If Waiting For CAFE - It's Too Late

Tweet

Wednesday’s Janesville Gazette posted an article in their editorial slot written by the Dallas Morning News about the consequences of post peak-oil.

Over a Barrel Excerpt:
"I am sorry to say this, but we are headed toward really bad days," a prominent energy economist told Time magazine last week. That was no alarmist talking. It was Fatih Birol, the chief economist for the International Energy Agency, an oil industry organization whose annual World Energy Outlook report is widely considered a reliable indicator of petroleum supplies.

This was a reasonable perspective, but considering that the high price of oil and not an actual physical shortage of it prompted this warning, I was left with the notion that this message was just another shot at expanding domestic oil drilling. Which is something I believe would have zero impact on lowering prices.

But more importantly, if the Gazette editors, their Janesville readers, the local UAW including corporate GM give this short message any real urgency, and not the speculation it may be built on, they had better not wait for the democratic Congress or Sen. Russ Feingold to bully them with CAFE standards into saving themselves - by then it'll be too late.

---

Some Amusing Sound Offs

JG Sound Off:
On Smokers: To all Wisconsin smokers, as of Jan.1, stop buying lottery tickets. That will help offset the tax increase we unfairly have to pay. Lets not help out others who don’t care that we’re being extorted and harassed. -- anonymous

Let me get this straight. You want cigarette smoking lottery ticket buyers who can’t break their nicotine addiction to suddenly find the willpower to stop their gambling habit? – just so you don’t help others. Oh, well of course!

JG Sound Off:
On City Budget: Let’s review; city faces $1 million dollar budget shortfall. Reported in the Gazette, city puts $1 million in escrow for aquatics facility, which only a few people want, I might add. Mr. Scheiffer, do any idea lights go on? -- anonymous

According to some in Janesville, you’re taking it out of context. Haven’t you had the time to sit down and educate yourself by watching the Janesville budget hearings and learning sessions televised on public access JA-12? Oh, I’m sorry – I forgot. The Janesville city council went out of their way to deny those prying contextual cameras and microphones into the room. If they say you have it all wrong – thank them.

JG Sound Off:
On Christianson Column: Brian Christianson’s sinister disrespect and sarcastic attitude (Page 8A, Nov. 5) are disgusting. – anonymous

I actually feel slighted by this. I don’t know about the disrespectful part, but the sinister sarcasm and the disgust are nearly complimentary around here and something I thought I had locked down all to myself.