In the US, many of us are breathing a sigh of relief from the recent drop in oil prices. I know that a smile crosses my face at the possibility of using the money that I save at the pump to help pay for something else that my family needs. Fuel, as well as other necessities like food, water and housing, have steadily become more expensive in the last few years, making many people believe that $5 a gallon for gasoline would be typical by the end of the summer of 2008. Yet, according to an Associated Press story on CNN , the price reduction has been spurred on predominately by two factors: the stronger dollar and less American demand for oil. It is nice to think that this lowering of oil prices might become a trend. Yet, as the same article mentions, "in the past four-plus years of oil's bull run, the market has seen significant downward corrections before. Each time, the market has come back and moved higher and established new highs."
This is the maddening part. Some of us remember the gasoline rationing of the 1970's. At that time, the limitations put upon the amount of fuel people could buy created much interest in renewable/alternative fuel sources. But this interest mostly disappeared after oil prices fell a little and automakers began to build more fuel efficient vehicles. If the US, or the global community, would have continued to focus on advancing alternatives to oil, how much better off would we be now? In my opinion, probably considerably better than we are currently.
The main point to this is, if we once again allow ourselves to become sidetracked from developing alternative fuel sources because the price of oil is affordable, we will continue to be at the mercy of the world's oil producers, as well as continuing the pollution that results from burning fossil fuels.
These words are definitely not meant to vilify anyone, especially those from the Middle East. Oil producers in this region rely on the same business practices that are relied upon globally; profit as much as possible, whenever possible. Here in the US, ignorance is commonplace, in that, we make villains out of people who are only doing what is common practice for corporations worldwide.
So, my biggest fear is that we, as a nation and as a global people, will not learn from history. After oil prices have settled and the interest in finding viable fuel substitutes subsides, we only have our own complacency to blame for allowing our addiction to oil grow. Yet, if we are determined to make the change to a clean, renewable, fuel source in the near future, it will require consistent pressure from ordinary citizens to keep their leaders focused on solving the problems with our present and future oil consumption.
1 comment:
In a recent interview Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute said something like "if we had not in 1986 abandoned the energy conservation steps taken after the early 70's oil embargo, we would not have to import a drop of Persian Gulf oil now".
If that is true, imagine the geopolitical implications! Perhaps we could have avoided two wars (and maybe even 9/11...), prevented hundreds of thousands of deaths, saved trillions of dollars and be much more secure than we are now. To say nothing of the environmental benefits to our own country, we might even be selling the energy technology to the rest of the world, to even greater benefit to our economy.
What I like about Mr. Lovins is his emphasis on conserving energy as the most cost effective way to move forward, along with renewables. He advocates practical, sustainable and profitable technologies. He has some very interesting viewpoints on nuclear too.
If Reagan had not scuttled the energy conservation measures already in place, what a different country we might be now.
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