Drill, Baby, Drill?

I watched the Republican National Convention and I'm still in shock and awe.
Shocked that so many people are in agreement with Senator McCain and Gov. Palin and in awe of how they all seem to have forgotten what condition the last eight years have left this great nation in.

I was most concerned when former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani led convention goers in their 'Drill, baby, drill' chant. I couldn't help but think how similar it sounded like, "Kill, kill, kill," from The Gladiator scene in the Roman Colosseum where the spectators were calling for blood.

For years, this nation's leadership said we are far too reliant on foreign oil, but has done little to become independent of it - be it the powerful oil industry or just plain stupidity. When I think of the oil industry, I can't help but think of Daniel Day Lewis and his Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar award for his portrayal of an 'Oil man' in There Will Be Blood.
So, by the portrayal, would it be a fair conclusion to say, oil men will lie, cheat, steal and kill for their product? Or would the conservative in me say, do what you have to to feed your family and live well.

Hmmm.
Just the other day, I went for a walk in a Sacramento park well off the beaten path. I saw spiderwebs laid and untouched for - by the looks of them - for quite some time, rabbits and an owl. As I walked, I noticed many natural aromas: sage, pine, eucalyptus, and I wondered what this land would have smelled like when it was 'natural.' While Wandering through off-the beaten-paths in Hawai'i, I encounter such rich, musky aromas, it would have made Glade jealous.
In our modern world, people usually don't normally remember a city by its smell unless it really smells bad. But rather, they usually have no smell to them at all.

Cities are great and I am in no way in favor of going backward, but a dose of common sense is a good thing.
That is what was a bit disturbing about the RNC 2008.
By what I witnessed, I had to guess they think global warming is still just an aberration. Yes, we use most of the world's oil production, and we may never stop extracting it from the Earth, but I believe it has to be done with more common sense - something taht seemed to be absent for the vote at the RNC.

Another disturbing example of our human impact on our environment are the disturbing amount of dead zones in massive bodies of water that are in and aound our great nation - not to mention the amount of trash set adrift throughout our oceans.

Alternatives? As long as we don't block it out with smog, there will always be sunlight. And as long as there's an atmosphere, there will be wind.

Another thing I'm not getting is the true difference between 'Liberal' and 'Conservative' and why being liberal is looked on as something evil by conservatives. From watching the convention, I could only surmise that to be conservative takes an active ability to forget what is happening around you, the nation and the world and believe that there is no repercussion to economic, political and environmental actions.

I look to the near collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for an indication. The CEOs of each company are getting seven-figure severance packages for sunning the companies into the ground.
Or Enron. Yes, the courts ordered them to pay billions in compensation, but how much of it will ever trickle down to the thousands who lost their jobs and pensions.

So, here we are again. A few months to presidential election and the nation is about to make a choice. If it's the same old rhetoric, that would be such a waste. If it's truly a time for change, I pray we Americans make the right choice, rather than riding the shifting tides and air currents.

There was plenty of wind circulating the RNC - too bad they were unwilling to harness it.