Why not use our National Oil Reserve Now?

Why not use our National Oil Reserve Now?

© April 26, 2011

Richard O. Harris

Perhaps I am confused, yet it seems to me less than a year or two ago (during the Gulf Oil Spill) there was a great deal of talk about using the National Oil Reserve to relieve prices at the pumps.  As stated on the site: http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/spr/spr-drawdown.html “The Strategic Petroleum Oil Reserve exists, first and foremost, as an emergency response tool the President can use should the United States be confronted with an economically-threatening disruption in oil supplies.”  We are currently experiencing (not just seeing) $4 and $5 a gallon prices for gasoline at the pumps due to interruptions of oil supplies because of unrest in the mid-east (mainly OPEC countries).

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/04/23/video-how-high-gas-prices-will-impact-the-economy-this-easter/ reports Barack Obama is “taking action”? Er, not really. He’s calling a task force together to look for abuse, which will do exactly nothing to lower gasoline prices. We need to expand domestic production and refining capacity in order to address the fundamentals of the instability of the fuel market. Until we do, we will continue to see prices fluctuate based on political unrest in producing countries, greater demand from developing industrial nations like China and India, and the lack of will to find our own resources and keep our own dollars in our own economy. 

Still, not a single news cast or report I have heard mentions using this readily available resource to assist in our current crisis.  Drilling, fracking, new energy sources I support with all of my being.  Still, common sense tells me these will take time to develop, time we as a nation may not have thanks to the decline of America Obama has already caused (impeach this man for unilaterally invovling the U. S. in the Libyan war, which is not a Presidential prerogative.)

Seniors helping Seniors an Integration of Generations

Targeting: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate, and The U.S. House of Representatives

Started by: Rick Harris

Integration of Generations to Continue Our Advancement as a Global Leader

Greetings,

I ask simply that you read the short petition and understand the potential it has to assist our country in it's ongoing efforts to remain independent. I am not demanding the examples I used be instituted but have placed them there to generate potential ideas from others seeking solutions to the same issues. I was fortunate and have had a great life experience even though I never expected to be totally disabled by the age of 50 and I would love to see our communities' return to a more peaceful time when young and old respected and cherished each other.

Our First Lady has even recognized the need for better nutrition in our schools and the President has admitted to needing cuts in our Seniors Programs. We can make a difference working together and remembering our own childhood experiences. Our time and resources are better utilized by removing the walls that separate our children and our elders.

It is with great respect I submit this idea knowing it can be used without an increase in costs to our government. I will continue to do all I can though the political processes make my efforts difficult as the usual response is a robot email. I can only trust this reaches someone who can shape it into a more workable solution for our country

With the rising cost of food and the increasing need to cut budgets for both high schools and senior citizens, it is time we take advantage of all our resources, including each other.  Our First Lady is calling for better nutrition programs even now and we are allowing a generation of citizens to die without a chance of sharing their knowledge and influence.  Additionally, our high school drop out rates continue to rise and seem to match the rise in the communities rate of violence.

We have an opportunity never before presented in our history to create an integration of generations that can help alleviate some of these issues.  For instance, volunteers from our Senior Citizens can be called upon or even given an incentive with part-time jobs to help local area schools start a garden and learn how to grow the vegetables for their own cafeterias and Senior Citizen "Meals on Wheels" programs.  This type of "life experience" could be used in place of a science project for the student and give them something to look forward to instead of a book and a classroom.

With an ever increasing elderly population, we can take this time to avoid losing their knowledge of a time when rotary phones and washing machines were the latest "high tech" items to be found.  Only 52 years old, I have been fortunate enough to know 7 generations of my family, beginning with my maternal great-grandmother who helped me learn self sufficiency and sustainability.  What happens in just the next 10 years when that generation has died out and taken their experiences with them?

Another example could be the pairing of a student with a Senior Citizen in a Grandma/pa & Grandson/daughter program much like the Big Brothers & Sisters program we have now.  The student could be assigned to write the life story of his/her "Grandparent" as part of a Social Studies assignment, again getting them out of the classroom and learning about their own heritage.  In turn, the "Grandparent" could visit the student's class for an ask and answer session to help reduce their fear of the children in the community and their increasing isolation from our society.

Let's not make the mistake of letting one of the most valuable resources availabe to us, our Senior Citizens, die out taking all their knowledge and experience with them.  Let's not make the mistake of letting our future leaders, today's students, forget or never know the vast amount of advancement our society has made in the last century or half century.  Let's combine these elements to assist and continue advancing our country's "melting pot" so we can provide more for all with less expenditure..

The Gulf Oil Spill

The Gulf Oil Spill - What Has Not Been Said (one man's observations)

© June 5, 2010

Richard O Harris

Once again, I begin a subject many will find disagreeable at best. It is certainly not my desire to cause unrest or argument, simply honest reflection. I am compelled to share some of my observations regarding this catastrophe that seem to be continually overlooked and unreported (or is it deliberate misdirection by our government once again?).

No doubt, this is a new and unique event in our history. A history which continues even now to search for ways to decrease the dependency of our nation for any one product on other nations. Realistically, some dependencies will always remain because of the nature of hydraulic despotism.

As has been seen all over the news and other media, BP has been daily pro-active toward finding a solution to the problems without point fingers or blame at others. The other two companies involved have yet to even a single public statement or own their portion of responsibility. I wonder as I watch the daily news if either of the two companies have even been contacted or is the media once again targeting a single corporation simply because of its national and global reputation.

Additionally, no one has yet to come forward and mention those who passed the laws and granted the permits allowing deep sea drilling (namely our government representatives and organizations). Nor have any of these individuals or groups come forward to own their share of responsibility and offer aid in this time of crisis. In fact, it was President Obama himself who not long ago approved offshore drilling off Florida's East Coast (the Atlantic Ocean) and his 6 month moratorium creeps slowly by without any mention from him or others.

Many groups have begun movements to boycott BP businesses due to this crisis not realizing they are not hurting BP since these businesses are privately owned. Instead, their boycott(s) are only causing hardship for people, like themselves, who are unfortunate enough to become a target because of a product they sell or the producers actions. To me, it makes no sense, it is a bunch of people who are losing their businesses and becoming unemployed trying to put another bunch of people at risk of losing their businesses and becoming unemployed without making any impact on those responsible.

These are just a few of my observations as I watch the developments and try to hear what is "not" being said. President Obama can claim outrage over this incident and, no doubt, sincerely so. Yet, what happens when his six month moratorium for offshore drilling on Florida's East Coast ends? No one knows, do they?