Develop alternative energy is imperative

Develop alternative energy is imperative

Fearing that today's high oil and gas prices will turn into tomorrow's severe shortages, some people are taking to the hills where they are growing their own food and learning to live without the modern conveniences that resulted from the age of relatively cheap energy. Some are also stocking up on guns and ammo, concerned that anarchy will result when the oil begins to run out. How often have we heard this kind of scenario in modern history? In the 1950s and early 1960s well-stocked bomb shelters were a popular addition to suburban homes. When the Soviet Union, the bitter ideological enemy of the United States, obtained the atomic bomb, many became convinced that a nuclear exchange would follow. This hysteria was repeated when the Cold War heated up in the 1980s. Both superpowers had their massive nuclear arsenals on hair-trigger response, prepared to launch within minutes at the first sign the enemy had begun an attack. Accidental nuclear annihilation became a distinct possibility. So some folks took to the hills in remote areas of the country that were least likely to see the fallout from a nuclear war. As the year 2000 approached, Y2K fear gripped the country. This time the fear centered on concerns that our computer-dependent society would crumble when computers were unable to handle a year date that did not begin with 19. Again some stocked up on supplies and ammunition. After the spectacularly violent terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, some survivalists became convinced that Armageddon was around the corner. Fears of more attacks, of plagues being unleashed and water supplies poisoned, gripped the country. And again, some headed for higher ground. The common theme of all these episodes is that the impulse to flee for survival, though over-reactive, was based in some reality. Fortunately the United States, as a society and a nation, reacted more rationally to the threats. Successive disarmament treaties were approved to try and reduce the chance of nuclear war. And ultimately, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the two nations moved away from their hair-trigger policies. In the wake of 2001, security was stepped up across the nation and efforts made to repair the holes in the intelligence net that made the 9/11 attacks possible. While certainly the threat remains, the rash of attacks that some feared has not materialized. Fear that an energy crisis looms are not irrational. It does appear that oil production has reached a plateau, even as worldwide demand continues to increase. If the current situation goes unaddressed, it is possible, even likely, that shortages will result. But rather than flee for safety, society must again deal with a problem. Every effort must be made to promote and develop alternative forms of energy. Lifestyles need to change to significantly reduce energy use - including development of mass transit, encouraging housing development that allows people to live near their places of work and the use of energy-efficient products and vehicles. This is not a problem that the world can drill its way out of. Putting new oil fields on line will take years and at most will simply offset fields that are in depletion. As a society we need to agree on changing how we live. Stocking up on supplies and guns does not solve problems, and could potentially exacerbate them by causing panic. But ignoring the threat we face is also not the answer. It is time to come to grips with the energy problem, not flee from it.