Last minute details on Trump protest, General Strike and new report on projected staggering growth in Permian Basin production from a detailed New Mexican article that outlines the growth and the technology of fracking.
In brief,
Click here for more on the Trump visit TODAY and the General Strike on Friday, including ways in which you can participate and support both. Given the likely presence at the Rio Rancho venue of the Proud Boys, a violent white supremacist organization and given the uncertain nature of what could or could not transpire in Rio Rancho, Retake is advising people to attend the Democratic Party event, 20 miles south of the Rio Rancho venue.
We feel that it is too dangerous to confront Trump at or within the venue. We also feel that it would be highly likely that even an effective, peaceful response to Trump at or within the venue, would be used by Trump, much to his advantage. Life in 21st Century America, where it is extremely dangerous even peacefully expressing your opposition to an elected official.
There is a far more powerful way to safely express your opposition to this regime and to our failed climate policy: General Strike on Friday, Sept 20 in Farmington, Las Cruces, Silver City, ABQ, Taos, and Santa Fe. The link above will take you to information on this event.
Of late, I’ve focused almost exclusively on climate crisis and climate activism. After the General Strike, I plan to return to more balanced reporting. But in truth, as each day passes, it is more and more clear that addressing climate catastrophe is not “an” issue, but “the” issue and so I will be working to develop A Personal Climate Activism Toolkit. I completed the outline yesterday, but it will take a bit of time to flesh it out. If you’d like to help, write to me at paul@retakeourdemocracy.org.
A Meteoric Growth in NM Gas & Oil Production Projected: Good for Revenue, Horrid for the Future
We normally don’t include new material on Monday’s, but with the General Strike coming, this report seemed extraordinarily germane. I’ve been impressed by the Santa Fe New Mexican reportage of Jens Erik Gould and this is one of his best efforts. He very clearly lays out the projected future of fracking in the Permian Basin, the impact on state revenues, and the technology involved in fracking–all very illuminating. But the words “climate change” never appear in the report and there is no reference to the huge draw on our aquifer to frack this oil. Nonetheless, the report is essential background information and should motivate more of you to participate in the Strike on Friday. From the New Mexican:
Not only has New Mexico’s portion given the state unprecedented revenue, the basin as a whole — which also includes a large swath of West Texas — has allowed the U.S. to reduce oil imports and given it geopolitical leverage it never could have imagined.
As the main driver of U.S. oil production growth, the Permian has helped the country become the largest producer in the world. That has allowed the U.S. to stop other countries from buying Iranian crude and impose sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry without the missing supply causing prices to spike higher.
And while oil producers and the media have historically shined a brighter spotlight on the Texas side of the basin, New Mexico’s portion has some geological advantages that can make it even more attractive, leading major oil companies to recently announce large expansion plans in Eddy County. “
So, not only does our oil production fill our state coffers, it enables the US to continue its imperialist behaviors and coerce other countries to bend to our will. Nice.
And later in the article, another quote indicating the trajectory of anticipated growth in production in the Permian Basin.
According to one estimate by commodity investment fund Goehring & Rozencwajg, output in the basin will increase by another 2 million barrels per day and peak around 6.5 million barrels per day in about 10 years.
The CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, an exploration and production company in the Permian, forecast last month that the basin would reach 8 million barrels a day at a “much slower pace” and would not be growing past 2025. “
Either estimate should frighten you. If anyone tries to tell you that NM plays a relatively minor role in the entire geopolitical climate change battle, consider this final quote from the New Mexican.
Welcome to New Mexico’s section of the Permian Basin, a region so prolific that if the area itself were its own nation, it would be a larger oil producer than every OPEC nation except Saudi Arabia and Iraq. ”
Click here to read the full report. It is really worth your review and worth your keeping handy, as it has a good deal of information about the volume of drilling in the Permian Basin, how the industry projects vast growth in production, and a very good description of the technologies involved in the extraction process. What it doesn’t include are the words “climate change,” not once, or any other reference to the impact that this growth in production is having on the planet or our future.
A Look Back
Last week was dominated by climate action news, with one of our most reviewed posts, Why We All Must Strike, setting the tone. We followed with an analysis of the moral side of the climate crisis and Trump’s commentary about slamming the door on those seeking refuge from the Bahamas, the “really bad people,” once again.
I always recommend which of last week’s post would be most important to review. The choice is easy this week: I recommend Sunday’s post at the bottom of the page, as it offers incredibly motivating video from Greta and some thoughts on what taking climate crisis like a crisis might look like. Two readers wrote to say it was the best Retake post we’ve done, so check it out.
I’d also recommend reviewing the Saturday post as even if you don’t read the two articles from Franzen and Letzer, the excerpts will give you an excellent idea of the point and counterpoint at play and the thinking behind two authors who share the same perspective as to our chances of avoiding a 2 degree rise in celsius, but then from that starting point, arrive at two very different conclusions as to the best course of action. Excellent reporting.
Why We ALL Must Strike on Sept. 20
Tuesday, Sept. 10. The youth planning the Santa Fe General Strike are serious. They have planned a powerful General Strike action at the Roundhouse on the 20th and last Tuesday, I shared my thoughts on why we all should join them. Also included was an excellent livestream featuring Naomi Klein, Greta Thornberg and youth leaders Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Xiye Bastida, and Vic Barrett, as well as Indigenous Amazon leader Tuntiak Katan, Talk about a stirring group. Below that, just to inspire you, you will find the most motivating six minutes of video I have ever seen, Valarie Kaur exhorting you to push. Both links are live, so if you missed them, you can see them now.
Click here to read the post covering Why We Must All Strike.
The Moral Side to Climate Change
Thursday, September 12. The value in this short post is the link to the excellent Truthout interview with Marit Hammond a lecturer in environmental politics at Keele University in the U.K.. Hammond outlines what climate justice and energy democracy could look like. Hammond outlines why we must pursue democratizing energy and some of the principles that need to be captured in a vision of a sustainable future. She closes with her recommendations as to how best to advance that vision and achieve the scale of change required.
Click here to read the post to get to the links to the articles on the moral element to climate change and Trump’s immoral rejection of refugees from the Bahamas.
Your Weekend Reading: A Most Important Climate Debate
Saturday, Sept. 14. The post includes excerpts from a New Yorker article by Jonathon Franzen in which he outlines his view that the 2 degree Celsius increase in temperature is baked into our future and that rather than investing all our resources in trying to prevent what is inevitable, he feels the more important investment is in the infrastructure necessary to cope with what he views as an inevitable societal and environmental collapse. Many people have told me that this article best captures where we stand in relation to the spawning climate crisis.
But as the second article in the post illustrates, opinion is very divided on this most controversial perspective. Eric Letzer largely agrees with Franzen’s conclusions that the two degree Celsius rise is inevitable, but that societal collapse comes in degrees and every action we can take now can mitigate the harm done. Together, the two articles represent a very important debate that is well worth your review. Click here to review this post.
Greta On Video with Richard Attenborough and Amy Goodman
Sunday, Sept. 15. We offer a Greta-inspired plea followed by three powerful videos, first a montage of spliced talks by Greta & Richard Attenborough, followed by two from last week’s Greta interviews with Amy Goodman. The purity and clarity of her message is astonishing for someone barely 16.
By way of introduction to the video, I indicate that collectively the three ask for all of us to ramp up our game, to treat the climate crisis as a crisis. We tend to look to our national leaders, our nations and our states to show leadership here, but since that is not transpiring and since so many Americans do not see the climate crisis as an emergency, this post begins outlining what treating climate change “like a crisis” might look like for you and I. Click here to read the full post and to view the powerful videos included.
Deeply troubling times, my friends.
In solidarity, Paul & Roxanne
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“But in truth, as each day passes, it is more and more clear that addressing climate catastrophe is not “an” issue, but “the” issue.” YES