The Energy Equation

In a year that has already seen it's share of misfortunes not only for countless millions of Americans but millions more the world over along comes pre-summer inflationary trends in the price we pay for just about everything we buy. We have already seen staggering increases in the price of food from dairy to beef and now we are facing more pain at the pump just to get to the store to pay those inflated prices. When is comes to the price of milk lately it would be cheaper to buy a cow. Now, as we are approaching the summer months as usual the price of gas always increases. That old saying that supply and demand dictates the price, well today it is not really the supply and demand rational so much that has set the price of gas soaring it really is corporate greed. In just the past two months the price we pay at the pump has jumped and in most places around the country many are paying more than $4.00 per gallon. Many don't realize that the price we pay at the pump does dictate the price of everything else and that includes food.

Questions need to be ask especially in light of the fact that "Big Oil" has for the past forty years put corporate profits ahead of the American Public. With newer technologies being developed making renewable green energy more cost effective there really isn't any reason why the United States still is so dependent on foreign oil and OPEC. Being so dependent on foreign oil has cost the American taxpayer over $4 trillion in just the past ten years alone and that isn't counting the thousands of American men and women who have lost their lives on the countless military missions in the Middle- East all in the name of protecting those oil fields. Meanwhile the U.S. continues to export more and more refined oil keeping the American public at the mercy of these corporate giants whose share holders reap increasingly huge profits every quarter.

When countries like Canada, Mexico, Brazil and even China are beneficiaries of our oil exports leaves little doubt as to the intentions of Americas energy policies. It is evident in the fact that even though the green energy movement has moved on to become more of a key player in our energy equation the fact still remains that green energy has yet to take priority over our outdated energy policies, and that currently is oil. With exports increasing by more than 25% every quarter means more Americas are having to pay higher prices as well. Now with the Keystone pipe line debate that will make the transfer of raw crude to the oil refineries on the Gulf Coast more accessible the prospect of more exports will only continue to make matters worse for the American consumer. How much longer can the American consumer actually pay the higher costs when oil futures continue to reap huge dividends for share holders? As it stand now especially with so many already on limited incomes means that things will get pretty dicey if our energy costs continue to rise.

When we look around at the world today with the mounting tensions in the Ukraine, Syria and North Korea too many of these tensions are a result to capitalize on the one existing energy source that powered the first industrial revolution. Outdated, environmentally damaging and the source of much of the worlds violence the energy equations of nations continue to maintain policies that only exasperate current conditions. Evidence of this is undeniable considering the latest chunk of Ice that broke off Antarctica that is almost the size of Rode Island. The world today is experiencing the after effects of what man has done. When so much extraction, refinement and consumption of an energy source that by it's nature is harmful it is really no wonder the world today is a hotbed of increasing instability.

Today's global appetite for oil far exceeds $5 trillion a year. An energy source that continues to keep nations subservient to a constant source of fuel that has an enormous financial impact for a select few to reap increasing profits. But, for the rest of us along with every ecosystem around the world the effects of our continued extraction, refinement and consumption of fossil fuel has caused devastation on a global scale.

It has been well documented that man ever since the beginning of the first industrial revolution green house gasses have only accelerated global warming. Today, all one has to do to see the effects of what man has caused by the continued use, production, and consumption of fossil fuel is visit the outer banks of Alaska and the areas surrounding the North Pole. Even closer to home are the algae plums and red tide. Proponents of the oil and coal industry keep asserting that green energy will never equate to the power needed that comes with the use of existing fossil fuel sources. There again policy makers have only one frame of mind and that is the all mighty dollar. If policy makers are not committed to reducing global carbon dioxide emissions it is because the current price of existing sources of energy that matter. To date the price of oil and coal is wining out compared to newer forms of energy production, like solar or wind. By the way, solar power really is the most affordable energy source available but current policies have made it most cost prohibitive for too many all around the world. Too many policy makers keep asserting that when economic growth confront policies of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions economic growth wins every time. Governmental policies have continued to allow the economic growth of a few to stand in the way of implementing energy sources that will drastically reduce carbon emissions.

Scientists have already noted that global warming has had devastating effects on biological organisms, insect abnormalities, and a host of other life threatening effects all because of the consistent rise in the earths temperature. Over the past 10 years despite great public concern carbon dioxide emissions have soared. As of this moment there are over 3 billion people world wide that continue to live in dire energy poverty. Today more that 1.5 billion have no access to any electricity at all. The reality is that we have had over a 35% increase in carbon dioxide emissions globally since 2002. Just in the past decade these emissions have steady increased most of the increase is in Asia, the Mid-East and Africa. And, yet there are billions still without access to any power source. Still many developing countries with fast growing economies like Vietnam, China, and India there assertion is their economy simply cannot continue to grow if they limit the use of hydrocarbons. The United States still remains transfixed with this rational also.

There is a solution to the inequality of energy and at the same time drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But it is going to take a consorted effort to rethink the energy equation. Green energy can be successful on individual levels. This is where households are independent sources of their own energy. The move has already started using the technology in producing electricity that will power the final industrial revolution. To augment this new source solar and wind on a localized scale individual homes will be able now to generate their own electricity independently of major Electric companies. Self reliant efficient non carbon dioxide emission energy for the individual whether for homes or small business will impact and improve every local economy.

For modes of transport to start to reduce the increasing and fluctuating price of today's gasoline technologies developed in other countries most notably Australia have realized that solar gas is more efficient, more cost effective, and a totally environmentally safe fuel source. The biggest hindrance to it's full implementation is the mind set of policy makers that are continually bought and paid for by "Big Oil." To wait any longer in changing our energy policies to fuel sources that will revolutionize the United States energy equation when we have the technologies readily available to do so the more our economy will suffer.