Unless the climate crisis is reframed, it will remain a partisan political issue, and The War Against Oil will be lost.
Events like this weekend’s Live Earth concert series are great for building awareness of the problem, but they don’t really deliver solutions, any more than Live Aid cured hunger in Africa or Farm Aid solved the problems of rural America.
Even the goals of the movement seem at odds with business, as the cap on greenhouse gas emissions. It’s great, but it’s both ideological and political.
That’s why I continue to frame this as The War Against Oil. Framing the debate as a battle against oil brings even the most conservative ideologues on board, and there just aren’t enough of us to afford a them in this case.
Conservatives who want to do something against, say, Vladimir Putin, or
Hugo Chavez, or even Al Qaeda, should be attracted to The War Against
Oil because it is the most effective way to fight these threats. Not
only that, but renewable energy, and an improved grid which can accept
renewable sources, is far less vulnerable to disruption than the
present system.
Right now, the economies of the West would go down in flames instantly
were a terrorist ring to attack the Saudi oil fields with enough
firepower to do serious damage. We are all hostage to unstable sources
of supply, and there are enormous opportunities in creating new, more
stable sources.
A reframing of the Climate Crisis as The War Against Oil brings new
supplies to market, increases economic growth, and starts to deal with
the underlying problem without political debate. Instead, we’re
fighting an environmental battle which turns out, politically, to be a
zero-sum game.
The frame of The War Against Oil is also necessary in order to
concentrate capital, both public and private, on real solutions for the
climate crisis. If The War Against Oil is the ultimate patriotism, then
you want to subsidize improved insulation for poor folks’ homes, improved mileage
for cars, and new investments in geothermal, solar, and wind
technologies. You want to do this, if for no other reason, than to kick
Chavez in the teeth, to wipe the grin off Ahmadinejab’s face, and to
cut off the source of Bin Laden’s funding.
Instead liberals are making themselves feel good, they’re scoring
political points against their domestic adversaries, but they’re not
getting the j-o-b done. The War Against Oil is consensus politics, it’s
good business, and it’s good for the environment.
Get behind it.
Live Earth: Against Climate Change with smart Cars
I know some of you have attended awesome concerts with your favorite artists performing on stage. But have you ever been to a fund raising concert which lasted for about twenty-four hours straight with hundreds of your favorite celebrities and artist…