An open letter to virtue signalers
Like for COVID and parallel for climate change views, personal responsibility is the only lever NO ONE wants to pull
Dear Ukraine Virtue Signalers on Social Media,
Nice meme. Really powerful. Oh? You've been crying tears for the poor children? Your heart breaks. I feel so bad for you.
How about instead of virtue signaling emotion, do something, and I'll help. The US is sanctioning 672,000 bbls a day of Russian crude and refined products which is 7% of US imports. How about drive 10% less? You really want to kick the Russians in the a$$? Car pool every day with at least 3 people until the crisis has passed. The US consumes 22 mmbo/d of oil, 70% of which is used in transportation. If you drive 25% less, cancel all your flights and tell your boss you are working from home as a show of solidarity with the Ukranian people, you might be able to drop oil demand 5 mmbo/d.
If Europe did it too.... well, now we'd have "voluntary lockdown 2.0" and we could move oil into the $60s. Now Russia would be selling less crude at lower prices! Now you are really helping the Ukrainians.
How about natural gas? Surely you've read that 40% of natural gas in Europe comes from Russia. Lower your thermostat in your house to 60 F. Don't turn on your air conditioning. Those beautiful landscape lights you have? Turn them off too. All office buildings and commercial spaces with lights on at night? Turn those off. Got a hot tub or a pool with a heater. Nope! 40% of the electricity generated in the US comes from natural gas. Think of all the exports we could provide Europe at lower prices to get that continent off Russian gas for the next few weeks and hurt them even more.
So. Nice meme. Want to really do something? Change YOUR behavior. And you might start considering the same thing for your climate change memes, too.
Love and hugs,
DRW
ITs interesting. That even during the lockdown in 2020, our oil consumption did drop, but only to 17mmbod. That's what really needs to happen. Reduce consumption. But that isn't going to happen. Rather than looking at it under climate change, look at it as way to finally end our dependency on foreign oil. Because of all the talk of energy independence, it left out the composition of that energy. Who's driving vehicles using CNG? How about propane? Anyone?