[Mpls] "Fantasy-based politics vs. Real-world policy: natural gas prices double last year's rate

[Gary Hoover]

Bloomberg has a reasonably good article about the impacts of Katrina. Our 
candidates for local office and our local citizenry need to be aware of 
this.  Natural gas prices are double last year's prices, and are likely to 
rise from there.  Gas prices will likely exceed $3/gallon and may approach 
$4/gallon at times.

It is not likely that GOM oil, natural gas, or refinery production will be 
restored for months -- possibly stretching into over a year.

Matt Simmons (Houston-based energy banker, author of "Twilight In the 
Desert") was quoted on Bloomberg radio the other day as noting that Katrina 
is "The trigger event that will drive energy prices way, way higher."  We 
will not "catch up" in terms of energy production or economics without 
initiating sustainable energy policies at every level of organization.

The other day, NPR's midmorning interviewed a key scientist on energy issues 
who stated (again) that "end-use efficiency" (or conservation) was the most 
beneficial and vital strategy to pursue.  He also noted that transportation 
is the most wasteful sector of energy consumption in the USA.  It is the 
"800-pound gorilla sitting in the middle of the living room."

Bloomberg's article mentions that given another disruption in another part 
of the world oil could easily exceed $100.00/barrel and with limited 
refinery capacity gas could go up....to $5+ dollars, as I recall.  The 
article is here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aVwIS5Giw0JM&refer=us

Implications for Minneapolis:

1.  The stadiums we've been talking about building are likely to double or 
triple in cost to build and operate.  Just keep that in mind as you go into 
the voting booth, folks.

2.  We are so behind in terms of building sustainable urban infrastructure 
in Minneapolis and the surrounding metro that we will be hit especially hard 
by abrupt changes.  (These abrupt changes will be a part of our lives for 
years to come -- anyone with a high school reading comprehension level and 
access to public information related to energy issues can look over the 
relevant info and see that.)  We need to focus on building sustainable urban 
infrastructure.  Every available dollar needs to be diverted to that process 
now.  The longer we wait, the more painful and expensive the task will 
become.

3.  We desperately need a new political vision for Minneapolis, and we need 
new and courageous political leadership.  The DFL refuses to engage the real 
world we are in, and continues to coddle the Minneapolis DFL "base" by 
championing a fantasy vision which urges people to feel as though we can 
disappear into Minneapolis cocoon our far from the  harsh realities of the 
larger world.

We need to vote leaders into office who will speak frankly and clearly about 
the changes which will best prepare us for the future.  The DFL is clearly 
not interested in that.  I doubt that the DFL is flexible or responsive 
enough to acknowledge a "reality" outside of petty parochial concerns.  Will 
the Greens and other independent political leaders be given a chance, or 
will the DFL monopoly continue?

-- pedaling off to my next job, from Lynnhurst for now -- Gary Hoover