Energy Policy

Surely no one doubts we will run out of oil. Any plans to drill for more, to conserve it, to cajole, or conquer our way to more supply are only stop gap measures. How can we extend the oil supply we have? What should we be doing now to ensure a supply of energy when the oil supply makes it too precious for fueling cars and electric generators? You have come to the place you know and trust for straight answers about this, and other questions of galactic importance.

An overview of US energy consumption shows of course oil is the big one, about 40% of total. Natural gas and coal account for equal shares of 23% and renewable is 7%, the same as nuclear.

I believe we will need government interference in the market to jump start the change to the new energy paradigm. Here is my program:

Start alternative energy development incentives and research that is funded to the levels of the space program, funded by terminating existing subsidies to everyone, and by raising the gasoline tax. Yes, raise it. More expensive gas will help drive the market along to newer energy sources, that are likely to cost more than oil has traditionally. The secondary benefit is that the money spent on this program will be spent here in our local national economy. Set specific benchmarks over time- raising alt energy as a percent of total consumption at a 2% per year increase until it is 25% of total. Oh, and while we are at it, any reference to "Cap and Trade" ideas will be prima face evidence of mental incompetence and grounds for summary dismissal from public life.

Oil! Getting over oil will take years and we will need to continue to rely on it to some degree for many, many years. See my post about Misunderstood Oil. This is the near term solution we can access today, realistically and economically. No, I am not joking. If you think taking a trip at today's gas prices is costly, wait till you are paying the full bill for Hydrogen cars! The only reason electric and hydrogen cars makes sense is that gasoline costs as much as it does. Oh and for the ninnies who whine: "Well that oil won't be available for at least 10 years anyway!" I say shut up. Having the US aggressively exploring and drilling will impact the futures market immediately, by the mere fact that the energy demand of the US economy will be met within 10 years from new fields. Think of how much less those long term futures will be worth as soon as the change in policy is announced. And don't misunderestimate the American oil companies- with a clear path to more profitable oil they will get the oil into the new refineries in half the time the "experts" believe they can.

Diesel Power! Change the air pollution standards and other barriers to increasing diesel usage in the US, and encourage through CAFE standards the adoption of small diesel engines for cars to equal the percentage of diesels in Europe. No one can seriously believe their different emission standards are less stringent than ours. (On a side note, we REALLY don't know what polutants are the worst kind. CO2? If so, lets stop politicians from speaking to reduce their exhaled noxious gasses.) But back to cool diesels- encourage their development, building and sales as a 10 year stop gap. Do this to give proven, near term economically feasible alternatives to the hybrid cars that are still too costly. (eco greenies will shit)

Bio Fuel: Use the corn planned to go to ethanol into corn oil production to fuel the little diesels. Import ethanol from Brazil, at a lower cost than we can make it here. In the meantime encourage sugar beet production to make a domestic ethanol industry more cost effective than that derived from corn. (farmers lobbyists will shit)

Atomic power? Read this article that delves into Nuclear power since Three Mile Island... Break down barriers to nuclear energy- get Yucca Mt. going, start recycling uranium into plutonium, and build new style power plants, set a specific goal of offsetting oil and gas powered electricity generation- say a 50% percent reduction. (eco greenies will shit)

The result of all these policies are that the governments that control most of the world's oil, and hate us (OPEC and Hugo Chavez), will shit, we will have greatly reduced national security interests in the Arab world, and we can get the hell out of there. No one will shit about this! Al Queda and the rest will lose the stated reason they hate us, our presence and influence there. The rest of the world will then have to face the issues of radical Islam without our men doing their fighting for them. (Europe will shit)

All in all, a good policy on energy does what we all want to see, piss off Europe and OPEC, at the same time. In the end, sincere Eco Greenies should be happy to have their lower intestines cleaned out, and oil consumption reduced, but that is not their goal. We will be using wind, ocean, geothermal, solar, hydrogen, hydro, nuclear forms of energy, along with things we don't even understand yet. Humans adapt.

Nuclear Power Is Proven, Economic, Green

Yes, that's right. You have read about it in my post here. The cited articles are persuasive, and there are more coming out all the time. One of the blogs I highlight in my left column, Carpe Diem, has a posting on this subject today. You will see in its comments one of my own replies if you care to look. Also in the comments are some links to more articles supporting the premise that it is time to overrule the Eco-Zealots who seem to be holding our energy thinking hostage. Here are the links to make it easier for you:

Toshiba's Lithium based mini-reactors and from ABC news in Australia a piece about further reducing/re-using waste

The thinking that some technology we have not yet seen will replace the immediate needs of our society, just leapfrogging over existing energy sources, is ludicrous. We can see how hard it is to get the politicians to act on the immediate need to drill, so getting them to act on nuclear will be even more difficult. We can get started now.

Thinking Outside the Box

One of the best soundbites in not-too-recent history came from a Boeing engineer while in France. You have probably read this, but it is a great example of how a prepared mind can react quickly to a challenge, and how ordinary people can defend our great nation's reputation:

"There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?' A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'"

BUT, in the interests of accuracy and fairness, and to be sure that a good response is qualified and fact checked until it is no longer so worth repeating, I have discovered the truth! He was a little off on his stats. A Nimitz class carrier has more foodservice, less hospital and more water capability than he said. France does have a carrier, though it is not one of the "such ships" referred to, so the engineer is right. Here it is in comparison the the Eisenhower. Guess which is the bigger one? But seriously, the source of this rebuttal comes from Snopes, in a forum thread full of dirty hippie types. They don't even realize that French bashing did not originate with the War in Iraq, but really got going when the French refused to allow US planes to overfly its airspace when Reagan sent a mission to bomb Quadafy into submission. Which worked, and benefited the French. Or maybe it comes from the embarrassingly incompetent and cowardly performance of the Third empire leading up to and encouraging WWII to get on a roll, or maybe it was later, the traitorous Petain puppet regime that sent hundred of thousands of Jews and others to the concentration camps from France?

But now, we really should reassess this all. President Sarkozy may be more conservative and better at governing his country than our next president. Even if it is a rather small county. Or could jealousy be at the root of French bashing? In what bakery can you find bread like you can in every French hamlet? Or where can you find good table wine here for about $2 a bottle. And how many great cheeses does the average US county produce? There is much to be said for this Texas sized vacation resort. So lets cut them a break. Unless they pipe up again with the stupid, irrelevant, pious criticism that emanates from Paris every now and again.

Proud to be an American!