Wednesday, May 03, 2006
High Oil Prices - Oil Companies Fault, No Yours
Jimmy Carter warned us decades ago – actually 1977. Did we listen, No. Reagan laughed him off - and won the 1980 presidential election. We have been in denial since.
What did Europe do - they raised gasoline taxes in order to get their nation off their oil addiction and fund the development of alternative technologies.
It is our politician’s fault to let us continue to build an automobile-gasoline powered landscape. And now, having used half the world's easy oil, that landscape is like a boulder tied around our necks.
And it is going to get worse. Oil prices will go up and up. Everyone will be looking for a scapegoat - but when will they point to himself or herself?
For a few generations now life has been easy in America. Different fringe type folks have raised warning flags (air pollution, mercury, global warming, trade deficit, health care, energy...) but most of us have done well ignoring them. Instead we had the tech boom, rapidly increasing real estate values, healthy stock market, etc. So we have learned to not worry... not think about the future... it'll work itself out.
And our politicians have done the same. Go ahead, go to one of your representatives - tell them something along the lines of: "There is this serious problem I see coming at us in about five years, could you do something about it." They will smile and say, "Oh I agree with you, but if I write up a bill nobody will co-sponsor it, it won't go anywhere. Come back to me when it is an emergency."
Well, dude, we are addicted to oil and there is less and less of it out there, and now it is an emergency!
What to do? Nothing really can be done in the span of weeks or months or even years - so lets blame the oil companies or the Republicans.
Soon each of us must stop complaining and take responsibility and start acting by reducing our oil usage.
What did Europe do - they raised gasoline taxes in order to get their nation off their oil addiction and fund the development of alternative technologies.
It is our politician’s fault to let us continue to build an automobile-gasoline powered landscape. And now, having used half the world's easy oil, that landscape is like a boulder tied around our necks.
And it is going to get worse. Oil prices will go up and up. Everyone will be looking for a scapegoat - but when will they point to himself or herself?
For a few generations now life has been easy in America. Different fringe type folks have raised warning flags (air pollution, mercury, global warming, trade deficit, health care, energy...) but most of us have done well ignoring them. Instead we had the tech boom, rapidly increasing real estate values, healthy stock market, etc. So we have learned to not worry... not think about the future... it'll work itself out.
And our politicians have done the same. Go ahead, go to one of your representatives - tell them something along the lines of: "There is this serious problem I see coming at us in about five years, could you do something about it." They will smile and say, "Oh I agree with you, but if I write up a bill nobody will co-sponsor it, it won't go anywhere. Come back to me when it is an emergency."
Well, dude, we are addicted to oil and there is less and less of it out there, and now it is an emergency!
What to do? Nothing really can be done in the span of weeks or months or even years - so lets blame the oil companies or the Republicans.
Soon each of us must stop complaining and take responsibility and start acting by reducing our oil usage.
