America’s Energy Crisis: Further Ranger Comments

Most of America’s energy problems that we are facing today, which will be far worse during the next decade even if Congress somehow started serving the people instead of their own personal interests and/or naïve and misinformed understanding; are historically and directly traceable to both parties in Congress, and the lack of United State’s presidential leadership since 1973.

As I write this, consider the fact that the latest Rasmussen Poll reports that 9% of Americans believe Congress is doing a good or excellent job. That means 91% of Americans believe our Congressional Representatives are doing a poor or lousy job! Somehow though most Americans believe their Congressional Representative is doing a good job, and it is the rest of the members that are doing a lousy job. I know that because upwards of 90% of the incumbents are re-elected regularly, yet the Rasmussen Poll infers that most of the incumbents should be voted out of office. Without term limits, which we will never see, because Congress has to approve that option; a nationwide eviction of incumbents would send a strong message to those that replaced the current losers that do not have the best interest of the country at heart.

Chuck Norris recently wrote a piece offering another suggestion, which he believes will force Congress to be more attentive to representing the will of people, upholding the Constitution and Bill of Rights, promoting less government, fighting for fewer taxes, balancing the budget, securing our borders, and reducing our national deficit, debts and dependence on other nations. In his “Honey, I Shrunk the Congress” article he suggests that we have too many representatives. Mr. Norris proposes that fewer representatives would prevent incompetence because the individual members couldn’t put the blame for their behavior on other members of Congress, which we have been witnessing for decades. Norris contends that it is much wiser to have only one representative from each state and two senators from each state. That leaves the members no place to hide. Each state’s constituents would know exactly where their elected officials stand on any discussion. The Constitution states that “The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand people.” So, fewer members are possible, and it would save a lot of money in the process.

While I like this suggestion, it has a major flaw. The one elected representative would obviously be in that position due to a majority vote by the voting citizens, and minority opinions on any topic would get less attention from the successfully elected member. While the one elected official would represent the majority opinion vote, he/she might not consider a minority opinion within his/her state because it does not represent the opinion of the voters who elected him/her to the office.

The truth of the matter concerning our energy crisis is our elected officials squandered the past three decades ignoring our future energy needs, as well as the social security crisis, and uncontrolled borders permeated by illegal alien entries, as they haggled over party beliefs and responded to lobbyist influences that would enhance their re-election opportunities. Years of mismanagement requires drastic, expensive measures to save social security, though there is little movement in Congress to solve the problem. There are millions of illegal aliens in the country that are the primary source of economic disaster to the taxpayers primarily within the Border States, and the federal budget as well. And, we have no alternative holistic energy plan that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As T. Boone Pickens said, our expenditures for foreign oil “…is the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world.” And, that wealth is primarily going to the enemies of America; autocrats that want us dead.

We cannot drill our way back to low priced gasoline and diesel fuel, but we better get started at drilling more domestic sources if we are going to have a chance to remain economically viable five or more years from now.

Even if America’s oil companies had the blessing of Congress to drill the coastal waters, ANWR, and the profitable inland resources; that oil would sell on the world market for whatever price is dictated by the supply and what the buying countries are willing to pay. More available oil would likely bring down the world speculative price, but what you consider “inexpensive” fuel is gone forever, because oil/gas are finite resources. Eventually, it will be gone in the Mid East, and wherever else it exists around the world.

It is estimated that there are two trillion barrels of oil, 1,000 feet underground, and locked up in the oil shale of the Green River Basin of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, but the technology for profitable extraction is still under development. However, the suitability, cost, technology for extraction, environmental, socioeconomic and land use policy issues have to be addressed by Congress. Given Congressional performance to date, that could take decades, if it occurs at all.

Estimates are there might be 402 billion barrels of oil accessible to American drillers if all the moratoriums were lifted. That is a finite quantity. At present, there is no liquid fuel that can replace oil. It behooves Congress and the American people to utilize what is available far more wisely than we have in the past, while the government pursues all avenues of funding and scientific research to reduce our dependence on oil. That includes nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, coal, gas, batteries, hydrogen, and as yet unknown energy sources, with the same tenacity and commitment that was exhibited during the “Manhattan Project.” It is imperative for the future transportation of products, supplies and citizens that development of rail transportation throughout America be considered. It is possible to move a significant quantity of freight by rail less expensively than by any other means. The price of delivering food and business and industrial supplies by trucks in the future will be a major cause for dramatically escalating prices and/or availability as gasoline and diesel prices continue to go higher and higher. Nearly 70% of the oil we use every day is consumed by our automobiles. We are a nation of individual drivers and road travelers. The economy, environmental concerns and safety of this country demanded all these considerations 34 years ago, and we are running out of time.

Congress has ignored the needs of the nation to survive. Further proof of an inept Congress not concerned with the needs of the nation was the massive subsidies recently granted to farmers to produce ethanol on land that once produced food. That guarantees higher food prices, while Congress insists on high tariffs to prevent the importation of cheaper ethanol. Congress continues to bicker and position themselves with their lobbyists for their next election totally oblivious to America’s future. Individual Congressmen and women are doing what they believe their constituents desire, and responding to the lobbyists that will support them financially for their next election, but by ignoring the national impacts of those selfish decisions; they are driving up costs to consumers and placing the country on track for our future to be the equivalent of a Third World Nation.

THE FUTURE

Throughout America there are tens of thousands, if not millions of citizens, living on little more than Social Security, or as single parents. They are, and/or will be, severely impacted by the rising cost of food, services and energy needs to heat their homes and operate their automobile. Within the northern tier of the United States most homes require and average of 500 gallons of oil or some fuel equivalent to maintain a comfortable winter temperature in the home. This coming winter of 2008/2009 the cost to heat their home will be approximately double what it was last winter. All food prices have risen due to transportation costs, and will rise further due to less harvest because of ethanol production displacing field crops. Corn that once fed cattle will now be feeding Fords and Chevrolets. Meat prices have risen already and will be higher in the future.

Everything produced and/or transported in this country will require higher prices due to energy costs to produce and transport those products. Every cost will escalate to provide community lighting, remove garbage, and maintain water supplies and infrastructures. All forms of transportation and the production of all goods and services will increase due to higher energy costs, and worker’s unions vying for increased wages to maintain some level of their former lifestyle. Within our major northern cities some people will freeze to death because they bought food and/or medicine instead of paying for energy to heat their apartment or home.

As the lowest income residents suffer the most there will be increased pressure on states and Congress to tax accordingly and re-distribute income in some fashion to help those citizens.

Before the energy crisis our major airlines were in bankruptcy from which they emerged, but as fuel prices continue to escalate the cost of flying will increase. Likely, the number of travelers by both airline and personal automobile travel will decrease. If so, it is quite possible that some airlines will again become bankrupt. Tourism and business revenues will also decline. Small businesses that produce products will be under pressure to survive. General Motors and Ford are currently on the brink of failure. The increased cost of all goods, services and fuel will further impact the ability of home owners to pay their mortgages. However, the Congressional leaders in light of America’s failing automotive and airline industry, have proposed to increase taxes on gasoline to make life a little tougher for everyone.

All the above impacts will increase the pressure on Congress to relax environmental constraints to permit further energy finds and enhance small business entrepreneurs’ ability to survive.

Now, consider this. Where do you think the country will be in ten, twenty or thirty years if Congress and the nation’s leadership continues to perform as they have for the past 34 years?

This entry was posted on 19. July 2008 at 10:09 and is filed under America's Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.