Lately there has been a lot of anger and frustration over the 'high price of oil'. Oil companies have been making record profits, gas prices have gone through the roof, and folks are, for the first time since the mid-70's paying attention to those three little letters, MPG. In the last couple of days I have received emails showing photos of an Arab sheik's silver plated Audi, and an indoor ski slope built in the middle of a Middle-Eastern desert. Both messages came with the caption: See what $2.29 a gallon buys. Well, while I can certainly understand the anger and frustration(when it takes $20 to fill my Saturn's tank I get a bit frustrated too), complaining about it is like the chef complaining that the fat man in the dining room weighs too much. We are feeding the monster with nearly everything we do, and it isn't until it becomes inconvenient that we start to complain.
For as long as I can remember scientists, sociologists, and the occasional politician have been warning us about our unprecedented dependence on oil. Most people only think about the gas in their tanks, but petroleum is used in the manufacture of most plastics. Just think about how many items in your everyday life use plastics. Plus most of the electricity in the US is generated using petroleum fueled power plants. There is oil in our cars, our lawnmowers, our computers, our furniture, even the lip-balm we use to keep our kissers supple. As much as I hate to agree with anything that comes out of W's mouth, we are truly addicted to oil. And unless we change our basic ways of thinking and living that addiction is not going away any time soon.
I don't think it is possible to reduce our need for plastics, but we can work on the ways in which we generate and use energy. Politicians have found a couple of buzz words that make them sound like they are trying to solve the problem, so let's look a little more closely at them.
Hydrogen. There is a lot of talk about hydrogen being the next big fuel. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen, and the 'waste' product is water. Sounds great, doesn't it? The President loves to tout his dedication to hydrogen technologies, but there is one major flaw no one in Washington is mentioning. Hydrogen is abundant on our little planet, but not in its pure form. It is pretty much all tied up in compounds, most abundantly water. Most of us performed electrolysis experiments in high school, running current through water to make hydrogen and oxygen, and that's the same way they get hydrogen today. But here's the kicker. The electricity needed to break water down into its constituent parts comes from...say it along with me folks...oil burning power plants. Right now it takes far more energy to make hydrogen than we get back by using it in fuel cells. Eventually there will be a better way to get hydrogen, and I fully expect to see practical fuel cells in common use in my lifetime, but that day is years, if not decades off.
Ethanol. Ethanol has been around for years. By fermenting corn you can make a fuel that will power our gasoline driven equipment. There are places where corn is plentiful that have been augmenting their gasoline with ethanol since the '70's. And everyone knows that we, the US, grow more corn than we use. So, ethanol is a natural, renewable source of cheap fuel, right? Well, yes and no. Just like with hydrogen we need to look at the big picture. While there is some debate over this, it seems that when you factor in the petroleum products needed to plant, fertilize, harvest, and process the corn your net energy savings gained from using it as fuel aren't that great. The upside is that it can be used as an alternative fuel today, but it won't significantly reduce our oil needs in the long run.
So, what's my point? Glad you asked. Rather than waste time, effort, and emotion decrying those who merely feed our gluttonous needs, start making real efforts to reduce those needs. Drive less. Get rid of the monstrous SUV in your driveway. Walk, ride bikes, carpool, use public transportation. Recycle anything and everything you can. If you own your home there are numerous ways to reduce your oil-driven energy consumption. Wind and solar power are practical, affordable, and available for many household uses. Research is making great strides in using such things as ocean waves and tidal changes to generate clean electricity. Electric and hybrid cars are being refined and improved yearly, and the price of these vehicles is dropping rapidly. Simply being aware of the amount of energy you use, and making a conscious effort to reduce it whenever, and wherever possible will make a world of difference. We need to stop blaming others, and take responsibility for our own excesses. The oil will run out, maybe not today, or this century, but it will run out, and unless we want to run out with it, we have to do something today. If not for ourselves, for our children.
Here endeth the lesson. Go in peace.
Marius
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