high oil prices - effects and exciting solutions

Well, a lot has been said about the high oil prices. Having studied a lot about the future of this finite resource it is interesting to me seeing how this all unfolds. Of course there are lots of unknowns with regards to the current price increase and questions about where to go from here. It is also interesting to see how the politicians are using the shock of high gas prices to push through their agenda, just as they did after the shock of 9/11, the invasion of Iraq, etc. It has even been said that McCain may use this as the one issue to get into the White House like Bush did with 'family values' in 2000. The answer to the problem seems crystal clear to me and that is to reduce the amount of oil we use, not to simply drill more, but I will get into that in more detail in a moment. The high prices also have a very positive side and are opening the door towards amazing possibilities.

First off I think high gas prices are generally good. I have said for years we should pay the true cost of the products we use, including the price to the environment. Gas should be even more expensive taking this into account. The rest of the world has paid this much for gas for decades. So they are way ahead of us as far as fuel efficiency in their cars, solar/wind development, public transport, etc. Since the gas price hike Americans are driving tens of millions of miles less each month, GM is regretting their investment in the Hummer line and their killing of the electric car, and every car ad I hear now boasts about fuel efficiency.

Of course using less gas is good because we use up this finite and important resource more slowly and we produce less pollution, which most experts agree is probably causing global climate chaos. (Ironically this one good aspect - using less oil - is lost on the republicans who's answer across the board is DRILL MORE and fast).

Even someone like me who knew all this before has made the biggest changes in my habits only after the price went up. I drive less, car pool more, started riding my bike to work. Of course I also pay $1 more a gallon than I would for regular gas as I chose to drive my car with biodiesel made %100 from used vegetable oil that was gonna be wasted anyway and produces less toxic pollution. But that is my choice - to vote with my dollar and tread as lightly as I can while maintaining the lifestyle I am accustomed to.

unfortunately the high gas prices have lots of negative effects as well. Most industries rely on oil, and are feeling the squeeze of high oil prices. Our modern agriculture industry is very reliant on oil for fertilizer, pesticides, transportation, etc. So food prices are rising which is causing HUGE problems in very poor nations as well as here at home. The airline industry is another one that is suffering. Of course lots of working folks drive pretty far to work. this is especially ironic because the ones who can afford it the least often drive the most as the houses are cheaper the further you get away from the centers of work. (double wammy for those who are suffering from the morgage crisis) Hopefully good things will come in these areas too like an increase in focus on LOCAL and ORGANIC produce!

One of the crimes of the high gas prices is the fact that the oil speculators and oil companies are making record profits at our cost. Just yesterday Exxon Mobile announced the highest profit for any corporation in world history ($11.7 billion) and instead of investing that money into increasing production which they claim would lower prices, they bought back $8 billion of their own shares to raise their stock price. They are looting the pockets of those who are suffering from the high gas prices.

local and state governments are also suffering greatly due to the fact that taxes they receive from gas is dropping as gas consumption drops. Gas is taxed per gallon, not as a percentage of cost, so as consumption goes down so does important revenue. This system does not encourage governments to encourage fuel conservation. And then there is McCain who is trying to boast he is for the gas tax holiday which would take away ALL the money local governments get from gas and have little to no effect on gas prices.

So the exciting thing about the high prices is that now everyone is suddenly confronted with the idea we may need to go elsewhere for our energy. Yay!

Of course enter politics and big business. Following the "shock doctrine" as described by Naomi Kline, to the "T", the republicans are using this to push through their corporate agenda. drill more! Open ANWAR! Off shore! Everywhere!. I agree that someday we will be drilling in these places. Humans will not likely leave any oil in the ground - it is too useful and therefor valuable. But the drilling answer is so lame. If you have a hole in your bucket and you are trying to fill it up, should you just turn the water on faster or fix the hole first?

If the problem is supply and demand and our resource is finite and the more we use the more we endanger the world as we know it, then shouldn't we reduce demand rather than simply increase production. The republicans answer is to feed the addiction. At least Obama and the democrats talk some of the talk about alternative energy, solar and wind for example. Al Gore actually gave a landmark speech calling for us to get off oil in ten years! This is visionary.

The first step is so simple - simply become more efficient! Change our light bulbs, weatherize our homes, turn off some of those lights that shine on auto dealerships all night long. We could reduce our energy use by so much. Not only would this reduce our energy use AND reduce our pollution it would provide JOBS in new areas which is what we need in this slumping economy. Then imagine a massive investment in solar panels for homes and businesses! Imagine the jobs! Then imagine electric cars (thanks Tesla!) to get their energy from the sun via those panels. Can you say more jobs? It is a win, win, win!!!

Obama is our only chance of going in this direction. He won't be as radical as I would like, but he will stear us towards this possibility.

McCain? In October 2001 McCain used the Anthrax attacks (a case of Domestic terrorism) to push for war with Iraq. He and his Neo-con buddies thought they could get the oil flowing with a few months of carpet bombing. Wrong. Before the Iraq war gas was like $1.50 a gallon. Now look at it. McCain now beats the drums of war against Iran.

We need to get out of the middle east and invest in a green energy future for our nation and the world. It would be the next industrial revolution, the new New Deal.


Oh, one side note in the news recently. We are up against powerful companies (oil) who lobby our government very hard. (the same oil lobbyists work for McCain) As we speak a south American country (I think Ecuador) is taking an oil company (I forget which) to court fro billions of dollars to help clean up the disaster they have left behind. It was called the South American Chernobyl. A story told over and over again really. But lobbyists for the oil company (one of which is a top McCain advisor) are pressuring our government to step in and stop the law suit using political leverage. The company said something to the effect "We can't let such a little country push around a big corporation like us".