Energy Independence Uber Alles!
Posted by Frankly Francis on March 10, 2009 under Social Issues/Politics | 
3 Comments to Read
Amongst Other Options...
There is no greater priority; Energy Independence is my Number One issue. Actually, now that I think of it, Energy Abundance would be even better. We could trade our surplus energy to a world in fast growing need of it. Trade balances would quickly swing our way for a long overdue change.
And let me give you my point of view straight-up: Energy self-sufficiency is more important to me today than clean emissions. I’m willing to gamble that if we can develop the technology to become energy independent, we will have no trouble developing the proper ecology cleansing technology as well.
Note also that I strongly believe that we should be a good neighbor on the planet that we inhabit. I hope it won’t be too long before we all readily agree that throwing pollutants into the planet is just as dumb as throwing waste on the streets where we live.
Nietzsche said, “From chaos comes order,” which I consider a semi-no-brainer. I would counter it with, “From chaos comes profit.” One person’s waste may profitably be another person’s living.
Lack of geographical frontiers can be potentially deeply vexing to our species – this is really the first time in recorded history that there are no more readily available lands to explore and inhabit. So we must change our focus to other frontiers. This may be the most wonderful time in our history to be American.
T. Boone Pickens is sure behaving like an American! And I’m glad that he is fundamentally a cowboy, whether he is right or wrong. Let’s bring on more Yankee Ingenuity.
President Kennedy boldly asserted in the early 60’s that we would land a man on the moon before 1970 – a goal that was pretty far fetched at the time. The nation became properly challenged and powerfully motivated. We did it.
Lincoln asserted, “No man stands still, he either moves ahead or falls behind.” I believe Honest Abe was correct in that observation. So it is true with nations.
In conclusion, I do not suggest the foregoing to push for an isolationist future; I just think that we should not be dependent upon other earthlings.
Frankly,
Francis
Sherry said,
There could be no better investment in America than to invest in America becoming energy independent! We need to utilize everything in out power to reduce our dependence on foreign oil including using our own natural resources. Create cheap clean energy, new badly needed green jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.The high cost of fuel this past year seriously damaged our economy and society. The cost of fuel effects every facet of consumer goods from production to shipping costs. After a brief reprieve gas is inching back up.OPEC will continue to cut production until they achieve their desired 80-100. per barrel.It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to charge and drive an electric car. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and SUV’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota.We have so much available to us such as wind and solar. Let’s spend some of those bail out billions and get busy harnessing this energy. Create cheap clean energy, badly needed new jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What a win-win situation that would be for our nation at large! There is a really good new book out by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now. https://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
User Loser said,
You know the funniest part of all this is that it would be kind of easy to reduce our energy dependence.It would be to use less. Polluticians have for years done nothing to tamp down our energy consumption. Little things like taxing energy have been off the table. Bigger things like not building roads everywhere. Not allowing every Tom Dick or Harry to live wherever they want no matter how high the civic cost. America loves its chaotic free idiocy form of capitalism so we all suffer from its side effects. The United States is the country where the thoughtless sadists rise to the top. Jingoistic slogans substitute for thought. Good long term planning is something I don’t see us doing so I don’t see us doing any kind of Energy Independence. I wish I could think otherwise but the evidence is in America doesn’t do smart. It does the easy. Energy Independence is something that you can’t just wish for and it really doesn’t fit in with our lifestyles so won’t be done.
QuinnFazigu said,
User Loser, Fran’s approach is an answer to your justifiable cynicism. Americans can solve this problem the American way — by profiting from it.
I don’t care about polar bears stranded on ice floes or a toad croaking his last in the Amazon. At the top of the food chain, we eat power. Science and technology consume power. Public works consume it. Our future depends on clean and renewable power.
Nevermind the Captain Planet heroics to save the delicate maiden Gaia — I need power. It is a profitable field to pursue, and emphasis should be placed on that potential, and not the scare and guilt-mongering of Gore and his ilk.
That invective aside, our goals are the same. To achieve them, we must focus on science, practicality, and profit — not emotion and political consensus. The environmental movement has for too long cloaked itself as “scientific” while eschewing empirical evidence and the scientific method for tears and fears. If man is indeed selfish, then you just give him what he wants — and nobody would refuse clean and renewable power.
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