Saudi minister slams costly alternatives to oil

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07231749.htm


Saudi minister slams costly alternatives to oil

HOUSTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Mandating costly alternatives to oil in the name of a cleaner environment could impoverish people and lower living standards, the Saudi Arabian oil minister said on Tuesday.

"I believe that we should not impoverish people in the name of a cleaner environment," Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi told an energy conference. "Lowering living standards, or limiting peoples' ability to rise out of poverty, in order to improve the environment trades one potential health hazard for another."

He said that would be the result of asking consumers to give up oil for a less efficient and more costly alternative fuel that would otherwise be uneconomical.

Naimi's comments came a few days after U.S. President George W. Bush said America was addicted to Middle Eastern oil. He also committed to raising alternative energy funding by 22 percent for clean coal, wind and solar power, ethanol, and fuel cells.

[Teaser]

1. someone's scared

nt

[oneighty]

2. Hahahaha

How true. The princes might have to lower their life style.

180

[CountAllVotes]

3. bwa hahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!

Can't let oil become useless or in less of a demand can we? The only people lower prices might hurt is you Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi!!!

:kick:

[Raster]

11. oh, and don't forget the bush* family, faithful retainers of the saudis

for over forty years. After all, they bought and paid for this pResident.

[hadrons]

4. yup, no conflict of interest here .....

:eyes:

[laheina]

5. "We (you) should not impoverish people (me) in the name of

a cleaner environment(that will benefit everybody and keep some from life threatening illnesses.)" WTF?

And, doesn't a dirty environment lower living standards for *everyone?*

What a fucktard!!

[spooked911]

6. actually, this is standard conservative boilerplate

[laheina]

19. But it sounds even more rediculous

when you consider his vested interest in the oil industry.

Just sayin' :shrug:

[megatherium]

7. They're already using secondary and tertiary oil production

techniques in Saudi Arabia. If Matthew Simmons is right, Saudi Arabia is already passed its peak, and soon it will become apparent that Saudi production is in permanent decline. So if we heed these bastards' advice, we won't be ready with alternatives when global production has dropped. (It might be too late already.) Then we will have to buy the remaining dregs of Saudi production at exhorbitant prices. To hell with the Saudi royals.

[Coastie for Truth]

8. And several years ago

his predecessor, Sheik Yammani el-Zaki said the exact opposite.

Old Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi reminds me of General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's prediction that hybrids were never going to make it in the market, and Bob Lutz's Harley Earle ads for Buick (Harley Earle was a 1950's VP of styling).

[Itchinjim]

9. Bil Gates slams alternatives to Windows!

Colonel Sanders blasts alternatives to chicken!

[JerseygirlCT]

10. He's got damn nerve

talking about impoverishing people.

His family crime organization has more money than they could ever know what to do with. And they're moving oh so slowly toward helping their country.

And it's OUR attempt to move away from dependence on their drug that's going to cause poverty?

Yeah.

[slackmaster]

12. What a crybaby

:nopity:

[The White Tree]

13. So what he seems to be saying is:

"I believe that we should not impoverish people in the name of a cleaner environment," Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi told an energy conference. "Lowering living standards, or limiting peoples' ability to rise out of poverty....

....should be strictly a function of the Bush-run US and Saudi Governments."

Now I think I understand.

[pinniped]

14. He doesn't have to worry for the time being.

His son, *, is doing all he can to take us for all we're worth, and more!

[hatrack]

15. Gosh, what a surprise!

:eyes:

[Vogon_Glory]

16. Economical Renewable Energy Sources Also Means That...

Economical renewable energy sources also means that not only will millions of people in economic backwaters and in petroleum-dependent regions have access to light and electricity (Both invaluable for raising litarcy and increasing economic activity), but also that the flow of billions of petro-dollars will slacken and that Arabian Peninsula religious extremists will have far less to ride their Wahabbi hobby horses.

Here in the US, some of the oil billionaires might not be as rich as they might have been and Republican Party campaign contributions will suffer thereby.

[bleedingheart]

17. Yeah it would impoverish the 8,000 Princes and Princesses in

Saudi Arabia...that is what they are afraid of...

[AnneD]

18. I have always thought that...

if we take oil out of the equation, it would be harder for the terrorist. Not to meantion that the Saudis would not be able to fund those terror training schools (AKA fundamentalist Muslim).

[Vogon_Glory]

20. So do I. Without oil, Saudi ain't nuthin' but Mecca and sand n/t

[whosinpower]

21. Well....

How many are impovershed in his own nation????????????

[AnnieBW]

22. He'll Have To Have

A smaller harem! Or maybe buy only one racehorse this year instead of a whole stable.
Cry me a f*cking river...

[mitchum]

23. Fuck him and the...er....umm....animal he rode in on