There is however, one good point all these WSJ people make. It is a point that is often overlooked by those who want to convert to renewable energy. That point is simply this: we use an outrageous amount of energy and there is currently no good way to supply such an enormous amount from alternative sources. Nor should we try to. What we need to do is go on an energy diet.
The energy hogs have a nice way of covering up the problem. They either talk about the energy America "needs" or the energy America "wants." Both of these imply that the problem is fixed and that Americans cannot survive without that vital energy. They imply this is how much we need to produce to stay alive. That is also the basic flaw in all the energy hog arguments.
We know it is flawed because there have been times -now is one of them- when people use less energy and they are just fine. We also know it is false because it is blatantly obvious that over half of our energy is wasted. Wasted as in used to no benefit to anyone, other than perhaps the person selling it.
According to today's piece we "want" 47.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. The equivalent part is because this calculation converts all energy sources to their caloric equivalent in oil. 47.4 million barrels is roughly 1/6 of a barrel for every man, woman or child in this country, every single day.
However, what America "needs" or "wants" is very much driven by the price of energy. If prices are high, we suddenly can do with a lot less, as has been shown over and over again. We don't need to heat and cool entire mega-mansions, we don't need to drive six and eight cylinder cars, we don't need a power tool for every simple manipulation we perform, we don't need five TV's, three stereos, etc.
It is no exaggeration to say that we waste at least half of the oil we burn. Waste as in burning it to no benefit in traffic jams, waiting in parking lots, "warming the engine," etc. Waste as in keeping the entire house warm or cool for hours on end, when nobody is there. Waste as in leaving the lights on, or having three TVs going that nobody watches. To say nothing of all the "mobile" devices that are plugged in, or all the "important" items that are on constant standby, ready to turn on in an emergency. Can't miss that show!
Given that we apparently "need" 19 million barrels of oil a day, we could easily do with about 9.5. Natural gas is our second source and here we use an equivalent of 12 million barrels. That can easily be halved too. Coal is another 11.5 that can be cut in half. Scrap 20-22 million barrels in pure waste.
We are now down to about 25 million barrels and we haven't even considered driving a sensible small car, using public transportation, walking instead of driving. Doing away with monster fridges to cool gallons of sodas. Heating the entire house when we only use one room.
The point being, we are focused on the wrong thing. We need not replace 5 or 10% of our energy "needs" with renewables by some target date. We need to use less. It is something we can start right now. No investment is needed, no grand plan. The benefits are tangible and the gains are immediate. We will spend less money, get more exercise, be healthier, and feel better. We will reduce obesity, heart disease, and cancer rates in one fell swoop.
Here is our real energy plan for America: use less, consume less. That is change you can believe in.
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