U.S. Energy Policy
2.6.10
Dear Editor,
My how the American public has a short attention span on important issues. It was just a short year ago that gas prices were at an all time high, ethanol was becoming the fashionable rage, and "drill here, drill now!" was the chant of the marching public. But isn't it interesting how when the prices get lowered, the public gets comfortable again, and all the protesting is put to rest.
Yes readers, today I'd like to talk about the energy policy of our country; how we got here, and where we're going with it. Yes, we all know that this country seems hopelessly dependent on foreign oil, but did you know that this is the result of a well thought plan by our very own State Department? You see, during the Second World War, the bean counters in Washington realized that this country was supplying 85% of all oil for the Allied war effort, and at that rate our natural resources would be depleted within 60 years. So they came up with a brilliant idea, and it was at the time. Develop and use oil resources from other nations, and thereby conserve ours. This would, and has, left us with a large natural supply for any forseeable national emergencies.
This plan worked brilliantly for 30 years, until the arrival of the oil embargo in 1973 and the formation of OPEC. Unfortunately, it seems for us, the "other" nations got smart. They began to realize that oil gave them power, and when the prices shot up and severe shortages hit America in 1973, they realized just how much power we had given them. Our world has never been the same.
With the wealth received from oil revenues, small and unimportant tribal kingdoms suddenly became major players on the world stage. Half-pint, would be dictators built up large armies to terrorize their own people and neighbors, thanks to oil revenues. They also privately financed bands of forgettable Islamic terrorists to execute their vendettas on the West and Israel, and we are still reaping this whirlwind from groups like al-Queda. What does this mean? It means, dear friends, that our current energy policy could be considered "aiding and abetting" the enemy.
To change we must continue pressuring our leaders in Washington to reinvent our energy policy, and not get complacent when gas prices go back down, because they will eventually come back up. And never forget that high gas prices are the surest way to destroy a vibrant economy, and I consider it to be a huge factor in our current recession. But the answer is not returning to an era of bicycles and horses and candlelight, its called letting industry do what they do..... Innovate!
American industries should be allowed to develop our own natural resources in fossil fuels, while continuing to fund and develop efficient alternatives. Instead of hamstringing our automakers with rules and regulations, why not offer liberal tax and financial grants to fund research in battery and fuel technologies, much like we do for defense contractors. The return on our investment would be staggering, and would carry over for another century perhaps. We may very well find ourselves eventually using gasoline for nothing more than powering classic cars. At the least, without a need for oil, it would turn the Arab world back into the impoverished wasteland it was, and take a major thorn out of our sides.
We need to also stop handicapping public utilities with guidelines that can't always be met. I'm sorry, but Georgia is not a choice candidate for renewable energy sources, and we must therefore rely upon coal and nuclear for our main power sources if you want cheap electricity. And cheap electricity is a must if you seek industrial growth and quality of life for your family. Perhaps one day, when our nation revamps its utility grid, vast solar farms in the deserts out west can light up Atlanta, but not today, nor in the next decade.
In short, the answer is to continue looking to the future and let industry lead the way, not government. Let energy conservation be gained through technological improvements, and not through government imposed rationing. Let the consumer dictate what kind of cars should be built, and not officials in Washington. Let cleaner air come through industrial innovations, and not "cap and trade" style legislation. This country has always been the greatest innovator thanks to our industry and a "hands off" approach by government. So let America be American, and let's solve our energy problems in an American way.
Bill Mauldin
Jackson, GA
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