Letters to the Editor
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Maintain our advantage
Most of the conservation programs simply trade off one form of energy for another. The Bush Ethanol program is the biggest boondoggle in the history of energy technology. Rising grain prices are now the catalyst of famine, and the political destruction of Mexico, which fits nicely into the Bush plan for a single North American government.
There is really no way Americans can overconsume the worlds food supply, but they could easily consume more than their share of energy. And that's a good thing. American culture warrants the use, including superior medical, business, and transportation technology.
Even with America's profligate energy consumption, you can breathe the air in most cities, unlike the air in Bejing. Air quality in the U.S. is improving, and will continue to do so.
Those who suggest we can live off the electricity from a few solar panels are aging hippies and green freaks. There is no way the average American will keep their quality of life with less electricity.
The real question is how are we going to keep it coming, with more expensive oil. America may not be the dominant military, or economic power, but American culture remains the envy of the world, and is ascending, with an electronic entertainment and communication network which binds the most advanced culture in the world to everyone else in the world. Its absolutely imperative we maintain this advantage. The next energy technology will be created with the older fossil fuel economy. Use it or lose it.