Featured Student Project, Fall 2011:
Can the U.S. Become Energy Independent?
In our small Current Events class of 2011, we agreed to research energy independence. We find this topic important and relevant in today's energy-hungry world. We're concerned about the skyrocketing prices of gas and fuel and the fact that fossil fuels are going to be depleted eventually. Also, it is a concern because the U.S. has no clear plan for future energy sources. There are many people who are for converting completely to energy independence, but the challenge is to get the government and the private sector to begin this movement to a cheaper, and cleaner way of making and using energy. Investment in more renewable energy sources may also help boost the economy. If the U.S. was to pioneer this technology, we could export it to other countries to make a profit. We looked at several documents, including the recent
Billion Ton Update, and Getting off Oil for data.
So, can the U.S. become energy independent? Yes. Energy independence doesn't mean cut off access to foreign oil dealers, it means to greatly reduce the U.S.'s dependency on foreign oil. The world consumes 85 million barrels of oil a day, and the U.S. consumes 20 million barrels alone.
Oil is a limited resource, so eventually, reserves will either become too low, or depleted completely. At current consumption rates, there is 14 years more or less worth of oil consumption. The military uses 1100 trillion Btu, which is 1% of the national average. 75% of their energy is oil-based, and only 9% is from renewable energy sources. It is imperative to find alternate energy sources if the military is to continue its operations. 57% of oil comes from foreign sources.
If the U.S. were to use more renewable resources, biomass would be the most prevalent at an estimated possible 30% rate. Solar, hydro, or wind could be a possible 5% rate. By 2030, it is estimated that we will have access to 700 – 1,000 million tons of biomass.
On the other side of the argument, no, the U.S. cannot become energy independent, because energy dependence is much more affordable. If Americans were to be completely self sufficient, they would pay an excess of $55 per barrel - $180 compared to the global market price of $125. A rough estimate would be that prices at the pumps would increase an extra $1.20 a gallon.
Another problem with trying to convert our whole energy system to become energy independent is that we don't have the political will. Nobody wants to think in a long-term way. It is much cheaper to maintain or increase our current consumption rates than it is to completely convert our main source of energy to something else. Since converting would take a considerable amount of time, an estimated 20-30 years, it is more desirable to continue what we're doing.
After all, it isn't a crisis in our minds yet. Fossil fuels won't last indefinitely, even with discoveries of new caches of shale oil, coal, and off shore wells. Eventually, even these sources will be depleted. Perhaps it will take a crisis to move us to action. And Americans have been known to rise to the challenge of a crisis.
It's simultaneously important, and useless to struggle for independence. While it is important we make our own energy, it is also important that we still import and export energy from our country in order to maintain stable trade relationships with other countries. America consumes massive amounts of oil and energy every year, and with this growing consumption, naturally we look to other countries for oil. We as American's need to limit this consumption of fossil fuels, while developing alternative sources of energy. If we spend too much time investing in one source, we only deplete it faster. It's entirely necessary that we combine a mixture of renewable resource
such as wind and solar, with fossil fuels such as oil, to maintain a healthy energy consumption. True indpendence is not necessary, but itis crucial that we learn to control, limit, and renew the energy that we use.
-Patrick Hazlehurst with Kyle Blake, Jamie Knowles, Nancy Raymond, and Ms. Goosman
Resources:
Interested readers may want to open a search engine and use the terms "American energy independence" and read for themselves the many studies, and commentary on where we are and where the United States should be going in regard to this issue. |
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