Posted on 03/28/2011 9:47:34 PM PDT by Right Wingnut 2
There's been a lot of discussion about energy policy on Right Speak over the past 2 days. Since this will be a defining issue in the upcoming campaign, it's certainly a worthy topic. Earlier today, my good friend Doug produced a brilliantly written piece highlighting Mitt Romney's views on energy, referencing Romney's book, No Apology. While I didn't find much to disagree with in Doug's post, I thought it would be fair to briefly highlight Sarah Palin's experience with energy, and provide a reference for our readers to research her positions.
Prior to being elected Governor of a state which receives more than 80% of it's revenues from oil producers, Palin served as Chairwoman of the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, a regulatory body with jurisdiction over oil exploration in the state of Alaska. This hands-on experience alone puts her head and shoulders above any of the other potential candidates on energy issues.
Over the past two years, Palin has been a persistent advocate for energy independence - frequently prescribing detailed solutions to our dependence on foreign oil. The following is a very long list of op-eds and Facebook posts, related to energy, written by Palin over the past two years. Following each link, is a brief excerpt from each article. In addition to her writings, she routinely discusses energy policy in her speeches and television interviews. I apologize for the length of the post. It just so happens that Palin discusses energy more than any other topic. This post does not discuss the entirety of her record on energy. I would need to write a book to cover it all. In fact, people have.
Op-eds:
The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End
...There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America's economy.
Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs....
Stall, Baby, Stall
...Today the president said hell consider potential areas for development in the mid and south Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, while studying and protecting sensitive areas in the Arctic. As the former governor of one of Americas largest energy-producing states, a state oil and gas commissioner, and chair of the nations Interstate Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Ive seen plenty of such studies. What we need is action action that results in the job growth and revenue that a robust drilling policy could provide. And lets not forget that while Interior Department bureaucrats continue to hold up actual offshore drilling from taking place, Russia is moving full steam ahead on Arctic drilling, and China, Russia, and Venezuela are buying leases off the coast of Cuba.
As an Alaskan, Im especially disheartened by the new ban on drilling in parts of the 49th state and the cancellation of lease sales in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. These areas contain rich oil and gas reserves whose development is key to our countrys energy security. As I told Secretary Salazar last April, Arctic exploration and development is a slow, demanding process. Delays or major restrictions in accessing these resources for environmentally responsible development are not in the national interest or the interests of the State of Alaska....
Drill
...My home state of Alaska shows how its possible to be both pro-environment and pro-resource-development. Alaskans would never support anything that endangered our pristine air, clean water, and abundant wildlife (which, among other things, provides many of us with our livelihood). The states government has made safeguarding resources a priority; when I was governor, for instance, we created a petroleum-systems-integrity office to monitor our oil and gas infrastructure for any potential environmental risks.
Alaska also shows how oil drilling is thoroughly compatible with energy conservation and renewable-energy development. Over 20 percent of Alaskas electricity currently comes from renewable sources, and as governor I put forward a long-term plan to increase that figure to 50 percent by 2025. Alaskas comprehensive plan identifies renewable options across the state that can help rural villages transition away from expensive diesel-generated electricity allowing each community to choose the solution that best fits its needs. Thats important in any energy plan: Tempting as they may be to central planners, top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions are recipes for failure...
Facebook Posts (17):
NYT, There You Go Again
...The number of oil companies filing with the Alaska Department of Revenue has doubled indicating that competition has indeed increased. Alaska has the second most business friendly tax set-up up two spots since the passage of ACES. Additionally, a report from Governor Parnells Department of Revenue indicated that 2009 yielded a record high in oil jobs. Even more recently, the newest employment numbers from Alaska show that oil job numbers were higher in January 2011 than in January 2010, indicating that jobs are growing at the seasonal level. Parnell argues that state revenues are in jeopardy, but it is estimated that his proposal would reduce revenues by $100-200 million....
The $4 per Gallon President
...Before we saw any protests in the Middle East, increased global demand led to a significant rise in oil prices; but the White House stood idly by watching the prices go up and allowing America to remain increasingly dependent on imports from foreign regimes in dangerously unstable parts of the world....
Obamas Message to America: The Era of Big Government is Back, Now Help Me Pay For It
...When it comes to energy issues, we heard more vague promises last night as the Presidents rhetoric suggested an all-of-the-above solution to meeting our countrys energy needs. But again, his actions point in a different direction. He offers a vision of a future powered by what he refers to as clean energy, but how we will get there from here remains a mystery. In the meantime, he continues to stymie the responsible development of our own abundant conventional energy resources the stuff we actually use right now to fuel our economy....
Drill, Baby, Drill and Mine, Baby, Mine; Serious Consequences
...Although the Left chooses to mock the mantra of drill, baby, drill, and they ignorantly argue against the facts pertaining to the need for America to responsibly develop her domestic supply of natural resources, surely they cant argue the national security implications of relying on foreign countries to extract supplies that America desperately needs for industry, jobs, and security. Some of the countries were now reliant upon and will soon be beholden to can easily use energy and mineral supplies as a weapon against us...
Energy Producing and Manufacturing States Must Send Job Creators to D.C.
...Ive made no secret of the fact that I think cap-and-tax could potentially be more disastrous to our economy than Obamacare because it would devastate our businesses and cripple our energy and industrial sectors. Cap-and-tax would put the nail in the coffin for our manufacturing jobs and our resource development...
Fuel America with Terrorist-Tarred Oil Instead of Drilling Our Own, Baby?
...Theres an obvious common sense answer to our need for security and energy independence, but dont hold your breath waiting for common sense to surface in Washington its an endangered species there. Obviously we must responsibly develop our God-given domestic oil and gas reserves right here, right now; we must conserve energy; and we must develop renewables that are based on sound science, not snake oil and favors for political pals...
Less Talkin, More Kickin
...I learned firsthand the way these companies operate when I served as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC). I ended up resigning in protest because my bosses (the Governor and his chief of staff at the time) wouldnt support efforts to clean up the corruption involving improper conflicts of interest with energy companies that the state was supposed to be watching....
Extreme Enviros: Drill, Baby, Drill in ANWR Now Do You Get It?
...Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our countrys energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas. Its catching up with you. The tragic, unprecedented deep water Gulf oil spill proves it. We need permission to drill in safer areas, including the uninhabited arctic land of ANWR. It takes just a tiny footprint equivalent to the size of LAs airport to tap Americas rich and plentiful oil and gas up north. ANWRs drilling footprint is like a postage stamp on a football field...
Domestic Drilling: Why We Can Still Believe
...This was the position I took as an oil and gas regulator and as Governor of Alaska when my administration ramped up oversight of the oil industry and created a petroleum-systems-integrity office to monitor our oil and gas infrastructure for potential environmental risks. I took a lot of heat for the stand I took against the oil industry (which is how political adversaries labeled my actions). But we took tough action because there was proof of some improper maintenance of oil infrastructure which I believed was unacceptable. We instituted new oversight and held British Petroleum (BP) financially accountable for poor maintenance practices. We also filed a Friend-of-the-Court brief against Exxons interests for its decades-old responsibility to compensate Alaskans affected by the Valdez spill, and I took other actions against the industry which ultimately helped hold it accountable...
Nonstop D.C. Nonsense: Drilling Down on Energy Doublespeak
...According to a study by the American Energy Alliance, opening the OCS to drilling could create as many as 1.2 million new jobs and add hundreds of billions of dollars annually to the US economy. Those are real American jobs and great American opportunities that cant be outsourced. Offshore drilling would provide billions in revenue for our states, allowing them to reduce their budget deficits without raising taxes. It would help reduce our trade deficit, which spikes with each rise in the price of oil because were so reliant on foreign sources of energy. And because we have some of the best environmental standards in the world, we should be drilling for our own oil instead of buying it from countries with less stringent standards...
Global Warming More Like a Snow Job
...And though I applaud the Presidents newly declared interest in nuclear power, it should be noted that hes merely following through on loan guarantees authorized during the prior administration. Whats more, while the White House now touts the building of new nuclear power plants, its budget inexplicably calls for cutting funding to the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A real nuclear energy plan requires a strategy for dealing with nuclear waste storage and recycling...
Alaska Steps Forward Towards Energy Security
...Congratulations are due Exxon and the State of Alaskas Department of Natural Resources for completing the first development well at Point Thomson in northern Alaska. This is a huge field full of domestic crude, and its time to drill for it! This week weve witnessed great progress toward more energy security for Alaska and our entire nation. What began as hefty trucks and hard working men and women heading up an ice road last year, to the commencement of drilling at Point Thomson, this progress has finally led to Exxons announcement today of completion of its first development well to produce oil and gas. Our tough stance with big oil and perseverance in insisting that Alaskas resources be developed instead of warehoused while foreign countries are busy developing their oil and gas reserves has paid off to the benefit of everyone involved....
Drillgate
...Many of us appreciated the President mentioning in his State of the Union address that tough decisions had to be made regarding offshore drilling. People have had doubts about his seriousness in regards to domestic energy policy because our Department of the Interior is dragging its feet on Virginias offshore oil and gas leases. Still, weve held out hope that Americas voice will be heard on energy...
Wheres the Oil in Our National Energy Policy?
...Americas energy challenges are getting more and more serious every day, and yet the Obama administration just doesnt get it. Please see this informative article that sheds light on one aspect of the presidents problem. It starts by explaining our energy demand will increase, and oil will be part of that demand...
Drill, Baby, Drill... Even Off-Shore
...The international community recognizes the potential of Arctic off-shore drilling; its about time our government allowed us to compete with them by developing these rich reserves in an environmentally responsible way. As I said last April in my testimony before the Secretary during a federal hearing in Anchorage, Alaskas oil and gas resources can and should be a major part of the implementation of any creditable energy plan for our nation. Alaska has proven that these resources can be developed safely, but Arctic exploration and development is a slow, demanding process. Delays or major restrictions in accessing these resources for environmentally responsible development are not in the national interest or the interests of the State of Alaska....
Response to Vice President Biden's Comments Today About My Position On Energy Independence
...As the vice president knows, I have always advocated an all-of-the-above approach to American energy independence. Among other things, my alternative energy goal for Alaska sits at 50 percent because Alaska reached more than 20 percent during my term in office. The Obama-Biden administration, on the other hand, recently announced a renewable goal of only 25 percent. However, domestic drilling should remain a top priority in order to meet Americas consumption and security needs...
Further Proof of the Need for Energy Independence
...The British newspaper The Independent reported today that Gulf oil producers were negotiating with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the dollar in pricing oil with a basket of currencies.[1] According to the Wall Street Journal, Arab oil officials have denied the story, but even the possibility of such a talk weakens the dollar and renews fears about its continued viability as an international reserve currency.[2] In fact, today a United Nations official called for a new global reserve currency to replace the dollar and end our privilege to run up huge deficits.[3] We can see the effect of this in the price of gold, which hit a record high today in response to fears about the weakened dollar.[4] All of this is a result of our out-of-control debt. This is why we need to rein in spending, and this is also why we need energy independence. A weakened dollar means higher commodity prices. This will make it more difficult to pay our bills including the bill to import oil....
Palin leaves her state with a $12 billion surplus due to her handling of the energy sector and the budget side.
The results of her energy policy in AK should be what people take away. $12 billion in surplus, a lower budget by 9.5% and a cut of 86% earmarks. With record exploration occurring in AK today.
she has proven results to back up her facebook and op-eds posts. The lady puts her ideas into practice. And the results speak for themselves.
And she supports capping carbon emissions and wants to “reduce our carbon footprint.”
Oh, joy.
Really? You must have missed the op-ed renounceing Cap & Trade. Sounds like you have some reading to do. Scroll up.
The one where she talks about greenhouse gases as “pollution”? LOL. Nope - I didn’t miss it.
And her latest book was full of that liberal mumbo jumbo about hydrocarbons and “footprints”.
Palin leaves her state with a $12 billion surplus due to her handling of the energy sector and the budget side.
Since the 1973 Arab embargo we have HEARD about Energy Independence for the politicians inside the belt way.
Palin has accomplished more than the 38 years of lip service by those who only want to get reelected.
Your comments are inane and ignorant, generally revealing you to be a horse’s ass.
“The one where she talks about greenhouse gases as ‘pollution’? LOL.”
____________
“Jane, you ignorant troll.”
FYI, Nitrous Oxide, Methane and Chlorofluorocarbons are all classified as greenhouse gases. And, yes, when it comes to breathable air, they are obviously pollutants by any definition.
Give it up before you further beclown yourself.
- JP
LOL. I post pesky little facts and you launch into personal attacks.
Classy! /s
Ahhhh... another classy poster.
FYI, Nitrous Oxide, Methane and Chlorofluorocarbons are all classified as greenhouse gases. And, yes, when it comes to breathable air, they are obviously pollutants by any definition.
Yep. And those make up a minute portion and are not among the greenhouse gases that the liberals want to "cap" and "trade." But when Sarah was busy trying to denounce her prior support for such nonsense, she talks about buying and selling "pollution." She obviously does not see the difference between pollution and emissions and has fallen once again into the trap of the leftists. You seem to be following suit.
http://www.ontheissues.org/governor/Sarah_Palin_Energy_+_Oil.htm
Give it up before you further beclown yourself.
No clowning here. Just acknowledging the facts.
You need to read the full text of the items linked at the originating site, or have read her prior op-eds and “Going Rogue.” I linked a site that has some of her quotes, including her misguided notion of “pollution.”
We can’t abandon free-market principles in order to save the free market. The cure only makes the disease worse.
One such cure: Washington’s misguided “Cap and Trade plan. But let’s call it what it is: a Cap and Tax program. The environmentalists’ plan to reduce pollution is to tax businesses according to how much pollution they produce. Businesses that reduce emissions could trade or sell their government credits to other companies.
We’ll all feel the effects of this misguided plan to buy and sell pollution. The president has already admitted that the policy he seeks will cause our electricity bills to “skyrocket.” Sadly, those hit hardest will be those who are already struggling to make ends meet. So much for the campaign promise not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year. This is a tax on everyone.
As more and more Americans understand that cap and trade is an environmentalist Ponzi scheme in which only the government benefits, they will refuse to tolerate it.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p.390-391 Nov 17, 2009
PALIN: I was the first governor to form a climate change sub-cabinet to start dealing with the impacts. Weve got to reduce emissions. John McCain is right there with an all of the above approach to deal with climate change impacts. As we rely more on other countries that dont care as much about the climate as we do, were allowing them to produce and to emit and even pollute more than America would ever stand for. Its all the more reason that we have an all of the above approach, tapping into alternative sources of energy and conserving fuel, conserving our petroleum products and our hydrocarbons so that we can clean up this planet.
Source: 2008 Vice Presidential debate against Joe Biden Oct 2, 2008
The only thing you accomplished is to confirm that you have nothing of substance to say.
Have a good evening.
Considering your post of the other day, you may be interested in this article.
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