The Energy Crisis

We’re in an energy crisis, no mistake.  Oil prices are spiralling out of control; the cost of electricity and natural gas are also increasing.  People are having a hard time keeping up with these costs and are cutting other places — like prescription drugs — in order to pay for gasoline so that they can go to work.  Those are difficult choices.  Our economy — indeed, the world’s economy — depends on energy.  Without energy, we stop.  People can’t get to work, raw materials can’t be refined, and the economy grinds to a halt.

The problem is that there isn’t any real leadership coming out of Washington or from the presidential campaigns on these issues.  Energy should be the number one priority of the campaigns, before health care or the budget or even the war in Iraq.  McCain has given a speech talking about nuclear power, to his credit.  Obama hasn’t. 

Here’s what I think we need to be doing to solve this crisis (some of this is borrowed from Bob Brinker’s Money Talk radio program):

• The president, Congress and the presidential candidates need to acknowledge that we’re in an energy crisis every bit as serious as the energy crisis of the 1970s.  Then they need to propose some immediate, sensible solutions.
• We should drill in ANWR.  Yes, it will take some time for that oil to come on line.  But it will never get there if we don’t start.  I know there are environmental concerns (I largely agree with those concerns).  But there has to be some balance here.  We need fuel to survive.
• We need to move our electricity generating power plants to nuclear power.  Using natural gas for this is crazy.  It’s a waste.
• Liquefied coal (we have huge coal reserves) needs to be exploited.
• Move the natural gas that the power plants are no longer using to fuel automobiles.  This is a much more sensible use of this energy.
• Corn-based ethanol isn’t a solution.  All this does is drive up the cost of food worldwide.
• Start a “Manhattan Project” to come up with viable renewable energy sources to move our economy totally away from oil.

There aren’t any easy answers.  Coming up with real energy solutions will require a good deal of sacrifice.  That’s why the politicians aren’t talking about it.  It will cause some pain and that’s not good for getting votes.  But we need real, gutsy leadership on this issue now or there will be a lot more pain later.  That’s not something I want my son and his children saddled with.