A sensible energy policy is needed by every industrialized nation. Energy helps the economy and transportation of people. Currently, the United States has an energy policy that is very dependent on oil from other nations. This dependence and the general pollution it causes have created a fragile environment and have involved the United States in foreign affairs. The United States needs a new energy policy that liberates Americans from oil dependence in order to maintain a prosperous future for the nation.
AnalysisAmerica’s current state of affairs demonstrates a harmed eco-system and an over-involvement in the affairs of foreign governments. America needs a total policy change when it comes to energy. An examination of pollution and oil dependence, the negatives of ethanol and other alternatives, and how hybrid technology has started to bridge the gap on oil dependence demonstrates how America’s policy change is truly the only option available. Pollution and Oil Dependence Two of the greatest threats to America and the world are global warming and pollutants such as smog.The economic and health costs of both of these industrial by-products have caused many researchers to question America’s energy policy. According to the IPCC 2001 report, “the Earth's surface has warmed by approximately 0.
6 degrees Centigrade over the twentieth century. That is approximately one degree Fahrenheit. " (Jordan 2005, 23) So, there is no dispute that the Earth is warming. The question to ask is whether or not humans are causing the global warming of the world or at least whether they are a majority of the cause.
Many researchers have concluded that most global warming occurs because of carbon dioxide and this carbon dioxide occurs mainly through the burning of fossil fuels. (Ibid) The Earth’s temperature is rising and it is mostly because of the driving of cars and burning of petroleum based products. Global warming is a major problem, but also different types of pollution such as smog contribute to the overall detriment of the environment. Smog is a combination of chemicals that form a thick and noxious cloud mainly in urban areas.
Smog can cause:Poor visibility, damage the environment and wreak havoc on people's health, particularly their breathing. Chemically speaking, smog is a blend of pollutants including burned fossil fuels and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by materials such as paint and solvents. ("FOULED UP; Traffic, Geography" 2005, B01) Sickness and damage to the environment all because of driving automobiles and the creation of refined products. Global warming and pollution such as smog need drastic attention, so many of the industrialized countries created a treaty called the Kyoto Accord as a response.The Kyoto treaty deals with "energy, water and so forth, referring to a particular 1997 treaty binding many rich countries to cap energy-use emission levels on the theory of catastrophic man-made global warming.
" ("Bush's Kyoto Secret" 2002, A21) The treaty attempts to quell the harmful actions that industrialized countries are currently committing on the environment. President Bush, however, has doubts about Kyoto and its effectiveness. President Bush “created intense domestic and international pressure by reiterating his campaign promise against Kyoto, and purportedly withdrawing the U. S. " from the treaty’s regulations.Bush’s actions have caused the treaty to remain unsigned by many other nations as well.
America’s present oil policy also causes the United States to rely on other countries for continued supply and therefore forces America to intervene in foreign situations. According to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations, "the lack of a consistent, sustained policy on energy, especially oil, has undercut both U. S. foreign policy and national security. " ("Weak Oil Policy Called" 2006, A16) Within the same report it is noted that the United States imports more than 60% of the oil it needs. Ibid) The United States, according to the report, is caught within unstable governments and a needed supply of oil.
The current policy is dangerous according to the researchers because America must negotiate with governments they normally would have nothing to do with. A frightening fact to come from the report states, Oil supply is expected to continue to concentrate in Persian Gulf, which holds the world's largest geologically attractive reserves, and is a region that has been unstable and includes countries that have periodically used their oil exports for political purposes unfriendly to the United States.America’s dependence on foreign oil has cause troop deployments and attempts at protecting the resource. According to the report, this aspect of American energy policy has cause the country to sacrifice their security in order to maintain the economy. Ethanol, Further Exploration, and the Free Market Are Not Solutions Others have devised solutions to the energy policy problem. Some of the solutions are effective while others do not help the situation.
Ethanol, further explorations of areas, and leaving the development of alternatives to the free market have not proven to be successful.Ethanol has scientifically and economically been relegated to the list of solutions that currently do not work. The costs associated with ethanol and the harms to the environment from ethanol demonstrate why ethanol is not really a viable alternative. For instance, "corn is a renewable resource, [but] it has a far lower energy yield relative to the energy used to produce it than either [bio-diesel] (such as soybean oil) or ethanol from many other plants.
" ("Drunk on Ethanol" 2007, A19) The amount of energy needed to create ethanol is more than the energy that is produced with the ethanol.This appears to create bigger problems with conservation. A further problem with ethanol is the cost associated with its production. The cost drawbacks mainly revolve around gasoline and the automobile.
Researchers have found that "ethanol yields about 30 percent less energy per gallon than gasoline, so mileage per gallon in internal combustion engines drops significantly. Finally, adding ethanol raises the price of blended fuel because it is more expensive to transport and handle. ("Drunk on Ethanol" 2007, A19) Not only do consumers receive less in mileage, but their gasoline also costs much more than normal gasoline without ethanol. Currently, ethanol is not as environmentally friendly as once thought and the price of making the fuel are too high. Both of these aspects of ethanol demonstrate how it is not a favorable candidate as an alternative fuel. Another alternative solution that would cause more problems is further exploration for oil reserves, and in particular the exploring and drilling of the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR).
First, it has been calculated that ANWR will not provide much oil supply for America. It has been deduced that at best the refuge would supply only 12 months of oil for the country. ("Stop Latest ANWR Raid" 2006, A10) At first glance 12 months of oil would be a start at solving the energy crisis, but the risks associated with the drilling in ANWR appear to be not worth whatever oil can be produced. Basically the exploration of ANWR would cause further harm to the world’s eco-system.
For example, "studies by experts ranging from the National Academy of Sciences to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service have shown that drilling in the refuge would cause major disruptions to a wilderness that is home to an extraordinary array of wildlife. " (Ibid) The question to ask for policy makers is whether or not the fragile ecology of Alaska should be sacrificed for only 12 months of oil.
Many people in government and business often suggest that America should leave the energy policy changes to the free market.They believe that once fuel begins to climb to new heights and consumers are tired of defending oil-producing nations, the alternatives will be appealing to the market and energy companies will start the switch. This idea may not have too much support because it appears that oil companies want to maintain their market share for fossil fuels. For instance, "by the late 1970s, oil companies had bought out many of the patents for photovoltaic cells, and corporate giants like Atlantic Richfield, Amoco, Exxon, and Mobil took control of solar power companies. (Rosentreter 2000, 8)Evidence such as this suggests that the energy companies might not want alternative sources such as solar power to become the norm in society.
Experts on the subject suggest that "the big oil companies see solar power as a competing source of energy, and they want to control it and slow it down. " (Ibid) This suggests to many in the industry that America’s turn to alternative fuels will not come about due to free market pressures. It appears that America cannot rely on the free market to fix the energy policies, and another course of action must be taken.Hybrid Cars and Fuel Cells, the Automotive Transition Hybrid cars and fuel cells are becoming more and more prevalent in American society. It is assumed that they will continue their dominance as the new fuel technology for the country.
Hybrid and fuel cell technology seems to be the transition away from internal combustion to more environmentally friendly automobiles. The amount of hybrid automobiles purchased continues to rise in America and all over the world. Soon hybrid technology will become even less expensive and hybrid automobiles will begin to become even more affordable for the average American.It is reported By 2006, more than 250,000 U. S. drivers had bought Toyota hybrids to reduce oil dependence and help the environment.
Globally, Toyota has reported more than 500,000 hybrid sales to date, and the company's one million sales target, set for 2010, appears more reachable all the time. (Carr-Ruffino and Acheson 2007) The growth of the hybrid car demonstrates how Americans are beginning to realize the environmental and economic benefits associated with these cars. These cars would not help the energy policy if they were not efficient.Australian researchers have just created a hydrogen fuel cell that is small and can be used to fuel hybrid cars. Once these cars are fueled they can maintain a steady pace of 100 miles per fill up and produce no pollution.
(Ibid) Hybrids and fuel cell technology have teamed together to create a more efficient and more affordable option in the future. Conclusion An examination of global warming and the current oil policies, ethanol and other failing solutions, and the success of hybrid cars demonstrates how there is a problem with energy policy and attainable solutions.Without a logical energy policy, America’s economic and environmental future appears to be in doubt. An understanding of the possibilities will help determine the most effective plan for America’s future.
Recommendations It is obvious that America needs an energy policy change. Currently President Bush is not helping the situation by refusing to embrace the right technologies and instead is still concentrating on further drilling in direct conflict with Kyoto accords.A sensible policy would be for the government to produce funds and provide these funds to independent researchers in order to develop solutions. The free market will not provide the right solution as can be seen in what the oil companies did with solar power. Allow the government to provide money to independent groups and allow them to develop some solutions.
Also, further investment in successful technologies such as hybrids and fuel cells will help quell the dependence the country has on oil. The government must take charge and operate with an open mind when dealing with energy solutions.
