This will be my first blog ever but I feel that it is necessary to pass along the message that was delivered to me recently by the film Fuel. This documentary created by Joshua Tickell, is an in depth look at the American addiction to oil. He has dedicated his life towards promoting renewable energy and waste treatment and I plan on joining the fight!
The United States accounts for 25% of the world’s oil consumption. In fact the next closest country, China, accounts for only 9% of the world’s oil consumption. As it is so eloquently put in the documentary, for years the U.S. has been accumulating billions upon billions of dollars of debt to oil producing countries. This happens because our government, more specifically the Federal Reserve, creates money out of thin air or in other words just prints billions of dollars to hand over. With all of its “credit” maxed out the United States basically has two ways to approach the problem. 1) File for bankruptcy (HA, fat chance) or 2) grab a gun and rob a gas station, sound familiar (achem Iraq!). Ironic seeing as how 80% of the known untapped oil lies in this region.
Aside from all of the political banter I am not here to slam our national government, but then who is to blame? Let’s go back in time to 1868 when the Standard Oil Company was formed by John D. Rockefeller. While I am a strong proponent of Capitalism I give this man nothing but the utmost respect for creating debatably the most powerful company the world has seen. For nearly 50 years Standard Oil Company controlled the entire oil market here in the U.S. as well as other interests around the world, in turn controlling industry. In 1911, the U.S. government realized the amount of power that Standard Oil had accrued and broke up the company as part of the Sherman Antitrust Laws. Some of the more notable and larger companies include Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, Marathon, and BP. Oddly enough Exxon and Mobile have even joined forces to create ExxonMobil which is currently the most powerful oil company in the world. The three largest of these companies gain enough profits yearly to rival some smaller countries GDP’s.
There is no doubt that all of these companies employ armies of lobbyists with deep pockets, sent to influence decisions made on Capitol Hill and fund different government organizations. In fact some 80% of the EPA’s funding comes from these oil companies. This makes it overwhelmingly difficult to pass legislation supporting renewable energy when the oil companies have deep influences across all forms of government. So are the oil companies to blame?
No, we are, the voters, the people who put our politicians into office. While renewable resources have been gaining momentum in society, it is not enough yet to make major changes in our energy policies. The renewable technologies are there. If the people of the United States rise up and demand energy reform then our government officials will have no choice but to change policy, no matter how deep the oil companies’ pockets are.
Think about it, if the billions of dollars that have been spent on war were used to improve renewable technologies an energy crisis would be a thing of the past. By 2020 with the exponential population growth and lack of accessible oil an alternative will have to be implemented. So go out and write, e-mail, or even call your congressmen and local government officials and demand that these changes be made.
Stay tuned for more on alternative energy, current energy problems, and other progressive ideas that are sure to fuel our future.
