Will Drilling Solve the Fuel Crisis?
We all know that we are in the midst of a fuel mess. Not enough fuel. No way to get it fast enough. No real plan in place. You know the deal. So, what is the answer to solving the crisis? In a few words, there are a lot of suggestions but not one answer.
At the Republican National Convention there were loud chants of “Drill, baby drill!” To some, this seems like a good idea, and it may or may not be. The issues that have come up from both sides of the aisle regarding drilling are that drilling takes a long time to set up. There is the task of finding the right spot, ecological studies, permits, test drilling, building platforms and more. Experts, researchers and many others say that it would take nearly 10 years to see any usable fuel from new drilling.
Since right now, the United States has about 3% of the world’s oil but uses well over 25% of the world’s fuel, waiting 10 years doesn’t seem like a helpful short-term option. This is not to say that drilling should not be part of the equation to address the fuel crisis. It is to say that other forms of fuel and energy need to be researched and probably combined into a complete plan that will evolve over time.
There are ways to use ethanol and biofuels in certain cars now. Production could be increased on these cars and incentives could be given to both the automobile manufacturers and the individuals who purchase these autos in an effort to offset costs for both. Change of this magnitude is not free, and it’s not cheap, either.
There are cars that are already hybrid and cars using solar and electric power. Other cars in the wings are hydrogen cell powered. All of these are less harmful to the environment and will conserve energy and eliminate the need for at least some amount of fossil fuels. Some of these are being used now, and their use can be increased with the right marketing and incentives.
Researchers are looking at ways to use recycled solid waste to power cities and transportation. There are ways to use nuclear energy to create power, and we have been doing this for decades.
As for drilling, those who say that it won’t work also say that most of the usable oil is located within 50 miles of the shoreline, but the new energy plan, if passed, will not allow drilling any closer than 50 miles of the shoreline, so there may not be many oil rich areas out there, according to some. Also, even though the lawmakers will allow the moratorium on drilling to lapse so that the possibility of drilling can become a reality, it ultimately remains up to the individual states as to whether they will approve it or not.
Drilling is a viable option and should not be dismissed. The current fuel crisis was not created overnight, and just like losing weight after gaining it over a period of time, the solution will not be finalized over night either.
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.
Will the Fuel Solution Lie in a Combination?
We are being told by Congress, the news, the President, politicians, the oil companies and others that there are solutions to the fuel crisis. However, every entity has a different opinion as to what the most appropriate solutions are.
There are ideas about alternative fuel, alternative energy, traditional fuel, fossil fuels, solar power, hydrogen power, water power and more.
All of these seem to have their place and it seems as though, since the world is in such a crunch for energy, there might just be a place for most types of energy to keep the world running.
Since all of the various energy sources are available – some in more limited quantities than others – why not do what we can to use them all in the most efficient ways possible?
Wind power can provide for the energy needs that electricity provides for. Solar power can create electric energy plus energy to run cars and fill other energy needs. Hydrogen and water can run vehicles and they can provide for other energy needs, as well.
There is water power – hydro-electricity, which has been around for decades. There is also nuclear power – which is often a “nasty” word, but in times like these even some of the ideas we don’t like become less distasteful if we can find positive uses for them – especially in saving the planet, creating energy and saving money, not to mention, making the country “fuel independent.”
When we look at all the types of fuel available, it is good to know that there are choices, alternatives and combinations of energy that we can use to address the energy needs now and in the future.