Drilling for oil was recorded as far back as 347 A.D. in China.

American Indians used it to waterproof their canoes, make war paint and medicines.

Drilling for oil in the US is first credited to Colonel Edwin L. Drake, when he drilled for oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859. During this period, oil was used for medicine.(1)

When the internal combustion engine was developed, the demand for petroleum increased.

Everyone dreamed that they would be rich. A television series about a fictional family, the Clampetts, involved them moving from the mountains of Appalachia to Beverly Hills after Jeb struck oil with a single rifle shot. I’ve been to both places, Beverly Hills and the Appalachian mountains, and would prefer the mountains. Oil appeared plentiful. It came from the ground and it was liquid gold. It seemed that there was an oil rig in every back yard. There was one on the hills overlooking my grandparent’s home in Kentucky.

And people were getting rich. The wealth continued even after the wells ran dry in the US. By then, the use of this precious liquid was so intertwined into American society that we couldn’t ,or, more importantly, wouldn’t attempt to convert to a different source of power.

The oil companies set their sights offshore and on protected lands to drill for oil.

As professors and scientists warned that the path that we, as a civilization, were headed was unsustainable, the petroleum industry was gaining ever more political influence and financial strength. Because of their financial strength, they were able to silence the naysayers, purchase scientists willing to sell their soul for a handful of gold, and purchase advertising toting their “benevolent” attitude,

A system of paying off politicians, from the local level to Congress and on to the White House, progressed to the point that it is obscene. Just check  congress.org and see how much money is donated to each member of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It left me sick. How could these congressmen and congresswomen vote in an unbiased fashion when they are showered in donations? Most of these “donations” go to the members of the energy oversight committee. Am I alone in the wilderness questioning?

They are clever. They set us against ourselves. Television and cable moderators on the right and left work to churn up division in the country. It makes us “feel” better hearing that there are others like us. And they create a face for our enemies. I must confess that listening to the broadcasts increases anger in me.

Politicians are encouraged to engage in the game. Why else would they possibly make statements that are assured to enrage the opposition? The only explanation is that they receive campaign donations.

Our current situation stems from the oft quoted, “We just can’t stop using oil. It will take time to adjust, time to change.” This statement has been used over and over and over again and there is no change. When is it the TIME?

An editorial I read the other day stated: What are we supposed to do, stop the economy and find a new way without oil?

My question would be: “Do we continue along the same path and wait until we run out of oil and the watch as the economy stops?”

Time ran out a long time ago.

IT RAN OUT IN THE 1970′s WHEN THE OIL WELLS BEGAN TO RUN DRY IN THE UNITED STATES!

How many times have you heard, “We have to drill in the _____ ?” It could be the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic, the north shores of Alaska and on and on. As if this will stop our dependence on foreign oil. Most of the oil used in the US is foreign, it is from Canada. Yes, Canada.

It is very ugly the way the Canadians are extracting the oil. But that’s subject for another article.

One question I would have to the greedy who continue this cycle, is where in the solar system do you think that you can live after you have made this planet uninhabitable? Do you know something we don’t? Or did you think that the earth could absorb all the waste and damage? How much of the natural resources could you take from our planet without it demanding retribution?

The retribution doesn’t just affect those who greedily profited from the plunder of our Earth, but all of mankind.

The Results:

Weapons of Mass Destruction by Rick Hutton

This morning I saw this cartoon and it sums up the situation in the Gulf of Mexico.

I would like to thank Rick Hotton, cartoonist, for allowing me to post his work. To see more of Rick Hutton’s work visit his website at www.holymolecartoon.com

In Florida and the lower eastern US, the partial eclipse will begin at around 3:00am EDT.  And the greatest eclipse will coincide when the moon is setting at around 5:30 am EDT, creating the effect known as the Moon Illusion.

The Moon Illusion is called this because, as the moon nears the horizon, either rising or setting, it has the horizon and either buildings, trees, hills or some object as a reference point to compare it with, making the moon appear larger.

Because of this affect, the view of the eclipse in the southern regions of the United States will be spectacular, as the moon will exhibit a reddish glow.  This glow is created by the sun’s light passing through earth’s atmosphere, where it is scattered when passing through particles contained in the atmosphere.  The amount of particles that the sun’s light must pass through, determines had red the glow.  With recent volcanic eruptions we have experienced this may well be worth the effort of getting up early.

The next lunar eclipse will be on December 21, 2010.

For more information visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Eclipse website.

After a much desired vacation, well rested and ready for business, our Sun is back to work and the next couple of years may be very exciting ones here on earth.

In a statement from NASA dated June 4 th 2010 from a meeting held in Washington DC:

“The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity.  At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms.  The intersection of these two issues is what we’re getting together to discuss.”

The consensus of the attendees of this meeting was that the economic damage from solar storms could be 20 times the damage done by Hurricane Katrina.   CME (Massive Coronal Mass Ejection or Solar Eruption) striking the earth will  knock out  many, if not all, the high tech systems that we have come to rely on.

Some of these systems would include the satellites, that are responsible for communication and GPS ( Global Positioning System),  financial systems around the world that rely on computers, electrical grids could be shut down.  Society would be plunged back in time a hundred years.

In order to prepare for a solar flare or storm the government relies the expertise of two agencies, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.   NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)  has been tasked with the responsibility of monitoring space weather, with the aid of NASA spacecraft.  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder Colo.   What is really interesting is NOAA’s websites where you can check for updates on space weather,the Space Weather Advisories- Advisory Outlooks website and  Space Weather Now site .

Using NASA spacecraft in orbit around the earth and, STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) which are two spacecraft stationed on opposite sides of the sun to monitor solar activity.

The newest is SDO (the Solar Dynamics Observatory), which photographs solar areas that most active. This allows scientist to study solar eruptions.

ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) sits between the earth and the sun and measures solar wind gusts and radiation storms.  This satellite gives earth a 30 minute warning before it the storm hits the earth.  This satellite is  sometimes called the suicide satellite, because it sits in the path of the storm and will most probably be destroyed in the event of  a massive direct hit from a solar storm.

Solar flares and minor storms are often witnessed as the aurora borealis or northern lights. A massive eruption would trigger a light show around the world.

In 1859 a major solar storm struck the earth.  A storm of  that magnitude  could paralyze the world today.    It was the most powerful solar storm ever recorded.  It is reported that the a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) of 1859, traveled to the earth in 18 hours, normally a trip of three or four days.

At that time the most advanced technology was the telegraph system and it was said that telegraph operators could sent signals without using electrical power usually needed and several were nearly executed.

For an idea what could happen is seen in this video.

DeepWater Horizon and ensuing oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico

Oil is escaping at a rate that has been underreported. Estimates change each time more information is received from surveys conducted at the scene of the leak. It was recently reported that the equivalent of an Exxon Valdes spill is being released into the Gulf of Mexico every four days.

The environmental impact of this is staggering. Reports are coming in of the mounting death toll to sea turtles, dolphins and other aquatic life. Chemicals being used to dissolve the oil are reported to be hazardous to ocean dwelling creatures, adding to the number killed.

As the oil comes ashore, coastal habitats, that are the nesting areas for birds, will be destroyed. Many species of fish lay their eggs in the waters beneath the mangrove trees that line the coast.

Currents circulate water in the Gulf of Mexico southward, which will bring the oil along the coast of Florida and into the Florida Keys. From there, the current flows into the Caribbean Sea. Beaches that are among the most beautiful in the country and the world will feel the effects of this spill for centuries. The gin clear waters of the Florida Keys and the Caribbean Sea will be but a memory. Take lots of pictures, people ,and we can tell our grandchildren about what we lost and how beautiful it was.

Clear water of the Caribean Sea

This is a disaster, not just in terms of the environment, but the economic effect will be a catastrophe. Marine life, if any survive, will be unsafe to eat, impacting the fishing industry. The seafood industry along the Gulf coast will come to screeching halt. Businesses dependent on the seafood industry will also suffer. Marinas, packing houses, distributors and bait shops, to name a few, will close.
All along the Gulf Coast, sport fishing is big business. The list of affected businesses is extensive; charter boat captains will lose clients, the marinas where the charter boat captain docked will be empty, restaurants that fed those clients, hotels where the clients stayed and rental car companies, to name a few.
Tourism is another huge industry along the Gulf Coast. Tourists from around the world and the US come for the white sands and gentle Gulf of Mexico waters. There are already reports of some cancellations in advance of an oil spill strike along the coast.
It is amazing to think that in order to save $500,000, the price of the emergency shutoff device, this could have been avoided.
There are still people talking about continuing to drill, not just in the Gulf of Mexico, but off the coast of northern Alaska.
Proponents of drilling say, but look, everything we use is made from petroleum, food is packaged in plastic, the bags we use at the supermarkets, lawn chairs, drinking cups and list goes on and on. Unfortunately, studies have shown that the use of these containers can be hormonal disruptors.
Yes, everything does appear to be made of oil. We, as humans, have painted ourselves into a corner. Perhaps this event, which highlights the corner into which we have painted ourselves, will be the impetus that sparks the necessary ingenuity for the creation of inventions that lead the change from an oil based society to one utilizing earth friendly products. I have been told that we need to slowly transition away from oil. Right! As long as there is an ounce of oil to be pumped out of the ground, the easier course is to continue along the same destructive path we are now on. Only after an emergency will something be done. Well, I think that emergency has come.
I was asked the other day if I felt that all drilling offshore should stop. My answer is yes. The next question is:” well, what we will substitute to manufacture all these petroleum based products?” I answered honestly, I don’t know. I do know that we have some of the most brilliant minds on the planet in this country and an answer is out there. I also did what I usually do when I don’t know the answer; I looked it up on the internet. Wouldn’t you know it the answer came from a group of people who have for centuries lived a simple life? The The Quakers realize the hazards of petroleum based products and offer alternatives. Check out their website addressing the problem and their solutions here.
As far as the production of electrical power, alternatives already exist. Companies here in the United States are working on wind, solar and my favorite, wave power.
There is hope that the leak in the Gulf can be contained and I hope it can. It is a wakeup call and we must take action now.

Related Blogs

• 5.6-magnitude earthquake hits Cuba, 21st March, 2010 | ParamLowe.com

We’ll also explore advances in alternative energy sources to power our vehicles and other forms of transportation. Energy sources like electric cars, bio-diesels, and the use of algae in creating fuels.