Have you noticed that many of our farmers and ranchers are under attack? No, they’re not being shot at.
But farmers are blamed for using Roundup and other chemicals. Raising beef animals and feeding them grain. Locking hens in tiny cages. Growing genetically modified crops. Making people fat. And China and Mother Nature both took aim at Midwest corn and soybean growers.
Our Energy producers look at farmers and say, “Yes, but people still eat three meals a day. They want to completely stop using our oil, gas and coal.”
I guess they are both targeted. Environmentalists want imitation beef made out of plants to replace real beef (Isn’t it also made out of plants, mainly grass and a little corn?) and electricity from wind and solar instead of fossil fuels and nuclear.
The Democrats running for President are leading the pack against fossil fuel. Has any candidate bragged about the value to our economy of low cost natural gas and oil? Ten candidates were on CNN one night for seven hours straight. Did anyone utter even a hint of a compliment for our most abundant energy sources?
The next debate is this week (September 12) with ten candidates for 3 hours. I hope a moderator will ask each candidate this question: What will be the role of fossil fuels in the 4 or 8 years of your Administration? And if you plan to ban fossil fuels, will they be banned by November 2024? Or 2028?
Although natural gas is the cleanest burning and least costly of our fuels most candidates want to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracing). I’m guessing they never heard of horizontal drilling or they would be against that too.
Can you imagine a candidate in the mid to late 1800s saying, “Replacing whale oil, which is a natural biological product from our endless oceans, with dirty black crude oil from in the ground is an abomination?” Or, “Why would anyone throw out a candle with a warm glow that depends only on a match to start it in preference to a new-fangled incandescent bulb that needs a constant supply of high voltage through a dangerous mangle of wires that can shock you?”
Back to 2019. It seems that by 2024, or 2028 at the latest, we’ll be eating Mung bean burgers grilled over a solar fire. But what if the sun don’t shine? I hear that Hormel is getting into the fake meat business so the backup plan is to open a can of fake Spam.
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“There is not a better day in the world to be spent than with a lot of wise old cowmen around barbecued beef, black coffee and good ‘free holy’ beans.” DT #2430, May 17, 1934
“The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” WA #57, Jan. 13, 1924
“What has the poor farmer done against the Almighty and the Republican administration [Democrat candidates?] that he should deserve all this?
If it’s not the heat, it’s the deep snow.
If it’s not the drought, it’s the floods.
If it’s not the boll weevil, it’s the tariff.
If it’s not the cinch bugs, it’s the Federal Reserve.
If it’s not relief he needs, why, it’s rain.” DT #1258 Aug. 6, 1930
“Just flew over Oklahoma City where they have struck the big oil wells right in town. They are going to move the Capitol buildings to put in wells.” DT #985, Sept. 22, 1929