How Did We Get to This Point?
Here we are in the 21st century with inventions that boggle the mind. In addition to computers that are outdated in a nanosecond, we have been offered – and some people have already put deposits down for – the first commercial trip to the moon.
All of this and we are unable to deal with the fuel crisis. It is interesting that the fuel crisis is not a new idea or situation that just landed on the horizon. As far back as the late 70’s we were being warned that this time would come, and it would happen sooner than we think and affect us much worse than we thought it would. Those who predicted this were right on the money, no pun intended.
In around 1979, Jimmy Carter, who was president at the time, stated that there should be alternative energy, such as solar power. He even went so far as to have solar panels installed at the White House. No word on whether they are still there or still in use, but it seems that he may have been a visionary who was ignored, as many visionaries are.
Carter had a few other ideas, too, such as pushing automakers to increase the mileage to somewhere around 48mpg by 1995. Well, a few of the hybrids, like the Prius that has been out a couple of years now, boast 50mpg. Carter suggested offering windfall taxes to oil companies so that they could look for alternative fuel and energy sources. He also felt that at least 20% of our energy should come from alternative sources – especially solar power – as soon as possible.
Here we are 30 years later listening to the very same arguments by lawmakers while the price of gas has gone up from under $.50 per gallon to over $4.00, partially due to inaction on some of the logical alternatives to dependence on fossil fuels. Then again, there is also the fact that for years, America has been far behind the curve in manufacturing cars that perform like those that have been manufactured in Japan. Only recently have U.S. automakers been catching up. And only recently – with an election looming and with gasoline prices that have skyrocketed – have lawmakers across the aisles been actually seriously talking, and some of them have stopped arguing long enough to actually communicate about getting things under control.
The worst of the issue is that we could have avoided getting to this point to begin with, so getting things under control now will not be quick or easy. It’s like trying to keep ice from melting after it has sitting on the counter for an hour or two. It can be done, but it has to go back into the freezer.
The fuel crisis can be remedied, but it will take going back to some of the ideas that have already been proposed and actually implementing them and adding to them to get started. It’s good to know that at least part of Congress is finally talking together and working together to move forward and get things done before it’s really, really too late. Hopefully, the rest of Congress will stop arguing and join in solving the problem.