The part of the bill I learned about today, which really pisses me off, is that the US government is agreeing to subsidize the construction of new pipelines. Who knows, maybe we've always done that. But why do the mega-rich, environment-destroying oil barons get to make even more money at the taxpayer's expense for constructing something that the bill is actively trying to combat.
I imagine it's to offset the projected loss of income as oil sales reduce over the next
?. But again, fuck them. They don't need any more help, specifically TAX PAYER DOLLARS, to prolong their existence. Manchin deserves to be pilloried by a better party than the Democrats. If ever you wanted an example of why both parties impoverish voters, this is it. People keep talking about "compromise, compromise." The oil industry still holds all the cards. Their "gift" to us is making sure more of our tax dollars are captured by them for the purposes of making as much money as possible. And ya know, that's "reasonable" from their prospective: they're a soulless money-making edifice that lives only to make more money for the people that own it. They don't give a fuck, never have and never will, and that should be acknowledged when "compromising" with them.
Our ire should be focused on the representatives they've bought out. Without them, this legislation would look different. The fossil fuel industry would have to accept less without puppets fighting for their interests. Their campaign finances should be laid bare so we can see how much strictly legal compensation they've received for their part in fucking the American public over once again.
People keep touting the $ value of this legislation. But when you actually read what that money goes toward, you're trusting the speculation of the projected environmental impact reduction. There's lots of "investment" and "incentivize" but few actual hard changes. I think natural gas companies will get fined for releasing "excessive amounts" of methane now, which I'm sure has been negotiated to the point of uselessness.
And then good lord I just read this:
A group of 350 climate groups signed a letter last week calling on the US government not to include what they describe as “handouts to the fossil fuel industry” or invest in “fossil fuel industry scams” to reduce emissions.
“Permitting new fossil fuel projects will further entrench us in a fossil fuel economy for decades to come – and constitutes a violent betrayal of your pledge to combat environmental racism and destruction,” the letter reads.
Senator Bernie Sanders also added his signature to the letter, saying in an official statement ahead of its approval that it includes a “huge giveaway to the fossil fuel industry”.
Sanders said that the fossil fuel industry will receive billions of dollars in new tax breaks and subsidies over the next 10 years. He also pointed out that up to 60 million acres (243 million hectares) of public waters must be offered up for sale every year to the oil and gas industry as part of the bill before offshore wind developments can be approved.
A further 2 million acres (809,371 hectares) of land will also be offered for sale before leases for renewable energy development can go ahead.
Read the last two sentences very carefully. Per year. PUBLIC WATERS. When California is running completely dry, when Lake Meade is basically at the bottom. We've guaranteed them the right to buy up public lands and water, insane acreages, for the RIGHT to build offshore wind, or space can be LEASED to renewable energy sources.
Drink it in for a minute. Water resources are getting tighter, land is getting less habitable due to climate change and the fossil fuel industry which is the cause of it all is now guaranteed the right to buy up public land and water, vast quantities of it, before any competition can happen and any REAL slow down of the affect on the climate can happen. Combined with huge amount of money going toward feckless shit like tax breaks for electric cars and questionable stuff like investment in
existing renewable energy production (because remember, only after the oil and gas industry gets their's can green tech even lease new land for renewable energy production), this all reads like a scam. A big stupid scam where lots of people get to make between some and all of the money while the world burns around us.
The article I'm reading doesn't specify and looking around a bit more there's a distinction between on-shore and off-shore resources. Off-shore water, while not great, is better than in-land water sources to some degree.
I wouldn't have signed this piece of shit with riders like this, and I'd have called Manchin a fucking traitor to the human race to his face. I stop short of saying I'd beat the shit out of him, mostly because I don't advocate violence, but also because it wouldn't do anything. If kicking the shit out of Manchin would have prevented the sale of our dwindling natural resources to the ghouls who are destroying the planet, I'd have done it. As it stands it would only make me feel marginally better about what Democrats just did to the country.
And no, I don't buy the "this might be our last chance....." Republicans couldn't have written a better "climate change bill" from the perspective of the oil and gas industry. There's some "ok" stuff in there, but no real positive change overall, just a lot of incentives and tax breaks and band-aids for disadvantaged communities. There's still no real consequences...oh and we will now be surrounded by lands owned by the oil and gas industry and they will control or at least usurp our water supply.
Sounding a lot less like Shadowrun and a lot more like 40k.