While I absolutely agree demand reduction is vital, but you are missing one key point: the fossil fuel industry is fighting demand-side reductions every step of the way. They do this in the US with pre-emption laws preventing cities from banning new gas hook-ups, they do this with things like Aramco's recent plan to hook Africa …
While I absolutely agree demand reduction is vital, but you are missing one key point: the fossil fuel industry is fighting demand-side reductions every step of the way. They do this in the US with pre-emption laws preventing cities from banning new gas hook-ups, they do this with things like Aramco's recent plan to hook Africa on oil (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/27/revealed-saudi-arabia-plan-poor-countries-oil), and many other ways besides. By not mentioning this it feels like you are somewhat letting the oil and gas companies of the hook, though I am sure that is not your intention.
While we shouldn't buy what they are selling, attacking oil and gas companies for their actions in trying to kill us all is essential. The IEA concluded in 2021 that there was no need for any new fossil fuel extraction globally; we should listen and end all new oil and gas licensing, Insulate building, install heat pumps, enable active transport and public transport etc. It is time to just stop oil.
Yes, I am certainly getting a lot of pushback on this. But I always thought it was so easy to blame the oil companies as we go out and buy our SUVs and plane flights.
You are right, Lloyd, in that the Left always needs a scapegoat or bogeyman with which to lay blame. It's always a need to create a crisis strawman. And with oil companies, if it weren't for the DEMAND of people to live more modern, more comfortable, less stressful, and less worrisome lives, they wouldn't exist.
Yet they get blamed.
So Gosse, if the majority of the masses reject your call to lessen their demand for cheap, available, and "instant on" energy in all things, how are you going to persuade them to give up the benefits of modern life? Does your bag of marketing tricks/strategies have the tools to do that?
I agree it is a hard balance to strike! Personally, I don't think blaming oil companies and objecting to SUVs and flights are mutually exclusive.
I agree with your article that we should try and fight oil demand; I just think that will require dealing with the role oil companies play in artificially raising that demand.
In any case, thank you so much for actually reading my comment and replying; I've been reading your stuff for years and I've learned a lot from it, thank you so much for continuing here on substack.
"I agree with your article that we should try and fight oil demand; I just think that will require dealing with the role oil companies play in artificially raising that demand."
So what, exactly, does "dealing with the role oil companies play in 'artificially' raising demand" look like? Do you want to ban them from drilling new wells? Or perhaps prevent them from laying new pipelines to refineries? TreeHuggers have, for years, complained that oil companies are raking in tens of billions of dollars in profit at the expense of the planet; are you saying gas is TOO expensive and a reduction in the price of gas would help reduce their profitability and potentially put some of them out of business?
What, precisely, is the enforcement arm of demand-reduction going to look like in your idealised world?
If I could hold my breath for as long as I've waited for certain peoples back on TreeHugger to provide me with an appropriate, well-researched, logical response, I'd be able to survive underwater for weeks at a time on nothing but the oxygen in my lungs held in one breath.
Why the hell do you need your government BANNING a legal, safe consumer product in order to achieve demand-side reduction? That's not just asinine, it's tyrannical. You want the government to dictate every minutiae of your life as well, from the number of grams of meat you eat to how many kilometers you drive or how many flights IN A LIFETIME you can take? Go live in North Korea or China then—freedom is not compatible with what you're demanding!
Hi Lloyd,
While I absolutely agree demand reduction is vital, but you are missing one key point: the fossil fuel industry is fighting demand-side reductions every step of the way. They do this in the US with pre-emption laws preventing cities from banning new gas hook-ups, they do this with things like Aramco's recent plan to hook Africa on oil (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/27/revealed-saudi-arabia-plan-poor-countries-oil), and many other ways besides. By not mentioning this it feels like you are somewhat letting the oil and gas companies of the hook, though I am sure that is not your intention.
While we shouldn't buy what they are selling, attacking oil and gas companies for their actions in trying to kill us all is essential. The IEA concluded in 2021 that there was no need for any new fossil fuel extraction globally; we should listen and end all new oil and gas licensing, Insulate building, install heat pumps, enable active transport and public transport etc. It is time to just stop oil.
Yes, I am certainly getting a lot of pushback on this. But I always thought it was so easy to blame the oil companies as we go out and buy our SUVs and plane flights.
You are right, Lloyd, in that the Left always needs a scapegoat or bogeyman with which to lay blame. It's always a need to create a crisis strawman. And with oil companies, if it weren't for the DEMAND of people to live more modern, more comfortable, less stressful, and less worrisome lives, they wouldn't exist.
Yet they get blamed.
So Gosse, if the majority of the masses reject your call to lessen their demand for cheap, available, and "instant on" energy in all things, how are you going to persuade them to give up the benefits of modern life? Does your bag of marketing tricks/strategies have the tools to do that?
I agree it is a hard balance to strike! Personally, I don't think blaming oil companies and objecting to SUVs and flights are mutually exclusive.
I agree with your article that we should try and fight oil demand; I just think that will require dealing with the role oil companies play in artificially raising that demand.
In any case, thank you so much for actually reading my comment and replying; I've been reading your stuff for years and I've learned a lot from it, thank you so much for continuing here on substack.
"...that we should try and fight oil demand..."
So what is your remedy/remedies to do that? Specifics, please.
"I agree with your article that we should try and fight oil demand; I just think that will require dealing with the role oil companies play in artificially raising that demand."
So what, exactly, does "dealing with the role oil companies play in 'artificially' raising demand" look like? Do you want to ban them from drilling new wells? Or perhaps prevent them from laying new pipelines to refineries? TreeHuggers have, for years, complained that oil companies are raking in tens of billions of dollars in profit at the expense of the planet; are you saying gas is TOO expensive and a reduction in the price of gas would help reduce their profitability and potentially put some of them out of business?
What, precisely, is the enforcement arm of demand-reduction going to look like in your idealised world?
I hope you're not holding your breath on this one, VB...
If I could hold my breath for as long as I've waited for certain peoples back on TreeHugger to provide me with an appropriate, well-researched, logical response, I'd be able to survive underwater for weeks at a time on nothing but the oxygen in my lungs held in one breath.
Why the hell do you need your government BANNING a legal, safe consumer product in order to achieve demand-side reduction? That's not just asinine, it's tyrannical. You want the government to dictate every minutiae of your life as well, from the number of grams of meat you eat to how many kilometers you drive or how many flights IN A LIFETIME you can take? Go live in North Korea or China then—freedom is not compatible with what you're demanding!