OUR GREATEST STRATEGIC THREAT

OUR GREATEST STRATEGIC THREAT

 

To me it is DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.  Ok, a possible nuclear attack would be more devastating for sure in a moment’s notice.  But deterrence against such attacks, capable of being delivered today ONLY by Russia or China is remote.  The loss of foreign oil supplies is not at all remote however.  Just close the Straits of Hormuz for a week and watch gas prices double at the pump, in a heartbeat.

 

Oh, my, Anson, you mean DEBT is not our biggest threat?  You have been warning of the “cliff” for so long I thought that was all you were concerned about.  That is what the EC would say, for sure, but he never comes “over here” any longer and if he tries it “over there” I am always around, “lurking” and commenting as well to keep him straight (which is impossible, I admit).

 

I hope I need not go into a lengthy discussion about “what if” foreign oil stops flowing into America.  I leave that for you to figure out.  Let it just be said by me,  OMG!  Turn off the cars, baby and maybe even some of the lights, as well.

 

So what to do about that big threat, how big, I leave it to you to decide?

 

Step one, no more oil fired electrical power generation in this country in say five years.  Convert such power stations to coal or natural gas, period, as a first step and pay the increased electrical bills while doing so.

 

Second start NOW to build nuclear power generating stations.  Start digging NOW and obtainwork permits and licsences through an accelerated federal and state review process while digging.  Within five to ten years we could have enough new nuclear stations on line to ELIMINATE the need for any oil fired stations.  As well if the environmentalists scream loud enough about Global Warming, we can start down the path to eliminate coal fired plants in the mid-term, say 10 – 20 years from now.

 

Someday, MAYBE, solar, geothermal or wind power MAY create enough energy to reduce the number of nuclear generating stations in the distant future.  Fine.  Let the technology develop to do so and see what happens.  BUT, don’t hang our hats on such new technology now.  We don’t have time to wait.

 

So that takes care of electrical power generation, near, mid and far term.  But what about transportation?

 

Tougher problem for sure as we will not be building nuclear powered cars anytime soon!

 

Well right now I say HYBRIDE vehicles, as fast as we can make them.  At least we move to 50 mpg instead of the current 20 or so.  That reduces our demand for gasoline by over one half, in a heartbeat, so to speak.

 

But how you ask can we get consumers to buy such smaller cars today.  OK, liberals, I join you and call for a “whooping” increase in the federal tax on gasoline.  Use the money to build better transportation infrastructure that you have been crying about for a long time.  But please, no more investments in Solyndra.  You, the government did not know what you were doing in that case and I doubt you could improve much in the future, picking and choosing companies to develop technology.

 

We also know right now how to use Hydrogen power for vehicles.  But that takes huge infrastructure changes in refueling stations to make it happen across the country.  There is another opportunity to use the windfall gasoline taxes.  Build or incentivize the building of Hydrogen stations where current gasoline stations currently exist, across the country.  Tough job but doable at least for the mid-term, 10 – 20 years from now.

 

Acutually, in my view, Hydrogen powered vehicles is a long term solution.  So in this case, fix the mid-term problem and you have the long term problem solved as well with nothing “fancy” needed.  Nope it just requires someone to make a decision then work hard to implement it.  Government can FORCE that decision by driving up the price of gasoline through taxes to make consumers and producers of other fuels (batteries and hydrogen) cost effective in the future.

 

Just think what might happen, just in the Middle East if a U.S. President stood, as JFK did 50 years ago.  Instead of going to the moon, this time our President would say “In ten years no foreign oil will enter the U.S., ever again, period”.  OK, Kings X Canada.  Build the pipeline which I now authorize and we’ll let you keep pumping oil to us but only for transportation.  And we will help by building some refineries “up north” to protect our Sand Mountains at the same time!!!

 

Opps, I must ask, do we still know how to build a refinery??  I hope so but it has been a while since we have done so.

 

One brave speech, one brave step for America by one President.  Then kick the EPA and anyone else in the pants, which any President can do (Heck, appoint ME as the head of the EPA) to make it happen.  Sounds a lot easier, technically, that flying to the moon.

 

Oh, I forgot.  CUT OFF any subsidies to “Big OIL” right NOW, unless those subsidies go into U.S. oil and natural gas exploration.  That alone saves us maybe a few $ Billion each year as we proceed with vision and courage to a new frontier of energy for America.

 

Oh yeah, one other thing.  Get the heck out of the way, Senator Reid and open Yucca Mountain.

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