Are we an energy guzzling nation? - Write Off Entry
Aug 18 '04
The Bottom Line Petrol!! Get your lovely petrol here!!!
This is an entry to theuerkorn's "Energy Guzzling WO". I’m looking at it from a British point of view, naturally… but also with an outside look at America’s situation.
Let the questions begin…
1. Gas prices have hit record highs. What do you think about the argument that $2/gallon is still less than half of what most European countries pay?
Well, we Brits pay a huge amount, and the price has gone up towards the kind of figures that prompted the oil refineries etc to be blockaded by protesters just a couple of years ago. For us it’s not just petrol though – the motorist is taxed big-time in many different ways, and a lot of car owners over here feel victimised.
The problem this time has been partly averted by promises of the supermarket chains to retain their current prices despite a rise in global oil prices – effectively using petrol as their major loss leader. However, this will undoubtedly lead to the closure of all the independent and smaller petrol stations across the UK, who have no hope of being able to compete with this. Once the supermarkets have the monopoly, it is unlikely that the competition between them will in itself be enough to keep prices down.
2. Should the US government support energy-saving concepts like hybrid cars with more tax incentives or introduce law to enforce it? Would you choose a hybrid car, even if it means it's not a Hummer or Cayenne?
This seems unlikely in Britain, and practically impossible in America. Not that it would be impossible to achieve, but the will simply isn’t there. At global environmental summits it is repeatedly the American government who refuse to sign treaties on reduction of use of damaging chemicals / substances, and reduction in the use of fossil fuels. The problem is that in the whole industrialised world, productivity (and thus profits) is heavily reliant on the transport system and other uses of fossil fuel. Simply put, nobody is willing to give that up. For even if an alternative were found that was comparable or even cheaper in cost, transferring machinery etc to that system would cost time and money. The situation is rapidly becoming the same in all developing parts of the globe, compounding the problem further.
Consumer power may bring about a change, but consumer spending is constantly increasing (as highlighted in the original question). Amercian cars are of course the most horrendously fuel inefficient monsters on this planet (sorry guys but it has to be said), though they would improve - if there was an increased demand for fuel efficient vehicles and a comparative drop in the demand of fuel guzzlers. Sad to say, this is unlikely to happen until it is far too late for it to be effective.
3. Given our current energy policy (US), do you support exploration of new oil fields or is it time to really think about alternative energy (and do something)?
A difficult question. While the need is there for new oil supplies, the first appears logical (and inevitable – there’s money in them there oil fields…) if done along with the second. However, a changeover to alternative energy is unlikely to happen unless the fuel supplies dry out to the extent that it is so expensive to obtain and refine it that no significant profit can be made. British policy on this matter is also muddled, with research into hydro-electric power and wind-farms looking a promising option with regard to the national grid, but no realistic solution in sight as yet with regards to powering vehicles.
4. In the office, it's not unusual to run lights, computers and other equipment all the time. Do most workers not know where the power button is or is turning them off over night and the weekend just way overrated?
For one office it’s not going to make much difference, but if every office did it, the electric companies might start panicking a bit… People underestimate how much power is used by devices in “standby” mode. It’s not a solution but it would do far more good than harm.
5. If you had to give up something in order to prevent an (hypothetical) energy crisis, what would you most likely reduce first and what most certainly last? (Large vehicles, air-condition, outdated electrical equipment ...)
It would depend where you were and what you did. Air conditioning is basically essential in some countries but a luxury in others (though it’s even been very useful in Britain for the past couple of weeks!). I wouldn’t be happy with being without a computer, I have to admit…
In the flat we live in, our electricity is on a meter, so we’re very conscious of what we use anyway. (Energy-saving light bulbs are a MUST!) The first thing I’d give up, I suppose, would be my upstairs neighbour’s TV… we can hear it all the time!!!
6. In case you think that something is wrong with our current energy use, who's responsibility is it to do something about it? Government, industry or the people?
All three – if only one set of people tries to do something, it will be thwarted by the others. That makes things tricky. What makes it even more unlikely to happen is that it really requires all nations to co-operate… which just ain’t gonna happen any time soon.
Well, my answers are a little bleak, but I feel they’re realistic. It’s not a problem without a solution, but it’s a solution that’s going to cost too much for the powers that be to want to take action.
Thanks again to theuerkorn for a truly interesting Write Off! :-D
Thanks for reading!
CaptainD
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