When Will We Get It Right?

          Thinking on "Green Energy" today.  People like their conveniences.  They like the comforts of a modern society.  The sad thing is most of those comforts and conveniences use up something that cannot be replaced to make them, non-renewable energy.  Coal, oil, natural gas and the multiple derivatives that come from them all have limits.  Nuclear power will not be viable until we master fusion.  Even then the creation of that source requires using minerals that are also finite in source.  As a society we have the knowledge to know that these limits exist.  Yet, here we are still using the same resources we did in the 1920's.  Why?  Because "we" like those conveniences and comforts.  "We" feel that they are earned and due us.  There is enough to last the next generation or two so what is the emergency?  I'll tell you, turning something of great mass like an ocean liner or tanker requires space, energy and most importantly time.  The worlds mass in people creates an energy inertia that will take decades to adjust course on.  The sooner we start the change, the less chance of us hitting the reef of resource loss.  

         So when do our societies act?  In my opinion we should have in the 1970's. We could have then made the infrastructure changes without endangering the limits of our resources.  Now in the 2010's we are now endanger of hitting those limits.  There have been some substantial attempts and strides in the last few years.  Under Carter a biofuels program was started.  That program also failed when it was found the fuel produced used more energy that it created by the time Reagan was in office.  The hydrogen fuel cell under Bush the second.  The Pickens Plan pushed the use of natural gas as a stop gap until renewable resources could take over.  Under Bush Sr. the E85 program was started using corn to make alcohol fuel similar to Brazil's program.  Unfortunately under Obama the program was canceled because the food industry convinced the Government that it would drive up the cost of foods.  This is (in my opinion) a false statement from industry that did not want more competition for its resources.  Of course we still pay corporate agriculture NOT to farm to keep the prices up.  So while there have been major attempts to change our energy consumption habits nothing has survived.

          This does not cover of course the other Green initiatives that have been pushed under both Bush's and Obama.  The push for an economical replacement for crude oil has been the most televised action.  Algae, pulpwood processing, and dedicated non-edible crops are in the forefront.  Solar and wind energy are growing as well.  These of course are the most preferable.  Many companies are using the roof space for solar generation to supplement their electric use.  So much so that the energy companies are starting to down size "Grid" plans.

         The area of greatest need that I see is making all new infrastructure "Green" and self sustaining.  By this you stop creating the "old" and replicate the "new".  This process while slow will slowly force the change needed. Examples of this are requiring all lighting in all new construction to be 12v LED.  These produce a bright enough light for general purposes and used 1/10th the electricity as their 120v counterparts.  The amount of energies used to heat and cool homes is also an area to address.  Most homes are notoriously inefficient as heated and cool spaces.  Gaps in insulation, materials used, windows, doors, and roofs in modern construction all waste huge amounts of energy.  By taking a page from some desert and cold climate builders there are ways to address these areas.  The use of premade laminate wall units that have no air gaps when constructed; aerated concrete using a polymer to keep it from disintegrating under vibration (earthquake),  geothermal heating systems, "in earth" construction, solar water heating and power supplementation, water reclamation for secondary uses, rain water collection for primary uses and many other techniques need to be made mandatory in all areas of the country.  Yes, these do increase the initial cost of a home.  But the long term benefits far outweigh the expense.  Another distinction needs to be made in transportation.  The use of Over The Road "OTR" transportation has a direct consumer cost impact.  This means of transport has a direct reliance on crude oil via diesel fuel.  If we require all OTR vehicles used for goods transportation to be hybrid electric we can shift that industry to more efficient use of diesel fuels.  Or, they can shift to fuel cell technologies and remove the interdependency on the oil industry by an estimated 60%.  This leaves lubricants, vehicle materials and tires to contend with.  The next area to address is commuting use of fuels and road maintenance.  Due to the sprawling nature of the American suburb commuting has become an accepted way of life.  This "freedom" to come and go as needed is one of those conveniences spoken about earlier.  So how do other places handle this task?  Not all countries have as many cars as Americans.  They solve it with public transportation.  Imagine if you only really needed a car for long distance travel?  I would suggest that this be defined as any trip of over 25 miles from one's home.  A regional public transportation system around any area with population densities similar to the northern Virginia area.  The initial investment in a rail/bus system would be high.  However, the long term benefits of lower emissions, road costs, and reduced fuels used would far outweigh that value.  An added benefit would be better disaster response due to lower traffic rates and multiple routes of access should also be weighed.  Let the car become the vacation tool.  Let it also become hybrid electric as well.

          These are just some of the ways using current technologies we can make change.  They still allow convenience and comforts.  When you walk into a house and see a light will you care if it is 12v or 120v?  When you go to work and you can leave to go home at any time because there will be a train or bus to take you and it costs less than driving, will you still want to drive?  When you get your power bill and it is more like $50 for a 4 bedroom house will you lament cleaning the solar panels twice a year?  When the power goes out and you still have days worth of lighting and basic low wattage sources for your laptop, cell phone or other small appliances will you miss being in the dark?  When the cost of oil continues to climb but does not affect the cost of your gallon of milk, will you wish it was like the "good old days" when every time the price of oil changed you food cost more?  To all these things I don't think so.  So, what are we waiting for?