| There is an ever increasing awareness that fossil | | | | isn't a good way to resolve the problem. Oil is running |
| fuels are crippling this nation. The wealth of energy is | | | | out and will become so scarce that we will have to |
| put into the hands of a few wealthy individuals at the | | | | switch to something else. Oil companies already |
| expense of entire nations. As Jimmy Carter said in | | | | produce as much oil as possible. The added subsidies |
| the 1970s, "We must resolve to have energy | | | | only pad their profits. Finally, the point should be |
| independence and not import any more foreign oil. | | | | remembered to tax what you don't want and give |
| Ignoring energy problems will only make the future | | | | incentives for what you do want. Since we want to |
| worse". Fortunately, for today, people are finally | | | | stop using oil, it doesn't make sense to give subsidies |
| serious about energy independence. What made the | | | | to try and create more. |
| process happen is that demand is finally outstripping | | | | The Smart Grid |
| supply and pushing prices sharply upwards. Without | | | | The smart grid is really cool. The smart grid will allow |
| change, you can expect oil prices to go "as high as | | | | people to see how much energy they are using. |
| the moon" and people will become bankrupt in every | | | | Through the internet, each home will be able to see |
| sense because energy is a key component of a | | | | their energy usage and the energy usage of each |
| healthy economy. | | | | appliance. The smart grid will allow each home to |
| There are ways to resolve these serious problems. | | | | have more information and be able to reduce their |
| There must be a tax on carbon, subsidies for oil | | | | energy consumption. One of the biggest problems |
| companies must be ended, the smart grid must be | | | | today, is that people don't really understand or see |
| put into place, and innovators must find new and | | | | how their energy habits are affecting their power |
| better ways of doing things. | | | | consumption. With better knowledge, people will |
| Carbon Tax | | | | make better choices. Many homes, through the |
| While no tax is popular, it makes sense to tax things | | | | smart grid, will decrease their energy consumption by |
| you don't want in society and to subsidize things that | | | | around 20% and that's a lot of energy. |
| you want to promote. It is clear, from every angle, | | | | The added bonus part of the smart grid is utilities can |
| that America must become energy independent. The | | | | manage power more easily. For example, utilities will |
| key problem has always been that oil was the lowest | | | | be able to allow homeowners more choice and to |
| cost energy source. The reason for the cheapness | | | | have pricing structures that encourage efficiency. The |
| was that the true cost of the oil was not put into | | | | utilities will also be able to more efficiently pull power |
| perspective. Companies have been allowed to own | | | | from a home with excess and use it for a needier |
| huge oil reserves that are really the property of the | | | | part of the grid. |
| people, as a whole. When oil first started, it flowed | | | | Energy Innovation |
| so readily that nobody thought it would ever run out. | | | | There are lots of brilliant scientists that thought |
| With no end in sight, there didn't seem to be any | | | | energy independence would be nice, but didn't really |
| harm in the way it was managed. However, | | | | try to solve the problem with full enthusiasm. The |
| nowadays, it is clear that demand is much stronger | | | | reason is that oil was deemed to be so cheap that a |
| than supply and that the black gold is going to get | | | | lot of people were somewhat apathetic. That, like |
| gone. People that are living today will be able to see | | | | the green energy movement, has changed. |
| the end of oil! | | | | Renewable energies are very popular and many more |
| The only way to get people off of oil is to give them | | | | scientists are working more diligently solving energy |
| incentives. Of course you can wait for the market to | | | | problems. |
| do it, but then it will give a very short time table to | | | | Many energy scientists are predicting that innovation |
| solve the real problems that will exist. It is a much | | | | will take root in the same way the computer industry |
| better plan to start switching to alternative energy | | | | evolved (rapidly). Solar energy is expected to double |
| now. It doesn't make sense to wait for a crisis. It is | | | | every three years, at least. There are two bright |
| always better to plan ahead. What the carbon tax | | | | innovators (Nanosolar and Covalent Solar) that claim |
| does is buy some time and speed up the process of | | | | to be game changers by producing a thin film solar |
| developing alternative energy sources. | | | | panel that will be inexpensive to produce and have |
| Oil Company Subsidies | | | | good efficiency rates. |
| The oil companies make so much money that they | | | | Final Thought |
| are breaking records. Currently, they are some of the | | | | There are a lot of people that are enthusiastic about |
| richest companies around. Why? It isn't that hard to | | | | the green movement. People that are in the lower |
| stick a pipe into the ground and just wait for the oil | | | | income groups are actually purchasing items that cost |
| to come out. There isn't a lot of overhead and it | | | | more just to save energy. The ironic part is that it |
| allows for high profit margins. These are not the | | | | isn't so much about the money. People have finally |
| kinds of companies that need subsidies. Some of our | | | | decided against oil and want to be part of the |
| politicians have given oil companies subsidies with the | | | | solution and that's a good thing for all of us. |
| idea that it will get them to produce more oil. This | | | | |