green | rising

Think Big, Really Big

May 11th, 2006 by Vihar Sheth | Posted in Environment, Politics, Responsibility, Science

Temporary suspension of the world’s lowest gas taxes and $100 rebates are not going to help ease the approaching energy crisis. America needs to think big, using rational thought and not lobbyist influence, if it is to survive the impending blow to our standard of living. Personally, I think a reality check might help right the wasteful course we’re on. But, to spare the honest, hardworking American people who live paycheck to paycheck as much grief as possible something bold must be done. No more half-assed attempts at fixing a problem everyone knows how to fix. Cut the corporate welfare, quit financing both sides of an un-winnable war and grow a spine.

Robert Kuttner, a co-editor of The American Prospect, wrote an article entitle, “Apollo, Already!” recently. In it, he said:

It’s not as if serious people didn’t see this coming. Europe, for example, spends about half of what the United States does on energy, relative to GDP. But Europe has entirely different policies on everything from mass transit to building codes to gas taxes. Brazil makes more than half of its motor fuels from domestic renewable ethanol. Japan is far ahead of the United States in the development of efficient hybrid cars.

Japan recognized long ago alternative types of vehicles were needed to maintain humanity’s level of consumption. Japan and Europe build cities around mass transit, and let cars fill in the gaps. Brazil uses sugarcane to produce ethanol. Sugarcane, by the way, yields eight times more energy than corn, which is what the U.S. plans to use. Corn, in fact, uses as much energy to process as it yields in ethanol. We can thank the big corn push on the corn industry lobby. Someone always has to get paid.

Our use of ethanol in gasoline blends is so screwed up that it’s actually hurting us. Arizona Congressman John Shadegg actually suggested something the Wall Street Journal thought was a good idea, and that was to suspend the outrageously high tariffs on imported ethanol. We use over ten different blends of gasoline in this country. That means that gasoline produce for California might not be made to the same standard that Missouri requires. So, if Missouri has a shortage of its required type of gasoline blend it can not use California blend (if California has a surplus). Instead, consumers in Missouri will face higher prices and shortages. Genius!

Kuttner goes on to say:

Had we begun adjusting to the need for a post-petroleum economy during the first and second oil shocks, three decades ago when Jimmy Carter was ridiculed for wearing that cardigan, or even 10 years ago when “Ozone Al” Gore was mocked for taking seriously the threat of global warming, we would not be getting robbed quite so helplessly at the pump by a collusion of oil barons and their Republican enablers.

It’s fine that politicians of both parties want to give voters some election-year price relief at the pump. But even if a huge windfall profits tax were enacted and the proceeds used to lower retail gas prices, that would be a massive policy default and a win for business as usual.

Big Oil is only doing what it’s allowed to do. You can hate the Yankees all you want (and I do), but they only spend what the game allows them to. It’s been said over and over, but don’t hate the players, hate the game. It is the federal government who has the power to put its foot down and make change. What are the oil companies going to do if you cut them off? Bitch about lower profits? The American consumer is their bread and butter.

Bush thought his marginal presidential victory in 2004 was a mandate from the American people. He’s taken that charge and ruined nearly everything he’s touched. He could revive the last few years of his presidency and leave a legacy different than the one of incompetence he’s crafted thus far. Kuttner finished with:

America needs an Apollo-scale program to shift to renewable energy and more efficient vehicles. If the United States acts soon, it needn’t lower the standard of living; it just needs to stop donating so much of Americans’ incomes to the oil companies and prevent them and their allies from dictating national energy policy.

No more baby steps, no more bending over for special interests. Kick the corporate whores out of your offices and work on a solution. Both Democrats and Republicans need to grow spines, suck it up and make the tough decisions with no thought of campaign donations, reelection or what someone else might think. The solution is clear and the time is now.