The recent oil discoveries in the Middle East have illustrated the links between energy poverty and security. Meanwhile, children in Nigeria play in the light of gigantic natural gas flares. Lack of access to modern energy services cripples economies and hinders aspirations for billions of people. This lack of energy is the real energy crisis. Developed countries must work to address this problem. However, the issue is not as simple as reducing dependence on oil.
As we continue to use energy resources, our planet will face an inevitable crisis. This crisis is based on our mis-conceptions about who is responsible for future resource supply. On one hand, the oil industry will claim that we are responsible for the crisis. But that would be naive. Similarly, those who care about the future will be responsible for its resolution. We will have to take responsibility for our energy choices if we want to keep our resources for future generations.
There are many solutions to this problem. The most effective one is to reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources. For instance, most of our industrial age was built on fossil fuels. However, today, we have the technology to harness renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Coal is also a bad source of energy, polluting the atmosphere and destroying natural resources. This means that the energy we consume can no longer support all of our needs.
There are many ways to solve the energy crisis in the United States. The oil industry wants to loosen environmental standards and permit higher sulfur content fuels. Not only will this allow them to sell more coal, it will further pollute the environment. And on the other hand, they want to promote natural gas production. Because they control the production of natural gas, these strategies will not only give them a greater share of the profits but also ensure that the consumer is paying more.
The Real Energy Crisis can also arise from wars and localized shortages. In 1990, the Gulf War caused global oil shortages, but this was not directly due to the government's actions. A war, government embargo, or trade union strike can disrupt fuel supply. But there are other causes of an energy crisis as well, including overconsumption and aging infrastructure. It can even be due to weather or a government-imposed embargo.
Meanwhile, offshore drilling and tax credits for green vehicles have been largely ignored. While offshore drilling would certainly provide some relief, they would only delay the inevitable until at least the next decade. In the meantime, the United States will continue to consume 25 percent of the world's oil and the oil reserves offshore are only three percent of our oil reserves. Offshore drilling will not solve our energy crisis. Offshore drilling will only result in major new fields that would not have a significant impact on supply.
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