WESTON, W.Va. – “Drill Baby Drill.”
That is probably the only thing Americans agree upon in response to the wars in Europe and the Middle East. In short, keep the gasoline flowing.
Americans clearly disagree on the causes of the current wars and how we should respond. Yet, we do agree that no matter what, it must be “Business as Usual.” We must keep those fossil fuels flowing despite the fact that their extraction and use is leading to rapid climate change that is already making some of the planet uninhabitable, and will only get worse, especially as wars rage around the globe.
Where’s the evidence? From Politico, “ … the financial services firm Macquarie Group said in a note to their clients Monday that it doesn’t expect Biden to tighten curbs on Iranian oil shipments.” The note states, “In our assessment, the Biden administration’s policy approach has been to limit oil supply disruptions, regardless of the situation.” It concluded, “Given that policy objectives did not target Russian oil flows even at the height of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we do not expect Iranian oil exports to be constrained either.”
Also from that article, “House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) had an answer for how to stem any price rise: ‘We need to drill more here.’”
I disagree. That’s not a good plan and I wrote so in my book, “Fractured Sanctuary: A Chronicle of Grassroots Activists Fighting Pipelines of Destruction in Appalachia.” The book is about natural gas fracking and related pipeline and infrastructure development. While not about oil, the extraction of coal, oil, timber and gas is commonplace across Central Appalachia and has been since the end of the Civil War.
Yet, since I am calling for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels, I needed to set the table with some Key Assumptions. They are:
- Change begins with us. We must change our consumption habits. Consumption/materialism is a root cause for ongoing and increased demand for fossil fuels. Until we all adjust our behavior to more sustainable lifestyles, all other efforts are undermined.
- There is little evidence of a willingness – at least within the United States – to reduce consumption.
- The war in Europe is creating an energy crisis that means pipeline construction may get a new look to mitigate the human crisis the war is causing. (The book was published in February of this year, so I now add Israel to this third Key Assumption).
Indeed, the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), which is the major corporate player in the book, was fast-tracked this past summer. Based on America’s energy consumption habits, the vote was in line with the wishes of most Americans.
Long Story Short: Whatever Americans say about the two very ominous wars going on at the moment, it is our behavior that is like a bullhorn to Congress and the world: Whatever else happens, do not disrupt Business as Usual. So, “Drill Baby Drill.”
© Michael M. Barrick, 2023. Drilling photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash.
The Appalachian Chronicle 
I completely agree with your sentiments. Conservation must be part of the discussion, but Americans have a mindset that they are privileged and ought to have access to all the energy they want to waste and at an affordable price. The proliferation of large pickup trucks carrying momma and kiddo to school each morning and afternoon, while big old yellow buses are running with about three kids in them, reflects the insanity of what we’re doing here. The waste is sickening. We are endangering the future of our children and grandchildren for the “pleasure” of sucking up and wasting oil. Then there’s the waste of natural gas at the wellhead and in the final product, plastics. The Monaco, Pa., Shell plant uses the output of 120 fracking wells in Appalachia to produce stuff that will end up in landfills and oceans. Plastics. We are wasting our precious resources for plastic packaging of stuff we probably don’t need. All because we are Americans and have a God-given right to waste and consume as much as the credit card company will finance. So sad. No hope in sight.