‘If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas.’ - Don Meredith ***

America is on her back, her soft underbelly exposed.

Forget about your party affiliation.  For the last 35 years, our executive and legislative branches have totally ignored America’s energy problem and put our national security at risk.  From the mid 70s until just recently, drunk on artificially cheap imported oil, America enjoyed one of the greatest periods of economic growth in history.  There was no immediate need to develop alternative energy sources, nor was there reason to construct nuclear or coal-fired power plants.  Lacking a visionary leader, America fell asleep at the wheel.

In a period of prosperity, our infrastructure began to crumble.  Elected officials and corporate executives alike were more interested in short-term gains than in the country’s long-term health, and the consequences could prove devastating.  As is the case in most economic booms, governments and businesses made counter-intuitive economic decisions.  Rather than saving for a rainy day, they spent like drunken sailors, and leveraged themselves based on projected revenues and income.  They mortgaged our futures.

During the good times, many individuals became consumed with financial and material excesses.  Not surprisingly, in many cases, personal gratification and narcissistic behavior had negative impacts on family and personal relationships.  Many children, often the innocent victims of divorce or separation, began to withdraw.  Exercise and social interaction were replaced with computers and games.  Feeling as if something were missing, an increasing percentage of the population turned to prescription drugs to somehow fill the ambiguous, anxious void.

Driven by consumer demand skewed by cheap oil, personal vehicles grew to grotesque proportions. The Big 3 auto manufacturers continued to resist the move to smaller vehicles, and successfully convinced Congress not to raise minimum fuel economy standards.  What was the result?  Sitting on massive quantities of cash earned from the sales of high-margin trucks and SUVs, Ford and GM went on buying sprees, and paid handsomely for the likes of Land Rover, Saab, and Volvo.  Driven by the artificially low price of energy and commodities, personal vehicles continued to gain weight, resulting in the need for yet larger engines.

After just a few years of high oil prices, their cash is gone.  America’s auto manufacturers are left producing many vehicles the public no longer wants, and are selling off assets to avoid bankruptcy.

The over-inflated real estate market has collapsed, and industries dependent on new construction are reeling.   Fueled by greed, artificial demand, and undercapitalized risk, our financial markets are on fire.  Televisions continue grow in size, as does the percentage of the population that can be classified as obese.  The middle class shrinks, as the income gap between the poor and rich grows.  Excuses replace personal responsibility, and fundamental liberties are at risk.

There is little wonder why the current presidential election has energized the electorate.  Americans are a practical bunch.  We, the people, realize this country is at the edge of a great abyss.  Now, all we can do is hope and pray we take a step in the right direction.

The transition from small family farms to large corporate enterprises and the resulting economies of scale has allowed Americans to spend an increasingly small percentage of their income on food. Unfortunately, the demand for cheaper food has put our health at risk.

Image courtesy of Flying Pigs Natural Farm

Large farms now dominate the production of beef, chicken, pork, eggs and dairy products that supply most of America’s protein. Because more profit can be realized by the concentration of animals, antibiotics are widely used to prevent illness, and since protein is valued by weight, steroids are introduced to promote growth.

Our exposure to meat containing residual antibiotics and steroids is huge. Studies have shown an earlier onset of puberty in girls who consume beef injected with steroids, and earlier puberty increases the risk for breast cancer. And while there is no iron-clad evidence that residual antibiotics in food constitute a health hazard, why take the chance?

Meats are not the only foods at risk. As the price of fertilizer rises, fruit and vegetable producers are tempted to use sewage and other waste to supplement nitrogen and increase yield. The result has been several major E.coli outbreaks in the last decade.

What can the concerned public do to help? First and foremost, stop basing every purchase on cost. The American consumer’s pattern of maximizing utility by purchasing whatever is cheapest is sending the food industry the wrong message. Insist on meats that are raised without antibiotics and steriods. Resist the urge to purchase inexpensive, farmed seafood from the Far East. Instead, buy fresh, sustainable foods that are available in your region of the country, and insist that your grocer do the same.

Electric cars are getting lots of press, but can energy created by electric generators truly provide a solution for America’s energy deficit? Let’s look at the losses incurred en route to your electric meter:

According to General Electric, the newest Liquified Natural Gas generators are about 60% efficient. From ground to boiler, natural gas is 95% efficient, while the average electrical grid carrying power from plant to your home is 92% efficient.

Multiplied out, total efficiency for the most modern electrical power plant comes to about 52%. There is disagreement as to the average electrical plant efficiency, but it should lie somewhere between 35 and 50%. At best, half of the energy contained in the natural gas is available at your electric meter.

Chevy Volt - Image courtesy of Chevrolet

Is this an indictment against coal-fired generation of electricity? Not necessarily. The United States has more coal reserves than any other country by far. Coal-fired plants can be built quickly, and smokestack catalysts reduce emissions to manageable levels. Like it or not, in the short-term, coal is the only fuel available in quantities that are sufficient to significantly reduce America’s reliance on imported energy, and using the increased electrical capacity provided by coal to drive electric vehicles adds symmetry by eliminating emissions at the street level.

While coal-fueled electricity may not a desirable long-term solution to America’s energy problem, it may prove to be a very effective in getting the United States through the transition from oil to other fuel sources.

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Data sources:

http://www.babcockpower.com/pdf/rst-163.pdf

http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/serv_for/gas_steam_turbines/en/index.htm

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Image courtesy of 3M

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