Setting Up the Dems as the World Burns

Staggering. I can’t decide which is more ludicrous in the latest   TomDispatch: the insufferable self-promoter, er, “inspired” Rebecca Solnit’s hagiography at the beginning or the insufferable, er, “healthy ego” Bill McKibben’s “Leaderless Movement” composed  of sheer name-dropping and praise for fossil-fuel foundation-funded groups?

Not a word about reducing unsustainable Consumption, as usual. But plenty of the usual blather about “renewables” … it even has McKibben’s ludicrous comparison of renewables to a “leaderless” movement…as if!  The reality is: they could run the grid on unicorn farts and if Consumption isn’t drastically lowered, it’s over.

The stage is now totally set for Obama to cancel the unnecessary Phase 4. Like the dishonest  “Clinton saved 60 million acres ” in 2000 became the  Dem/big “green” rallying cry for the 2000 Gore Campaign, so will “Obama stopped the pipeline” be trotted out in 2014 and 2016….long after Tar Sands dilbit is actually running thru the real pipes! Phases 1, 2 and 3 are already complete from Alberta to Port Arthur TX! On top of that, dilbit is already running thru Phases 1 and 2 and then transferred to barges and rail cars for the rest of the journey.

Already 90% of retail gasoline in the US Midwest comes from Tar Sands – refined in the area AFTER running thru the web of existing pipes… said refineries also have out-going pipelines direct to the airports.

Not to mention, every single Tar Sands protest relied on Tar Sands-derived gas and, especially damaging for the Climate, jet fuel to carry out. More carbon was spewed by McKibben jetting around the planet for the past few years setting up this Democratic Party “victory” than his “leaderless” movement will ever succeed in sequestering.

At one time it was the crucial “Stop the Tar Sands” (at their source). It is now all about stopping an unneeded pipeline while First World Consumption levels – the real cause of Terracide – have become a taboo subject. Talk about an Emperor with no clothes!

This is how it ends…with self-congratulatory Democrat/Foundation/”Green” cabal ass-kissing…with no calls for serious reduction of Consumption… as the planet burns.

All of the Democratic Party/Big “Green” operatives should be ashamed of their parts in this Earth-destroying kabuki.

Michael Donnelly is a long-time environmental activist. He lives in Salem, Oregon. He can be reached at: pahtoo@aol.com.

MICHAEL DONNELLY has been an environmental activist since before that first Earth Day. He was in the thick of the Pacific Northwest Ancient Forest Campaign; garnering some collective victories and lamenting numerous defeats. He can be reached at pahtoo@aol.com