President Obama’s energy speech on Thursday reiterated his support for an “all of the above approach” to energy sources. That means oil, “clean” coal, solar, wind and biomass – including algae.
Algae? Can green slime really be converted into energy?
Newt Gingrich’s response was that Obama, beyond all else, is now also “weird.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell mocked the president as “out of touch.”
Right-wing radio commentator Rush Limbaugh called Obama’s idea “patently absurd,” another good reason why the president should be booted out of office.
One problem: Some of the biggest advocates of pursuing algae research are some of the biggest oil companies in the world.
In 2009, Exxon announced it was investing $600 million into algae energy research. That allocation has also funded a high-profile Exxon TV ad campaign about algae that portrays the oil-producing giant as eager to develop green energy from basic biomass – meaning biofuels created from various plants and grasses.
At Shell, they have worked on algae research for years and, though the results so far have been disappointing, some oil company scientists believe they can one day produce algae-based biodiesel fuel at $60 to $80 per barrel, far below the world market price for oil.
And then there’s Capitol Hill, where three Republican lawmakers – Rep. Darrell Issa of California , Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana and Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska – have all sought algae research grants. They’re seeking federal tax dollars from the Department of Energy to pursue research and development in their home territories.
Meanwhile, it’s “patently obvious” that Gingrich and McConnell and Limbaugh had no idea what they were talking about when they reflexively tried to make Obama sound like a buffoon.
In this case, I have to credit left-wing commentator Rachel Maddow, who was first to dissect this phony little controversy.
On MSNBC, Maddow, relying upon video clips from the 2008 campaign, showed that GOP presidential nominee John McCain referred to his energy policy as “all of the above.” And his running mate, Sarah Palin, (known for her “drill, baby, drill” chant) frequently gave a rundown of energy sources she favored, including biomass.
As a next step, someone should search for instances when Gingrich and McConnell and Limbaugh in 2008 criticized McCain and Palin’s approach to energy policy. If these researchers haven’t found anything by Election Day this November, I would suggest they give up.
You’re not going to find it.
