The good and the bad, why can't it be easier?
One of the issues that has been talked a lot about in the Gov’t and here in JU has been about alternative fuels. How we need to lower our dependency of foreign oil or all oil for that matter. Some will argue that our dependency on foreign oil finances these tyrannical dictatorships such as Venezuela, Iran and, at one point, Iraq (not today, not now anyways). Others will argue that the constant use of oil while driving is causing or adding to the Global Warming phenomenon that is believed to be taking place (believed cause it has not been scientifically proven so far). We also have our animal and environmental activists who feel that the drilling for oil puts the ecosystems in danger and many animals and plants have or can die because of it. There are even those that would argue that eventually oil will run out. The interesting part is that they are all correct.
Countries like Iran who are known to finance terrorist groups, supply them with weapons and even under prohibition to continue, research nuclear power; this while promising the complete destruction of Israel. Then there’s Venezuela and their president Chavez, a man who little by little has been oppressing and taking away the few freedoms the people from Venezuela have left. Not to mention how often he insults our country. Talk about bad for business.
Global Warming is another issue. According to some scientist, the CO2 created when burning gas raises up and gets caught in our atmosphere. At the same time the Sun’s rays reach the planet surface and turn into heat. Some of this heat is reflected back into space. The theory is, according to these scientist, the CO2 trapped in the atmosphere retains some of this heat that is reflected back into space and little by little begin to warm the planet more than it was suppose to and possible melting the polar caps making the ocean levels rise and resulting in something similar to the movie The Day After Tomorrow thus creating the Global Warming phenomenon.
Many times thru out the years drilling for oil have had its disasters. Oil spills resulting by mistakes and ignorance have cause the death and destruction of many animals, plants and even entire ecosystems. To add to this tragedy, even the transportation of the oil has had its problems such as spills from tanker trucks that get into accidents causing terrible pollution to the area and accidents in the ocean with tankers that destroy beaches and kill animals and plant life across miles and miles of coast line.
And last but not least the big what if it runs out. I mean at the rate we consume oil, chances are we will use it all up way before it can replenish itself. Besides last I check there were no dinosaurs roaming about. Sure it’s not gonna happen anytime soon, but then one never really knows right? Some believe we will be out of the slimmy black stuff in less than 100 years. I’m sure at one time 100 years sounded like a lot of time, but in this day in age where people expect to have a Quarter ponder with cheese, large fries and a coke by the time the cash register closes, 100 years is nothing more than watching your kids grow up and have grand children. Hell, we are even trying to extend life expectancy way beyond 100 years cause some just don’t think that is enough time to enjoy our lives. I for one would not want someone like Osama Bin Laden, Rosie O’Donnell or Will Farrell being around for 200 years either making our lives miserable, blabbering their lips 24 on TV or making bad movies.
Well, now that I have pointed out all the good reasons for moving away from our oil dependency now it’s time for me to point out some of the repercussions that can occur of we chose to leave oil behind for good. Let’s just say that the world would probably be a very, very different place if we chose to do so. Then again the chances of removing oil (for all the right reasons) from our lifestyle all together may never actually be possible.
Here is a small list of some of the uses for oil in today’s world:
1) Car, trucks, boats, planes and many other modes of transportation use it to move around, get from point A to point B, transports products, materials and people. And in most situations for convenience and entertainment.
2) Plastics are an oil by-product. The milk bottle, the plastic bag for your groceries, parts for you car, the toys for our children, electronics for our cars and homes, hell even our favorite, can’t live without, don’t leave home without it item; the credit card is a by-product of oil.
3) Many factories depend on oil to run that machines, their vehicles and even to maintain the equipment.
4) Roads are another by-product of oil. The tar used to make roads comes from oil.
5) Tires are also made from oil.
6) There are many power plants that use oil to generate electricity.
7) Fertilizer and pesticides are also by-products of oil that help grow and protect the food we eat.
8) But one major thing that is very important to the average person that comes from oil, jobs. All these by-products, all these vehicles, all these factories can not be made, driven or function without the workers.
Now imagine that we started looking for new alternative fuels because we feel that the problems I described at the beginning of this article were (and are) considered so important to us. While there are several ideas for fuel alternatives, they are mostly in testing or experimental stages. Though some will argue that this is because the Big Oil Industry has a chock hold on the creation of a new fuel or idea that could spell disaster for their ginourmous quarterly profits. I tend to agree. Still even if we could come up with an alternative fuel by, say, next year; imagine how long it would take to convert everything over.
How many people do you know have brand new cars? How many people you know can afford to by a brand new car at any given moment? How many people you know drive used, very used cars? How many times have you seen an owner of a used car trade it, sell it or junk it and get another used car? In this case even the concept of the CAFE Standards would be pointless. This would require every single vehicle owner (car, truck, 18 wheeler, motorcycle, etc.) to get rid of their current vehicles in order to get an alternative fuel operated vehicle. Either that or spend thousands more converting their current vehicles (which would be a waste of time). Not to mention what would you do with all of these useless vehicles now? We can barely get rid of them now, even with people buying them nearly held together by duck tape. Sure the process of switching over will be long and will allow for the disposal or recycling of the old gas driven vehicles to be smoother. But I have to wonder where will all the money, the average not so rich Joe will need, come from to buy these new alternative fuel vehicles (because I have never heard of a factory making used cares before) when they can barely afford to by a used car, let alone a new one? And what makes you think that in a capitalist world like planet earth or even in a capitalist country like the US will these new vehicles cost cheap? This is only the impact an overnight (as some here seem to make it sound like is what they want) conversion from oil to an alternative fuel will have on vehicles. Imagine the factories that will have to switch from oil to alternatives fuels, imagine the airline industry having to modify thousands of airliners to use an alternative fuel (if it is even possible), imagine all the by-products that can be lost because we wish to move away from oil all together.
I’m sure there are some of you right now thinking “we are not saying get rid of oil completely”. Sure you’re not. Not yet anyways. That’s how it always starts, first you stop using for vehicles, then you get factories to stop using them, then you convince the people that the oil by-products are still causing damages like garbage that takes too long to decompose, animals that die due to plastics, the never ending piles of used and worn out tires, pollution of water and soil, etc. This would only be the beginning, soon people against oil activist will be formed; constant walks, protest and even civil disobedience will begin. It’s what is called a vicious cycle that never ends.
Think of all the factories that would shut down because they can’t afford the upgrades, all the gas stations that will go out of business because they can’t switch over and worst of all, all the jobless, carless people. And we are worried about how many unemployed and underpaid people we have today or how bad the economy is now.
My conclusion? I am all for changes in the problems stated at the beginning of this article. Taking one form of funding away from terrorist organizations and tyrannical dictators is a plus for me. I also don’t want to find out the hard way if Global Warming is happening and is our fault. I definitely don’t want to destroy or be responsible in a sense of the destruction of entire ecosystems on this planet. But more than anything, I would hate to see what would happen as we get closer to a shortage in oil underground, the gas prices will be so mind boggling Ferrari Shoes will be the next best thing. Can’t drive a Ferrari? Wear Ferrari shoes while you walk.
But let’s be realistic. Neither George W. Bush, Congress, the Senate or any other politician today can solve this problem any time soon. To be honest I don’t see large scale solution any time in my lifetime. The damage would be higher than the benefits, considering how today lifestyle is is here in the US of course. But that’s just my opinion. I think it would take a long time to find an alternative fuel source plentiful enough to move away from oil completely or even partially. Then the process of switching over, changing vehicles and machinery, retraining of employees, etc. will be even long of a process. Not to mention the outrageous amount of money that will be spent, the companies that will go bye-bye due to the inability to afford the changes, the people that will lose their jobs due to this. I don’t know, even in the long run this will be one of those “it will get worse before it gets better” situation. And judging by how we love our lifestyle in this country, the will be more steps backwards then forward before this ever comes true, or partially true anyways. That’s what I think.