By Katie Kieffer
Monday, June 16, 2014
There’s hope for the future. My generation of Millennials
is embracing entrepreneurial oil jobs to keep America’s lights on.
On June 2, the Obama administration proposed new carbon
regulations calling for a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. Why
2030? Who knows! It’s an arbitrary date, not a number based on sound science.
Coal currently supplies 39 percent of America’s
electricity. TIME Magazine reports that Obama’s proposal will promote “fuel
switching” from coal to so-called clean forms of energy such as solar. Fuel
switching is the politically correct term for putting Americans out of work and
the power grid in jeopardy. There are consequences to this knee-jerk switch to
government-subsidized “green” energy.
Millennials understand these consequences. Which is why a
Pew report issued this spring found that Millennials are “somewhat less likely
than older adults to describe themselves as environmentalists—just 32% say this
describes them very well…” Millennials care about the environment. But, since
science tells us that humans are not responsible for detrimental warming and
over 15% of us are unemployed—our priority is jobs.
The Shale Boomers
Our parents are Baby Boomers. Call us the Shale Boomers.
20-something and 30-something Millennials are jumping
into the oil industry. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that “After years of
failing to attract and retain young talent, the industry is suddenly brimming
with upstart millennials....” and that “oil and gas veterans call it ‘the great
crew change.’”
Young whippersnappers are taking advantage of the shale
boom to start their own businesses, and are doing well. Bloomberg reports that
there has been a 60 percent increase in the Young Professionals in Energy’s
Dallas chapter since 2009. That means there are now 4,000 young professionals
in the Dallas chapter—and many are staking out careers in oil.
Millennials embrace oil and fracking because we
understand that wind and solar is not necessarily “environmentally friendly.”
That is, unless you call the birds killed by windmills and the desert land
consumed with thousands of reflecting mirrors earth-friendly. Solar panels are
also dependent on rare earths, which are dominantly mined by the world’s
Polluter-in-Chief, China.
Second, we understand that the technology is not there
yet. Both wind and solar provide intermittent energy and cannot replace the
steady, reliable energy that we get from coal and natural gas. Tech-dependent
Millennials are not very interested in living through a blackout.
Third, we understand that since 2007, there has been a
net increase of only 0.3% jobs for young people between the ages of 22 and 34.
Where are all those jobs—especially the permanent green
jobs that President Obama promised us? I’ve looked high. I’ve looked low. I’ve
seen the Treasury Inspector General’s report indicating that the federal
government handed out bonuses to IRS employees who did not pay their taxes. But
my young friends are still living with their parents. And our parents are just
as frustrated as we are! After all, they thought they could enjoy retirement
instead of delaying retirement while Lois Lerner enjoys her paid vacation.
Experts estimate that Obama’s carbon regulations proposal
will cull 250,000 jobs as 165 coal-fired plants have either shuttered or are
set to shutter.
“Here’s a dirty little secret: people are tired of
[President Obama’s] speeches. People want jobs,” Rush Limbaugh said on his talk
show on November 11, 2009. Rush made that statement seven days after Obama was
elected for the first time. If we were tired then, we’re exhausted now. “Dead
exhausted,” as Hillary Clinton might moan.
There is hope and solutions, as I explain in my new book,
“Let Me Be Clear,” that Random House is publishing on June 24. There are ways
to create jobs, become entrepreneurs and take back our American Dreams. But, we
must strike while the iron is hot and implement these solutions now—before the
midterms and 2016 presidential elections.
Otherwise, we’ll add four more years of Hillary to a
country that, at $17.5 trillion in the hole, is already “dead broke.” Let’s
take action.
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