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In the first quarter of 2005, the cost of a gallon of gasclimbed to the highest price ever. In that same period ExxonMobil,the behemoth global oil company, surged forward as the largestand most profitable corporation in the world valued at more than$402 billion on Feb. 28th. The American public funded thissuccess through military operations to secure the oil and inturn, pay for the success with higher and higher prices at the pumps.

While America politicians and businesses clamor over thedwindling global oil reserves, other countries are takingnecessary actions to replace oil as their principle energysource. Germany and France have both implemented successful alternative energy programs, dramatically reducing their dependency onoil, and oil rich countries. This is perhaps one of theprinciple reasons why their governments are labeled as uncaringtowards America’s political predicament with foreign oil. WhileAmerica spends billions to secure oil resources with theirmilitary, Germany and France pour their wealth into expandingtheir alternative energy programs. It’s a race that America islosing. Politically, the American blight in the Middle East isof great advantage to countries in support of renewable energy,because these countries are getting a head start on the globalrace towards the technological development of more efficientrenewable energy systems. Billions spent on preservation of thestatus quo of the OPEC nationsassures France and Germany oil for the immediate future. At thesame time, the money saved from opting out of participation inthe Coalition can be used to build many alternative energyresources and research new methods of securing renewable energy.Well-orchestrated protests against American involvement in Iraqand other Middle East countries endears Canada, France andGermany to the world.

"Implementing alternative energy requires usto be motivated; as we know it's much easier to simply hook intothe 'grid'." -- David Suzuki

Why is America so dependent on oil and unwilling to seriouslyturn to alternative energies to gain freedom from OPEC’sshackles? A principle reason is the naivety regarding possibleoptions of renewable energy, coupled with the distorted way bigoil and their hoard of PR people compare the cost of oil againstthe cost of other energy sources. The cost of a barrel of oil isused to determine its kilowatt/hour cost. That price is strippedclean of the billions spent each year for securing the oil. Thebarrel price only reflects OPEC’s asking price. Not consideredin the kilowatt/hour cost is the tax money spent on militarymobilization to assure the resources of companies likeExxonMobil reach American shores. The death of American soldiersand their overwhelming sacrifices to keep oil flowing, to powerAmerica, or to squander on SUV’s and ATV’s, is never consideredas a part of the oil cost in the corporate offices of the energytitans.

Some feel adamant that alternative energy will not only providecheaper energy but remedy or at least diminish the primaryreasons for ongoing global conflict. Alternative energy providesthe ability to offer a large level of redundancy in sources sothat countries are not dependent on the natural resources ofanother nation. It also provides a much cleaner energy, reducingthe tremendous pollution problem of fossil fuel. Theprofitability of alternative energy is an investment that startstoday and pays off tomorrow.

Most alternative energy resources are much safer to produce anduse. The oil business, however, has a bad history of subjectingeven their employees to dangers in the production andtransportation of the fuel. On March 23, 2005 a huge explosionerupted in an oil refinery in Texas wounding around 70 employeesand killing 14. In the Tosco Avon Refinery in Martinez,California, an explosion in 1999 killed 4 employees. After aninvestigation that refinery was closed and lawsuits are stillraging over the accident. Oil spills are another major hazardsunique to the oil industry. Most are not as infamous as theExxon Valdez Spill, but they all are damaging and happenfrequently with ships breaking apart and trucks overturning. Theresults are death of people, wildlife and long termenvironmental damage.

How can America embrace alternative energy and reduce thedependency on politically volatile foreign oil? Realize thatalternative energy is now cheaper for any country than oil. Themilitary expense involved with the procurement of oil is ahidden fee, paid through taxes and with lives. The Americanworking class pays the bulk of this burden as higher taxes thanany other group. Education is the answer in the US, because thereality of alternative energy is realized by the simplicity andbeauty of wind power and solar energy. It is insane to continuethe ongoing effort, extending the use of a fuel that is soscarce, dangerous, polluting, monopolized, and produced bypolitically unstable entities. America’s energy crisis can besolved quickly with alternative energy. There is no need foranother soldier to die on foreign soil, leaving loved ones togrieve. This should be America’s focus, not finding more oilfields or even destroying the Alaskan wildlife reserve just tosqueeze a few more barrels out of the ground, to face the sameproblem in a few more years. Prolonging agony does not suspendagony -- it saves agony for later.

For millions of years the sun has been shining down on ourplanet and will do so for many more eons. With the advances insolar energy starting right now, every electrical need could besatisfied with solar power and the grid. What America needs is afederal government New Deal that pours billions intorenewable energy, instead of subsidizing big oil and shoring upcorrupt oil producing countries. America probably will not get adeal such as this, because big oil owns too many of theircongressmen.

The states themselves are an entirely different story. NewMexico just announced a $20 million dollar solar energy programto retrofit government and school building with solar panelsproving some legislative entities actually have the guts to helplead America to a more energy sustainable direction.

Wind is abundant all over the world and in the USA it cangenerate ample energy, if promoted and utilized now.Advancements in technology will continually improve with theright backing, politically and financially. Wind turbines arequiet and have an unending resource to produce energy for anycountry smart enough to use them. The state of California andTexas have incorporated wind energy into their energy programs.Other states such as Massachusetts have been stymied by Senatorslike Ted Kennedy, who claims wind turbines are great but areunsightly and a threat to birds.

In the book "Hulagu'sWeb," Senator Katherine Laforge expressed that "Thedeath of a bird a day is a much more acceptable price to paythan the life of an American soldier a day to secure our oilfrom some foreign land. Man is also part of the ecologicalsystem."

Laforge’s rebuttal in David Hearne’s novel is one of claritywith regards to human responsibility for self-determination.

The oil industry and its cronies are famous for deceptivepractices and self-serving logic.

"There is no such thing as clean energy,"Warburg said. "The Cape Wind project will have someadverse environmental impacts. Some birds may be killed bywindmill rotors - the draft EIS predicts about one bird a day.The wind farm will be visible from some nearby coastal areas.Some may like the way it looks, some may not."

The whole point of alternative energy is to providesustainable, clean, cost effective, and localized energy to ourcommunities. Communities must stand up to politicians and oilcompanies that want to hamper our emergence from relying onforeign oil. Sending jobs overseas does not solve the problem --it puts civilians in a war-zone. The tremendous profits thatExxonMobil makes with oil offers little incentive to theirstockholders to help steer this behemoth to a more sensibleenergy sources. However, from deep within this 400 billiondollar company a small group formed Campaign ExxonMobil, acoalition of concerned shareholders. These cash-smartstockholders actually are fighting within this company to makechange on the issue of global warming and ExxonMobil’s disregardfor renewable energy, because they see a huge potential forprofit if the company acts now.

Alternative energy communities will have a realized advantageover oil-driven communities in the future. Oil proponents areafraid of advancements in technology that could put an end tothe oil hegemony, so they fight progress bitterly. Taxpayers,scientists and philanthropists will be the ones to compelgovernments to change policy and redirect our collectiveenergies to beneficial results. We have to work together, notjust as countries, but as wise corporations and citizens.

Wind turbines spin from the wind and store energy at a veryimpressive rate, while Thermal Depolymerization recyclesbio-matter into usable crude oil and solar power gathers raysfrom the sun. Thermal Depolymerization has hit the break-evenmark and is continually improving.

OPEC and big oil is not going away without a fight.

"Propped up against the base of the windturbine was the body of Frank Payne. His blood soaked clothesglisten under the full moon as blood still oozed from his slitthroat. A note hung from a knife stabbed into his face. SenatorLaforge was overcome with anger and remorse as she stared at thegristly sight of her brutally murdered campaign manager. Why didthey kill him? Has the big oil cartel supplemented intimidation,violence and political coercion now with murder to stopalternative energy programs? She reached for the note."Chapter 10 Hulagu's Web

Is this vision in Hulagu'sWeb preposterous? Would companies with billions at stake,political cronies in their pockets and the most powerful army inthe world securing their product, consider assassination anoption to stop the takeover of Alternative energy? Let’s hopenot, but selling oil at exorbitant prices and refusing toaddress the problem of global warming and simple pollutionproduced by fossil fuels leaves us with a bit of doubt. What isthe answer to the energy crisis? Is it adding more resources tothe problem, digging a bigger hole, or is it finding a new deal,a new resource, ample enough for thousands of years oftechnological advancement?

"The answer, my friend, is blowing in thewind..." -- Bob Dylan

About the author:

About the Author: Robert S. Leonard isa freelance writer and PHP developer currently residing in theKingston area (Ontario, Canada).

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