Discussion topic
Our addiction to fossil fuels
Solution
The big picture of the energy issue is multiple
By siteAdmin
2/28/2008
Ranked 
by 3 voter(s). Please login to vote on this solution.
Do you realize that the whole world is basically dependent on half a dozen countries for its energy needs? That is scary! The answer to changing this problem is alternative sources of fuel and power. We have ethanol fuel, solar panels, wind energy, water, hydrogen fuel and nuclear energy. One of the above is not the total solution – it is all of these resources that fit into the big picture of tomorrow’s energy needs.
We have learned over the past 20 years to burn cleaner coal with more efficiency, to get oil from the sands of Canada, from Brazil how ethanol can be used (although we must be leery of crop and food inflation created by relying on ethanol fuel too much). We have seen the beginning of wind farms and solar power discoveries from many countries. Now hydrogen fuel is starting to enter the picture. Hydrogen is a win/win source. Environmentally its use creates water and no CO2 – therefore, no pollution. Eventually hydrogen will be able to make more hydrogen. BMW and Honda both have cars that run on gasoline or hydrogen fuels.
As a country we have to put our tax dollars to work making distribution and production facilities for these alternate fuel sources. It can be in the form of direct investment in hydrogen fuel distribution or tax cuts to the gas stations to set up the tanks, or tax benefits to car companies to expand research and development.
The only way to get oil prices to fall back to historic levels is to create competition for the product. Cutting oil usage by developing other sources of energy is the only answer.
I hate to say it, but help from the government is the only way to get the ball rolling. Otherwise we will have to wait for gasoline to go to $10.00 per gallon, which will create an economic crisis.
Big oil would benefit too by setting up ethanol and hydrogen fuel plants and distribution networks. Grants should be made to universities for research and development – whatever it takes. It’s also a National Security issue: bring oil back to $20.00 a barrel or less and cut oil use by 50%. The Middle East countries would start to take care of their own social and leadership problems. They would be forced to look inward and to stop blaming the greedy US capitalists for all their woes. What a dream!
Both Democrats and Republicans have to walk away from oil money and start thinking about the future of America and the world. If we can replace oil with alternative fuels alternate fuel sources, we can also clean up the environment.
What a nice place to live – EARTH – green and clean!
