I elevated Energy to a major category in this writing not only because it is so vitally important to our lives but also because is illustrates a classic example of the folly of our ways.
In America, we clamor for lower fuel
prices to supply our gas guzzling SUV?s. We rely on fossil fuels that burn holes in the protective ozone layers so we can over heat and over cool our homes and businesses. We import much of our energy from Middle-East nations that pump billions of ?profits into the gold lined
pockets of the ruling class while little or none goes to the impoverished
people in those countries.
I have come to believe that the politics of energy are the second most detrimental forces of disharmony in our world (behind religion as the first). Big enery interests dominate our political process in their own greedy interests. A clear example of this is how the Bush administration called on enery corporation leaders to "develop" our countries energy policies. This resulted in more of the same - disregard for environment and conservation issues in pursuit more more more utilization of fossil fuels. Their approach to trying to create independence from Middle East oil is to further exploit our own limited resources. Bush creates a Social Security "Crisis" that doesn't exist while ignoring the energy "Crisis" that looms far more serious. Where it the "leadership" to develop alternative energy? Where are energy conservation policies?
Few people realize that enough sunlight falls on every house in America to provide not only enough electricity (using photo-voltoic cells) to totally provide all the needs of that house (including all heating and air conditioning) but to enable transfer of electricity "out" of the house to help supply nearby industries. Where is the government support the development photo-voltiac cells and other "polution free" solar energy approaches? The sun is only one of many under-utilized clean energy resources such as wind turbines, ocean wave generators, cold fusion or hydrogen generators. Instead of spending billions creating hate and discontent in the Middle East and throughout the world "protecting" our vital national interests" we would be better served spending those monies to develop alternative energy! This in turn would resolve our energy crisis while creating more and better jobs at home instead of using it to fatten the gold lined pockets of despot rulers throughout the world.
During the energy crisis of the mid-seventies, I bought a 30 miles per gallon Gremlin as my part to help with the energy crisis. Many citizens made similar adjustments. The government took remedial actions such as lowering the speed limit and promoting solar energy. We dug our way out of that crisis only to become even more dependent on Mid-Eastern oil. Back then, big energy interests didn't have the control of our political process that it has today.
What should we do about it? What can we do about it? I plan to greatly expand this energy section showing how we could use the lemons of our energy crisis to make the lemonade of our economy. I plan to have subsections on each of the following areas:
Conventional Energy
Alternative Energy
Energy Conservation
The Politics of Energy
This section was last updated 19 Feb. 2009