I don't know why people are protesting against the impending war between the United States and Iraq with the same, old message from 1990: President Bush is going to war over oil.
I believe that the President of the United States would only resort to war over something more important like human rights abuses, but in with the current situation it would seem that the future of oil imports is one of many key reasons for a regime change in Iraq, but we have no one to blame for this but ourselves.
That's right, you and me, Joe and Jolene American, are responsible for a war over oil.
Why?
Because you and I (citizens of the United States) use more oil and gas than almost the entire world combined. America goes through fossil fuel by the billions of gallons a day and you can't just blame the people who drive large SUVs because your little Honda still uses gas and oil to get around. Even our electricity comes from power plants that use oil to power the steam generators that power homes all over the US. On the east coast a lot of homes are still being heated with oil.
Our current standard of living in America demands more oil and gas than we can produce within our own borders (unless you want to open ANWR) and so we rely on other countries to fuel this need, this way of life.
The President and Congress have the unspoken task of protecting the America way of life so naturally they are concerned with the current events of the Middle East, Russia, South America and North Africa. Should any of these regions stop the flow of oil, so stops America, thus the need for diplomacy and close relations. And when diplomacy fails the last resort is military force.
In no way does this let the President and Congress off the hook. America needs a better energy plan that includes more research into alternative fuels but nothing will change for the better until you and I agree to make some changes in our own lives.
First, we need to pay more for fuel — period. Citizens of the United States pay less for a gallon of gas than almost everyone else in the world. Our allies in Europe are paying many times more per liter/gallon than we do. Gasoline is one of the cheapest liquids available to the American consumer. Think about it, we are willing to pay $3.50 for 16 oz. of Starbucks or $7 for a shot of alcohol, yet we cry foul (among other choice words) if the price per gallon for gasoline climbs near two dollars.
Second, we need to support better, energy saving methods of transportation, heating, and energy generation. The Big Three auto makers have said many times over that they are able to create more efficient transportation but the cost of manufacturing these vehicles is above the price range of what the average US consumer is willing to spend on a car or truck.
If you and I are not willing to start making sacrifices then the need for more oil will continue to grow, as will our necessity to police over those nations which own the titles to the oil. It is time for everyone, including war protestors, to start taking some responsibility for the pending conflict in the Middle East and begin to make changes in the American lifestyle that is so dependent on oil.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
While I agree with you, I don't think there's a chance in hell that such a thing will happen...unless it's somehow forced upon us.
Why would it have to be forced upon us? Are you suggesting that we are all lemmings to the machines and industry?
We can just start driving less, buying more responsibly, and consuming more carefully. If so few people are using so many resources, then those same few people can dramatically, and powerfully impact the planet, for better or for worse. We can choose to be empowered, and choose to clean up our behavior.
By and large, yes. I'm guilty of it, too. Every day I sit in traffic for two hours, looking at hundreds of cars sitting around me, each with a single occupant. Most of the vehicles are SUVs, pickups (I drive a Dodge Ram - I can't yell too loudly about this), etc. All are exceeding the speed limit (me included), which burns fuel faster. We hate it, and we love it, and we can't get enough of it. I spend an average of $2600 a year on gasoline for my truck. My commute is a 90-mile round trip every day, none of which can be handled by mass transit. I currently am part of the problem.
However, not much longer. I will soon be trading my gas-guzzling Redneckmobile for a smaller, fuel-efficient, hybrid-if-possible vehicle. Future improvements include the possibility of finding work closer to home, or at least on the MARTA line, where my shiny new gas-sipper can deliver me to the nearest station for a leisurely ride on the train.
Hey, it's a start.
Well said. Two things popped into my head after reading this.
1. I live in the midst of Amish country and it is really amazing to see that people can function well, live happily and thrive without Ford Explorers, cable and Mochachino Lattes. It just shows that we could change our lifestyle without it all going down the tubes. I have a lot of respect for them.
2. Dig deep into the LOTR background and you'll find that this exact problem is an underlying theme.
I think it's a good idea to sell the truck and take the MARTA, not just because it helps conserve, but also because it's more relaxing.
I think Greg is being a bit too idealistic when calling for a mass transfer to non-combustion engine modes of transportation. I just don't think that we are in the position to make such broad changes. The fact that we have to drive cars everywhere (in the majority of places) was not our doing, you and me, Joe and Jane Bagodonuts. I think it should be common knowledge across the board that the need for combustion engine cars, the desire for bigger, badder, gas-guzzling SUVs was created for us, not by us.
So, in that respect, unless the oil industry finds creates a new market that is just as profitable as oil, we're pretty much stuck with cars and their smelly fumes.
P.S. I'm not a cultural pessimist. ;-)
Oh, I would love to get back on the train. I used to work in town, and live just three blocks away from a station. I could walk to the station (most days - some days driving was unavoidable), read my paper/book, sleep if I wanted/needed to... I really miss those days.
Regarding: Not about oil - Um, balderdash.
There are widespread human rights abuses that occur in countries who are not major oil importers (and with weapons of mass destruction) and about which Mr. Bush seems unwilling to get terribly excited about. (North Korea or China, perhaps?) The difference? Oil.
Regarding Joe and Jolene (us): You are right on the money. That is why my wife and I (and our 3 children) own "only" one car and I ride my bike to work. It is possible to modify your lifestyle for the common good, but it means making sacrifices. Well done, you said it better than my rant on the same subject.
Beerzie, I think we would try to help North Korea if it weren't for the large, communist country to the north. China doesn't seem to trust us much, not that we have given them any reason too.
There is a tremendous amount of progress in alternatively fuelled vehicles. I know Ford is working on a car driven by compressed air, which would cost ten times less to propel per mile. Obviously, these kinds of projects aren't exactly endorsed by the oil industry.
An excellent entry and topic for discussion. Like most things, Americans tend to blame, whine, or bitch about something -- and they are almost always pointing the finger in the wrong direction.
We need to learn to be responsible for our actions, our choices, our consumption, and so forth. We need to educate each other and all things beyond our country's line.
Better to point the finger in the wrong direction than not point it at all.
Like most things, people (not just Americans) tend to whine. with every cliche in hand, about other people whining. Sunday School answers provide nothing constructive. You're right, this is a good dialogue to be engaged in, so why don't you actually join it by saying something instead of talking about it.
I absolutely agree. I've been saying the same for years. The $$ we pay for fuel is ridiculous. If it was marked up to an honest amount ($3-4/gallon) it seems like most of the problems we currently have with the oil culture in the US would begin to be looked at seriously. The number of SUVs would begin to dwindle, public transportation would begin to look like a solution instead of a compromise, and alternative fuel tech would get the attention it deserves. The US should not remain a country of privelege. We need to earn the quality of life we recieve, not have it handed to us on a silver platter while much of the rest of the world goes hungry and suffers from US world policy. Sorry for the rant.
Jeremy, you can rant all you want here at Airbag. Now if we could just get someone to respond to Ryan's last post...
*Points at alternatively fuelled vehicles*