By
Lora Mackel
Strangely enough, it was a "petrol tax" strike in Great Britain that demonstrated to the world just how dependent it is on petroleum based fuel. Without petroleum, Great Britain's highways emptied, its schools closed, food stores were rationed and chaos ruled. Within the span of two days, daily life without petroleum fuel was not possible. The modern world can no longer function without petroleum-based fuels, and the bad news is that petroleum is not an unlimited resource. The potential for a shortage, along with real damage being done to the environment by this energy, should be enough for the average consumer to demand that more environmentally sound sources of energy be used.
In Tucson, the community already has intimate knowledge of our energy shortcomings. Early in the summer, due to high energy consumption at peak hours, the local energy provider threatened to use rolling black outs to pressure consumers to conserve. Elsewhere, in heat-broiled Texas and technology-driven Silicon Valley, utility companies struggled to keep up with energy demands, and had to use black outs. Our unusually hot summer only further exposed how vulnerable our petroleum-driven lives really are.
But the fuel problem did not only affect electricity. The price at gasoline pumps for the average consumer was a surprise some fiscal analysts thought would cool off the economy and prevent the summer vacationers from leaving home. Americans, who pay about half of what Europeans do for a gallon of gasoline, protested bitterly about the price. This dissatisfaction prompted American politicians to put pressure on oil producing nations like Saudi Arabia to step up production.
Problem solved, right? Well, not exactly. While spoiled American consumers did get what they wanted, the underlying problem with the system still remains. For as much as oil producing nations step up their production, it still does not change the fact that oil is a dwindling resource, and not a renewable one at that. Eventually, the world's oil supply will run out.
Additionally, there is increasing proof that American and world-wide use of fossil fuel based energies is causing real and serious damage to essential parts of our environment. According to the Energy Information Agency, three-quarters of all carbon dioxide emissions into the environment are human caused. This fact, coupled with the increasing deforestation of key areas around the world, has led to the alarming condition of the Earth's atmosphere. And even in the face of such a disaster, consider that carbon dioxide emissions increased from 5.8 billion metric tons in 1990 to 10 billion metric tons this year, and you will see why the situation is so dire. The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more the earth heats up, it is as simple as that.
The strangely sad thing is that America already had an energy crisis. But instead of changing our gas-guzzling ways, Americans continued to build sprawling cities, did little to recycle and elevated the inefficient Ford Explorer and Chevy Suburban to chariots fit for gods. And more likely than not, our energy hubris will be our undoing.
Our culture teaches us very little about conservation. We are bombarded from birth with the notion that as Americans we are entitled to a car, a sprawling home and tons of consumer goods. America is blessed with a wealth of both natural and manufactured resources, which gives us a false sense of security that comes from being relatively self-sufficient. In reality, America will not be able to maintain is reserves and resources unless conservation takes place. America is losing its forests, its minerals and its other natural treasures faster than they can be replaces. Not only should Americans conserves energy, they must or there will be nothing of value left .
Our dependence on gasoline can be reversed, but only with real effort. The most important thing needed is a commitment to well-researched, substantial information about environmentally sound energy. Right now there is very little research about these resources, some of which is being sponsored by gasoline companies who have a vested financial interest in seeing that new techniques are not applied. Most importantly, Americans must learn to conserve energy, to recycle what they can and to educate themselves on energy issues.
