But why no new refineries? The Greens, of course

From my Labor friend (CAPS MY RESPONSE TO HIM)

I totally agree, we brought this on ourselves. It is mindless that we haven't built a refinery in 30 years, but in balance it is at least a bit disinguous to deny some complicity by the bigs who, had they desired to build refineries here, were certainly among the most sophisticated and well funded lobbying industries to grace the houses of Congress during that same 30 years, could have made some progress towards that end. If that is what they had wanted, would simple regulations for polution and land use have stopped them? These are the days they hoped would come. YOU GOT THIS RIGHT. OF COURSE, IF THEY HAD WANTED IT THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT. BUT, AS A COUNTER, DON'T YOU THINK TEXAS PACIFIC GROUP WOULD LIKE TO BUILD COAL PLANTS BUT WAS STOPPED? Remember also that American refinery shortage doesn't affect the world price of petroleum. Our world competitors for this dwindling and finite resource are at least mostly responsible right? Either way, the cheap dollar is more responsible than the shortage of American refineries. The only mainstream refinery derivative we are "frac"-tionally short on as a result is diesel, which, do you imagine they really wish they could sell for less? AGREE. BUT, DIESEL IS A CASE WHERE REGULATION (NEW CLEAN STANDARDS AND CALIFORNIA REGULATIONS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER STATES) HAS FRACTURED OR FRAGMENTED THE SUPPLY CHAIN RESULTING IN LESS SUPPLY OF A GIVEN STANDARD DIESEL. But yes, old friend, we did this to ourselves. Arrogance really. Even as recently as 4 years ago, Ted Kennedy led the charge to defeat a proposed wind farm off the coast of his Connecticut beach home. We definitely are facing the California style brown outs and worse over the next two decades. Response after crisis is always more expensive, and less well planned. We will make a real mess of that as well. This is not a crisis we can pump our way out of. If we had started drilling ANWAR ten years ago when it was first put on hold, we'd be conserving it by now too. THE TROUBLE WITH OUR NATURAL RESOURCES IS THAT UNLIKE THE OPEC STATES 20 YEARS AGO OUR GOVT DOESN'T CHARGE DRILLERS AND MINERS BY THE UNIT EXTRACTED. WE SHOULD START THIS FOR ANWAR AND USE THE MONEY TO BUILD NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. FUCK OPEC.

I was reading today a poll in the McPaper (USA Today) that says that more people blame US oil producers than OPEC for high oil prices. Wonder why USA Today didn't ask people whether they blame the Greens? The Greens don't hurt anybody. They have worked for this for years, they're gleeful with high energy prices. Makes windmills (16th century technology) more competitive.