Shot in the Dark

Greasy 

The Strib reports on the weekends “tar sands resistance” protests.

Thousands of progressives swarmed the streets, and DFL scientific and economic illiteracy was on full display…

… But I repeat myself:

Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, said many frame pipelines as a safer alternative to oil-carrying trains but that it shouldn’t be a choice between the two.

“Pipelines leak and explode and so do trains. The choice is: Are we going to continue our dependence on oil or get serious about conserving?” said Hornstein, who called the debate a symptom of “America’s gluttonous appetite for oil. The science is in, the data is screaming at us. And what goes on inside here,” he said pointing to the Capitol, “is unfortunately not helping.”

Let’s ignore the whole “data is screaming at us” bit – I’m sure something is screaming at them, but it sure isn’t data.

I have a question for representative Hornstein, on the chance that he actually answers questions from plebeians: the road to a petroleum free future is paved with prosperity. Without prosperity, there can be no innovation.

So, representative Hornstein – can you name any societies that have ever conserved their way to productive prosperity?

And Jack Tomczak caught this one on Facebook:

Demonstrators at Saturday’s march varied in age and demographics and included protesters from out of state. Megabuses brought in several hundred from Wisconsin to participate, while the Madison chapter of 350.org drove five hours to stand in solidarity with locals.

Help me out here – are Megabusas powered by sails? Or are they hydroelectric?

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11 responses to “Greasy ”

  1. Mr. D Avatar
    Mr. D

    Help me out here – are Megabuses powered by sails? Or are they hydroelectric?

    Given the passengers and where they embarked from, I strongly suspect that the fuel used was methane.

  2. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Pipelines explode? I’m going to suggest that Mr. Hornstein talk with any firefighter or health education teacher in the world to understand that the nature of a pipeline–excluding air–also excludes the possibility that the fuel within will explode.

    It’s also worth noting that, ahem, transit burns about the same amount of fuel–25 passenger-miles per gallon of diesel–as does driving. Again, “environmentalist” too often means “person who cannot do math or science”.

  3. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    If people didn’t heat their homes and workplaces in winter, society would conserve natural gas. If they didn’t use electric lights, refrigerators, microwave ovens or computers, we’d use less electricity. If people didn’t use petroleum to get to work but walked instead, we’d have save the planet from greenhouse gasses.

    You go first. Check back with me in a year, let me know how that’s worked out for you.

  4. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    This is also a good time to remind Minneapolis drivers that every drop of gasoline purchased in the city comes from that stinky oil refinery on Highway 52, on the way to Rochester. But Minnesota has no oil fields, no derricks, no drilling platforms, no oil well pumps: where does the refinery get the crude oil to refine into gasoline?

    The crude oil comes out of a pipeline that runs North to Clearbrook, then West through North Dakota to Montana. There’s also a branch that runs farther North to the Canadian oil sands. Thousands of miles of pipeline bring the oil to be made into the gas you burn every day, and have been bringing it for years (I know the North Dakota line has been around since 1981 because we dumped into it at Williston when I worked out of Killdeer).

    The oil pipeline works so smoothly, so seamlessly, that you protesters don’t even realize it’s been the essential backdrop to Twin Cities economic development pretty much your entire life. NOW you’re against it? Idiots.

  5. swiftee Avatar
    swiftee

    The Indian tribes out there speaking for Gaia have a clue what it takes to survive a Minnesota winter squatting over dung fires, wearing loincloths in their teepees. Not sure they really want to go back to that, but they could if they had to, I guess.

    But I’d bet my next paycheck the unwashed, professionally outraged mob that glided into town on the Megabus don’t know what they’re asking for. I’m damn sure Hakim X Ellison doesn’t.

    I’d have given the Madison chapter of 350.org big ups had they walked for a week, instead of driving five hours to stand in solidarity with local dimwits. It was their big chance, and they blew it…I’m counting on Emery to cut and paste an explanation.

  6. Just a mom Avatar
    Just a mom

    Pixie dust populism is, sadly, an ascendent ideology.

  7. J. Ewing Avatar
    J. Ewing

    I know, it is a never-ending battle to try to make sense out of these environmentalist wackos. You would think at some point we would simply conclude they’re totally Looney Tunes and will never be caught using facts, logic, or the laws of the universe that we inhabit.

    These yo-yo’s actually think that if the pipeline isn’t built that the oil will not be burned by somebody, somewhere, thus saving the planet from non-existent global warming? They’re certifiable.

  8. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    This is also a good time to remind Minneapolis drivers that every drop of gasoline purchased in the city comes from that stinky oil refinery on Highway 52

    There is also another pipeline direct from there to the 4 X 1M gallon tanks on the south east corner of the airport. If they got rid of that, Dear Leader couldn’t make his once-per-term fundraising stop here in MN.

  9. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    Oh, I think that the environmentalist leadership knows exactly what they want.
    Power over how others live their lives. And they are on track to get it.

  10. nerdbert Avatar
    nerdbert

    Joe, do you have something against the Northern Tier refinery in St. Paul Park or did you just forget that they also help propel Minnesota? If you buy at SuperAmerica, you’re getting gas from them.

  11. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    Good catch, Nerdbert. You’re right, I knew there were two refineries but forgot to mention it in my comment. And I should have, as it makes the point even better – BOTH refineries get oil from pipelines, not from unicorns and fairy dust.

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