Oil lays waste to the West

[ColbertWatcher]

These acts of greed would come at the expense of a geography so stark and arresting that it renders one mute. The hands of erosion cut windows in sandstone; a spire, an arch or a natural bridge framing a sunset. The curvature of the Earth is not only seen but felt. Burnished and bronzed through time, this geologic architecture has inspired our American character, where self-reliance is predicated on humility, not arrogance

Inherent in these wild lands is an intact ecosystem and ecological resiliency in the face of climate change -- plant and animal diversity, functioning watersheds and soil conservation. This natural wealth is in stark contrast to the negligible resources the oil companies want to extract: The federal Energy Information Administration says that Utah holds less than 1% of the United States' known oil reserves.

The BLM has been forced to curtail the Dec. 19 lease sale, but 275,000 acres are still slated for the auction block, and the new management plans are still in place. "Deferred" leases can just keep appearing on quarterly sales for decades, and the fight over Utah's wild lands will go on unless we, the people, act. We should see to it that Congress passes America's Redrock Wilderness Act in 2009. It would once and for all put 9.4 million acres of Utah redrock wilderness in reserve, where it belongs.

The last-minute land grab in Utah's spectacular desert must be seen for what it is: not a boon for business but a bankruptcy of the imagination. What is actually being sold is the soul of a nation, one public parcel at a time.

--Los Angeles Times

The author of the opinion piece published by the LA Times Terry Tempest Williams wrote a book called http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Finding-Beauty-in-a-Broken-World/Terry-Tempest-Williams/e/9780375420788/?itm=1">Finding Beauty in a Broken World (Barnes & Noble)

[ccharles000]

1. K&R

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Thank you ccharles! n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I had a thread about this author the other day too...

It's such an important topic; I don't know why these threads don't do better...

K&R

[ColbertWatcher]

6. I'm running a little late with my news. This might be the same article!

Why threads do well is a matter of timing!

[dbmk]

4. K&R

[Kitty Herder]

5. Thanks for posting this, ColbertWatcher.

This issue is close to my heart.

[ColbertWatcher]

7. You're welcome. n/t

[Froward69]

8. Funny story...

One of my tenants Boyfriends was a wildcatter. he had been busy busy busy working in Utah almost did not get to vote. (cept when he told his boss he wanted to vote for McCain, and he did.)

Last week he was around and we started chatting whilst I was hanging plastic inside the hallway windows...
I jokingly told him his boss would not appreciate me putting plastic up as it saved energy... after explaining how. the subject turned to his work and "Drill,drill,drill," My argument Started with why to not drill based upon strategic considerations. the amount and how we would run out faster than his bosses rhetoric. then moved on to the beauty of the region. and our nations collective soul...

the only argument of his I could not counter was his employment... as it turned out his drilling job sights were suddenly all closed and although he was still employed had no work as because of the BLM suddenly backtracking.

we went into his GF's apartment fired up her computer and got him an on line application to one of the turbine manufacturing plants springing up around here.

guess what.

yesterday he announced he will be starting work in Jan. At a new Job Drilling foundation Pylons for the new plant (with a different company) and the job may morph into building the generators for the turbines once they get up to speed as he has a electrical journeyman's license.

he actually thanked me for not harping on the environment (in fact it was not part of my argument.) and he apologized to me for voting McCain. I told him i could care less for who he voted for, as this is America I only cared Before the election. however if he felt he needed to be punished he should ask his GF for the spanking... she blushed he laughed out loud and so did I.
So he was giving two weeks notice to get paid!!
He is still in the energy production field...
But Now will start a new career working to produce CLEAN energy.

she is thrilled and now proud of him.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. I want to kick and rec your story. Would you mind reposting this as its own thread? n/t

[Egnever]

10. Wow you rock!

Great story.

[Cha]

11. Brilliant! Thanks for

steering him towards Clean Energy!