This year I am going to write something short, daily, about what is going on – “2 cents on the Arrived Ecological Debacle” (2cotAED). I have to write it; you don’t have to read it. If you DO read it, feel free to tell me how wrong I am (and hopefully why). Re: the debacle aspect: in 2004 the English writer Sara Maitland wrote about the “pending ecological debacle.” The expression stuck with me; it’s a debacle because it was foreseen, warned about and was avoidable. Well, it’s no longer really “pending” is it?
See this –
Entirely on-brand, entirely expected. Reminds me a bit of Nixon’s “Project Independence” (for 100s of coal-fired power stations) in 1973, Reagan’s 1981-4 attempt to gut the EPA etc, and President Cheney’s plans for hundreds of coal-power stations in 2001. Sure, coal is no longer the object of affections, but the same script is being written.
All of those techno/fossil dreams and proclamations met resistance, often fairly “successful” (1). Trump’s efforts will also meet with resistance. And of course, his court may tear itself apart, with Musk vs MAGA (Bannon, Loomer) as just the first of many ferocious battles.
Without being reductive, this push for More Energy is largely a dick thing and a money thing. A dick thing in terms of sense of power, petromasculinity etc (check out anti-reflexivity and also reflexive modernisation).
On the money, well, some companies [not just the oil companies, but the banks, law firms, consultancies, supply chain links] will get do nicely, and some of the profits will be shared to a certain extent with “shareholders” and institutional investors etc. The costs will be offloaded onto “the future.” But the future isn’t as far away as it used to be… fun times…
Footnotes
(1) Whenever someone talks about success, point them to the Keeling Curve, and to year on year increase in anthropogenic emissions…
marchudson.net 
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