| So often the word “environmentalism” | | | | shortage will drive prices ever higher. |
| strikes a negative note with farms and industries that | | | | Whether you are a small farmette or an industry |
| operate on larger bodies of land. It has been equated | | | | with 6 smoke stacks, we believe that rising energy |
| with “tree-hugger” types who want | | | | costs will continue to be one of the most challenging |
| nothing more than to shut down the industrial | | | | obstacles of the 21st century. New inventions and |
| operations of the United States, bringing production | | | | ideas are needed that can promote and produce |
| to a full stop and causing the lifestyle we are used to | | | | large scale energy products for use in the industries |
| having to come to an abrupt halt. On the flip side, | | | | of our nation. Perhaps you will never own a backyard |
| “industrialism” has been viewed by its | | | | alcohol still, but maybe you will be raising barley for an |
| opponents as rampant, unchecked capitalism, that | | | | ethanol plant 20 miles away that produces a million |
| pollutes the air, the water, takes what it needs to | | | | gallons a day. Perhaps you are a steel worker who is |
| function, and leaves a damaging mark. All of this for | | | | turning out windmill frames that support huge |
| the purpose of turning massive profits that fill the | | | | windmills across the mid-west. Or maybe you are a |
| pockets of corporate America and leave behind it a | | | | niche industry that produces automobile circuit boards |
| dying earth. Perhaps both views are extremist, and | | | | that merge the power of the gasoline engine and |
| we are not as far apart as some may think. | | | | electric motor (hybrid cars) under the hood of |
| The industrial backbone of all nations in the last 100 | | | | American automobiles. Each industry contributing to |
| years has been built firmly on the burning of | | | | the energy problem we face can make a small but |
| petroleum products. The discovery of petroleum at | | | | growing difference between keeping our cities |
| the beginning of the 20th century, as well as the | | | | running, or having mass starvation and blackouts that |
| discovery of its many by-products allowed for the | | | | leave our cities as helpless as sitting ducks. |
| development of machinery never before imagined. | | | | If you have viewed our web pages, you know that |
| Mass production of all types of goods and services | | | | we have devoted a section to alternative energy. |
| allowed for a number of things to occur. Each of us | | | | We believe there could be immediate benefits to |
| will have to judge whether or not these were good | | | | small business, and since we are a “grass |
| outcomes, but none-the-less, short of a holocost we | | | | roots” paper, we are looking at the energy |
| can never go back. | | | | problem the same way. We can’t effectively |
| Mass production and large-scale industry caused: | | | | do much for the world’s energy crisis, but we |
| The specialization of the work force. Most people | | | | can get local inventors to start thinking about the |
| involved in industries began to specialize in their | | | | problem. Small businesses and farms around PA can |
| training and thinking, causing them to become very | | | | perhaps save themselves $100 a month by |
| proficient at their trade…..and very poor at | | | | developing something that either produces energy |
| others. This caused an inter-reliance of industries. | | | | for them, or reduces their need. Congress is giving a |
| Each group of people specializing in one area had a | | | | hard look at the same thing, and in April they passed |
| need for goods or services provided by another. | | | | an energy bill that was favorable to alternative |
| The migration of farm workers to the cities, and the | | | | developments. It also favors the resale of electricity |
| growth of large cities. Mechanization of farm labor | | | | back into the grid. You’re not likely to see |
| required less need for farm workers to produce the | | | | cash, but many of the contracts allow you an |
| food. In turn, the same mechanization of industrial | | | | electricity credit. If you pump 1,000 kilowatts into the |
| businesses gave rise to their need for more workers. | | | | grid, you can get 1,000 free kw back to you at a |
| Farm men and women left the rural areas and | | | | later date. More rises in the cost of petroleum will |
| moved to the city, which promised a better life in | | | | spurn Congress to create more incentives for |
| financial and recreational needs. Cities grew to | | | | engineers and inventors to help convert America. |
| incredible sizes, accommodating the housing and | | | | We believe that land industries can be the |
| business requirements for the city. Export cities | | | | entrepreneurial base for energy designs. |
| became common, as the productivity of America | | | | They’ve got the land, and often they have |
| went beyond its own needs. Businesses saw the | | | | the equipment and technical resources. Small |
| opportunity to sell products to other countries, and | | | | businesses often have people with the drive and |
| production continued to grow. | | | | ingenuity to reinvent the wheel----and are able to |
| Production of non-necessities: Many businesses | | | | “come in under the wire” politically, thus |
| looking to carve their own niche invented and/or | | | | avoiding the pressures of high-power lobbyists, |
| mass-produced new and exciting items for sale to | | | | funded by petroleum fuel companies to convince the |
| the public. Basic needs were being met, but both | | | | public that everything is OK. |
| producers and consumers continued to want more | | | | Where do environmentalists fit it? Many of them |
| conveniences (will that ever change?) and so a host | | | | have urged alternative energy development for |
| of new conveniences in communications, toys, | | | | decades, and will be at the forefront of the ingenious |
| trinkets, sporting goods, and more things than we | | | | technologies that America is likely to produce. Others |
| could ever list came into production. | | | | will see the benefits of slowly moving the world |
| These are just a few of the things created because | | | | away from petroleum usage, with regard to earthly |
| of industrialism. As a result, a nation of people now | | | | contaminants and political unrest among nations. They |
| believes that a cell phone, 5 pairs of shoes, a | | | | will also continue to be “pollution |
| microwave, and a television are just some of the | | | | watchdogs”, making sure that new |
| basic necessities of life. The government agrees, and | | | | technologies do not damage our world even worse |
| will provide welfare assistance to people who cannot | | | | than what we have now. |
| afford such “basics”. | | | | It is important to remember that most energy |
| The United States now consumes 20 million barrels of | | | | production (i.e. energy use) pollutes the environment. |
| crude oil each and every day, and that number is | | | | Reduction of pollutants is a more realistic goal than |
| expected to go up. In addition, the country | | | | elimination. For instance, ethanol technology may |
| consumes over 1 billion tons of coal and 22,375 billion | | | | design a plant that produces ethanol by burning coal |
| cubic feet of natural gas every year. Other | | | | for its energy and have a positive energy gain with |
| industrialized nations such as the European Union, | | | | reduced emissions per btu. Maybe leveling 1,000 acres |
| Russia, and China are huge energy consumers as well. | | | | of federal forest land for solar collectors puts enough |
| Which brings us to our present problem: scientists | | | | electric in the grid to offset the loss of the trees. |
| continue to preach that there isn’t enough | | | | What energy industries will focus on is creating a net |
| crude oil to last indefinitely. Predictions are all over the | | | | gain in energy production; environmentally, people |
| board, from as low as 40 years to as high as 150 | | | | should accept new technologies that produce less |
| years of remaining crude reserves. One can argue | | | | negative impacts than what the old system did. New |
| that new reserves will be found, or that the | | | | systems do not have to be “ideal” when |
| government is lying. We believe both of those are | | | | starting out….they only need to be an |
| likely. But nonetheless, everyone pretty much agrees | | | | environmental improvement over older systems. |
| that petroleum energies are being consumed and not | | | | There are many factors that weigh in, including |
| put back. With this in mind, it becomes important to | | | | political ones. For example, it may cost a certain |
| venture into the development of non-petroleum fuels | | | | amount of money to refine a million barrels of crude, |
| (or alternative fuels) well ahead of schedule, in order | | | | but then it might also cost $100 billion every 10 years |
| to develop technologies that can replace petroleum | | | | for a war to keep the crude supply secure. (Ya think |
| use. | | | | our war machine pollutes a little?) Many, many |
| As we can see in recent pricing trends, petroleum | | | | factors must weigh in to final decisions in embracing |
| prices will continue to climb until other fuels DO | | | | new technology, and we are confident that |
| become affordable. It merely becomes a matter of | | | | environmental leaders in this country have the |
| plotting your own graph on the pricing. Maybe solar | | | | capacity to think beyond their bare feet in the tulips. |
| power is not feasible with $2.00/gallon gasoline, but | | | | If one looks hard enough, nearly every human action |
| what if gasoline were $5.00? How about if it were | | | | causes pollution. When a shaft spins in a bearing, it |
| $10.00? Running out of petroleum is not what is going | | | | causes heat, and a purist could claim that this causes |
| to drive the price up…..it happens long before | | | | global warming. For all of our sakes, please get a grip. |
| that. The public perception of running out of | | | | Cooperation between environmentalism and energy |
| petroleum is what drives future pricing. Anyone who | | | | techs will be imperative in order to bring better |
| observes the stock markets knows that when bad | | | | technologies on-line. As we’ve stated before, |
| news comes out about a corporation, stock instantly | | | | the human footprint is huge, and it cannot be undone. |
| takes a dive. Why? Profits are rolling in just the same. | | | | As stewards of the land, we must pro-actively seek |
| It is because of the public perception that profits will | | | | better ways to create the power we need to |
| drop for the company, and nobody wants to be | | | | perform work. Rising prices will be a constant |
| holding the stock. A mass sell-off by the public and a | | | | reminder of this. American ingenuity has always faced |
| reduced desire to own the same results in a drop in | | | | its task and succeeded. We believe that the greatest |
| price. In contrast, an increased desire and a perceived | | | | nation in the world can meet this challenge as well. |