The increasingly irrelevant Houston Chronicle Editorial Board has pronounced itself Pope in the issue of environmental sins.
Sins of Oil will be Shouted from the Rooftops. HoustonChronicle ($$$)
They go on to list all of the 'sins' of oil.
The Catholic Church suddenly doesn't like it and......
And nothing. Because without the oil and gas industry you don't have the following:
Computers and the Internet
Electric Cars
Green Energy transmission systems
Mobile Phones
Packaging.
Houses
Busses (even ones that run on CNG)
Most medical devices
Industry
Heating fuel for the NorthEast
You name it, and the oil and gas industry probably has a hand in it. Even newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle who would be unable to print a product sans oil and gas.
Now, I'm OK if you don't necessarily approve of the industry, you're entitled to. But to cast such a wide net over all of us and term us "sinners" because we're providing a product that fuels the world (and will continue to, until a replacement for plastics and international shipping and other transportation is found) is not only irresponsible, but dishonest and clumsy as well. It's also inflammatory and (to be honest) vile to term your home cities most important, largest industry as "vile, sinful" or some other nonsense.
It's a good thing the Chronicle Editorial Board has been shoved behind the Chronicle' pay-wall. There are a lot of good reporters at that publication who shouldn't have their good-names sullied by the increasingly irrelevant, predominantly Caucasian, wealthy and progressive Editorial board who writes decrees for Houston's most diverse city and who, increasingly, feels themselves to be God.
It's high-time for newspapers to rid themselves of the unsigned editorial board, and to redeploy the resources to covering actual news. In fact, I would argue that most staff-opinion writers are crap, offering up partisan fodder and child-like outbursts offering no real, workable solutions other than "see things my way".
Not that there's no place for that writing, but it would be better served in an opinion outlet such as National Review or Slate not news outlets per se, but a place where people can go and be reaffirmed that their tribe is "on the right side", God-like even. (Full Disclosure: I'm a fan of the writing of Kevin D. Williamson of National Review.)
Houston residents, the few who can read this stuff, would do well to ask the Houston Chronicle why they think it's OK that the largest employer be shut down and the tax base of the city be decimated? Do they really hate you or are they just very angry that you won't STFU and follow their lead? (And, the leads of the politicians they curry favor to.)
What this comes down to is one irrelevant agency calling for the shut-down of a relevant one, and causing great pain and hardship for its customers at the same time. The customers should demand the same of the ed board.
Guess which one will be missed? (Hint, it's not the anonymous scribblers)
