If we had sustainable energy, we could ignore the goddamn Middle East

For most of my life, whatever shit is happening in the region Kurt Vonnegut called "God's Monkey House" has affected my life, and not in a good way. It steals money out of my pocket and causes my country's government to do stupid things.

The reason we care is that the fossil fuel industry has had our country by the balls for decades. We're still utterly dependent on them. That's due to their successful efforts to keep us dependent on the shit they sell. We still use their products to get around. We burn their gunk to produce energy. And it's not like we don't have viable alternatives.

Imagine if we weren't dependent on fossil fuels:

We wouldn't have our pockets looted every time somebody in the Middle East farts. 

We wouldn't be Israel's bitch. We wouldn't send them billions every year so they could rain missiles down on apartment blocks filled with poor people.

We wouldn't have Americans dying in some godforsaken desert shithole just to keep Exxon Mobil stock prices high.

We wouldn't have politicians serving the interests of the fossil fuel industry at the expense of their constituents.

If the Jerkawaddah starts a revolution or war in Sandpitobia, we can just say, "That's interesting" and turn to the sports section instead of freaking out.

I consider it reprehensible that MAGA has consistently participated in the anti-sustainable energy crusade, for no better reason than that Big Oil pays Republicans to be on their side. And of course, the rhetoric supporting that crusade is often nonsensical, such as Trump (and people like stupid Tom) claiming that wind turbines kill flying elephants and fairies, or some such nonsense.

Wouldn't it be nice if whatever happened in the Strait of Trump's Ooze didn't affect us, because we didn't need the shit that comes through it?

  Here are some of the things we take for granted that are derived from oil --- Oil is a primary component in thousands of daily products, ranging from plastic items to personal care, textiles, and household goods. Key everyday items include plastics (bottles, toys), synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon), lubricants, asphalt, pharmaceuticals like aspirin, detergents, paints, and cosmetics.: Water bottles, milk jugs, food packaging, shampoo bottles, trash bags, and plastic cutlery. Clothing & Textiles: Synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex are petroleum-based, commonly found in activewear, stockings, and fleece jackets. Personal Care & Cosmetics: Lipstick, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, and petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Household Items: Dish soap, laundry detergent, floor cleaners, curtains, synthetic rugs, and plastic toys. Furniture & Bedding: Memory foam mattresses, synthetic cushions, and linoleum flooring. Medical & Health: Aspirin, pharmaceutical capsules, dental floss, prosthetics, and rubber gloves. Electronics & Equipment: Phone cases, laptop casings, computer keyboards, and CDs/DVDs. Transportation & Infrastructure: Gasoline, diesel, tires, motor oil, steering wheels, and asphalt for roads. -- Whether you or anyone else likes it, oil and it's byproducts are here to stay.

Then why are we burning it, if it's so useful otherwise??

The above uses represent less than 3% of our total consumption. Therefore, if we didn't use fossil fuels for energy, we'd need 97% less of them.

Also, you don't seem to understand: I'm not talking about removing fossil fuels. I'm talking about not being so completely dependent on them--and thus, disruptions in supply not being so traumatic to our economy. There was a significant push in that direction after all the endless Israeli wars. Now, that's been stifled, because Big Oil has poured money into their effort to keep us dependent on them.

So, from one who is fully unknowledgable about these things (me), how dependent are we on "them", and who are "them"?  Just looking to know more.  Thanks.

Candy

Them--see previous sentence. Fossil fuels.

We are only pseudo-dependent on them, because we can generate 100 percent of our energy needs via other sources, and without having to drop bombs on people to do it.

And people yeeping about "energy independence," but did you know that Canada generates SEVEN TIMES as much hydro as it consumes? They'd be happy to sell it to us, if we weren't tariffing them!

Intermittent power sources can be useful to bolster a grid, but not as the primary source due to the lack of storage capability.

Anyway, we aren't reliant on the ME for oil, the rest of the world is.  Why do you think Trump took Venezuela first?  But we are very dependent on fertilizer, that's really gonna fuck up future food prices.

We are dependent on other countries to refine our oil which negates the fact that we are a net exporter of oil. 

China has enough renewable power to run the entire US grid.    And they are growing it.    THey dont want to be hostage to the oil industry.       Its nice they can move forward without having to fight with the Flintstones about stating in the stone ages.    And 50% of all vehicles in that country will be EV within 5 years.

Its a shame we cant pursue the "Green New Scam" as MAGA calls it in America.    That would create alot more jobs and energy than the Iran war.

  Where is your proof? Post a link.

Eventually the Chinese EVs will come here as our domestic manufacturers have no interest in producing affordable EVs even just plain old cars. Their business model is high margin models only.