Copyright 2001 The Atlanta Constitution The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
October 5, 2001 Friday, Home Edition
SECTION: Editorial; Pg. 20A
LENGTH: 568 words
HEADLINE: OUR
OPINIONS: Decrease appetite for oil, foreign and domestic
SOURCE: AJC
BODY: This is a can-do country. Historically, Americans have achieved just
about anything we put our minds to.
It's time we put
our minds to energy independence.
It probably has not
escaped your notice that the global hotbeds of anti-American, Islamic extremism
are precisely the same areas of the world containing much of the known reserves
of oil. It certainly has not escaped the attention of American-connected oil
companies. Since the war on terror was declared in the aftermath of Sept. 11,
companies in those hot spots have been on alert, preparing evacuation plans.
In the last several years, more and more American oil
workers have found themselves in the Middle East and Central Asia, where
companies began investing more heavily as production peaked in the North Sea,
Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and other less-hostile zones. The potential disruptions
to those supplies now are myriad, ranging from terror attacks on international
oil workers, to sabotage of pipelines to an Islamist takeover of Saudi Arabia or
other key oil states.
Instability of supply and
resulting price spikes are likely for many years to come, presenting a long-term
threat to our economy and our energy-intensive way of life.
The precariousness of our position can hardly be overstated. Although
our nation consumes about 25 percent of the world's oil production, we have only
about 3 percent of the world's proven reserves. Until the post-terror slump,
consumption had been growing rapidly, with vehicle fuel economy dropping to
levels not seen since 1980.
Many in Congress have
recognized the danger. Some have pushed to open the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge and other protected lands to oil drilling. Even if we put aside
environmental concerns, such a move wouldn't come close to solving the problem.
In the long run, burning through our tiny oil supply faster will not make our
country more secure.
The nation needs a long-range
energy plan not just to reduce our dependence on foreign oil --- though that is
important --- but to reduce our over-reliance on oil generally. Our future
security demands a rapid shift to more diverse fuel sources and greater
efficiency.
Passenger cars use more than 40 percent of
the oil consumed here, so a good place to start would be raising fuel-economy standards. Increasing average efficiency to 40 miles
per gallon over the next 10 years would save 50 million barrels of oil a year,
15 times more than the likely yield of ANWR, according to the National Resources
Defense Council. With tax and other incentives to spur the growth in
gas-electric hybrids, the average could be raised to 55 miles per gallon.
But beyond that, we should undertake an aggressive effort
to bring to market the next generation of engine technology --- fuel cells that
run on hydrogen and emit water vapor. A mass conversion from carbon to hydrogen
and to ultra-efficient technologies in the coming years could develop a new,
dynamic sector of the economy, at the same time it makes our economy less
vulnerable to those who hate us.
It also becomes
increasingly urgent to grow in less automobile-dependent ways. This merely means
borrowing from our past to create places that are compact, walkable and served
by multiple modes of transportation.
In the new
reality, adopting technologies and habits that conserve energy isn't just a
personal virtue. It's an act of patriotism.
GRAPHIC: Photo: Some automakers are marketing
gas-electric hybrid engines that could raise efficiency to 55 miles per gallon.
/ Toyota
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