The real energy crisis: red-haired pigs with tattoos

(Click to enlarge image)

A lot of people were probably surprised to hear Bush urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats and avoiding unnecessary driving (especially considering Vice-President Dick Cheney once famously said "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy.") But don't worry, he didn't really mean anything substantial by it.

Considering that in the wake of Katrina home heating bills will be jumping up 50% this winter and crude-oil and gasoline prices are through the roof, did the Bush administration push for MANDATORY fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles, or for the development of renewable energy sources and transportation alternatives? No--rather than regulate industry or tell corporations what to do, they've geared up a weak public-service ad campaign politely suggesting consumers conserve energy by turning down their thermostats and turning off appliances when not in use. Meanwhile they continue to eviscerate environmental protections and deny the existence of global warming.

But it gets better--their ad campaign features a three-dimensional animated pig with a mohawk who hides in your refrigerator and lamps SUCKING OUT YOUR ENERGY. Cause the real energy crisis isn't SUVS or dependence on fossil fuels, it's tattooed hogs with red hair.

You can check out the official Energy Hog website here, but in case it disappears, above and below this post are some choice screen shots. I love that they took the time to give these hogs names and personalities (Boss Hog, for instance) and to make them rotate (I'm assuming this is meant to excite children about conservation?), but they won't spend the freaking time to actually do anything about our real energy and environmental problems (except make them worse). And they had to throw in some gratuitous fat and weight jokes in the bargain. So awesome.