isn’t going to result in any solution to our energy crisis. Mr. Hall is trying to portray this as a vendetta against oil companies by implying that insanely rich companies like Exxon Mobil are victims. Congress is not the Grinch stealing the last crumb in Exxon Mobil’s house.

$16 billion certainly could help in the development of alternative fuels, which is exactly what this bill proposes. Additionally, the bill provides funds to increase efficiency of appliances and buildings. All good ideas.

However, according to the White House, the President may veto the bill because it makes “no serious attempts to increase our energy security or address high energy costs.” The White House and Republican leadership seem to think that the only “real” energy is fossil fuel energy. It seems renewable energy just doesn’t count. How can our energy security not eventually increase if our energy were increasingly coming from domestic renewable sources? No more ripping through the Arctic, tearing up everything in site to hunt for the last little drop of oil. Turn on the windmill or open up the solar panels and just let the energy flow. And how is investing in renewable energy not addressing energy costs? The more renewable energy we create, the less oil and coal we use, the less demand, the lower the cost.

We’ve been investing in fossil fuels for decades now, and it has given us an unstable Middle East, oil coated beaches, dirty air, and hotter climates. Why not, just this once, try something different? Believe in the power of American innovation and resourcefulness to come up with new forms of energy. Believe in it by investing in it. The creature in Green Eggs and Ham was reluctant to try anything new, and then, at the very end, he tried the colorful dish and loved it. “I do so like green eggs and ham!

Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am!”