While not a subscriber to Oil and Gas Journal, I came across an editorial, "The Fuel Fashion Show," (OGJ, Sept. 17, p. 19), regarding the Sierra Club. I was intrigued to find you lavishing our energy policies with such attention. I assume both the readers of Oil and Gas Journal and members of the Sierra Club would agree today's energy production creates problems in our environment. This is why we need cleaner, more efficient, and secure energy sources to meet our energy demands.
We cannot rely on fossil fuels forever, neither will we be able to stop using them overnight. The US needs to decrease our dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuels and look to efficiency, renewables, and cleaner natural gas. Coal and nuclear energy are not viable long term solutions. Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, contaminating our air and water, harming public health, and releasing global warming gases. Nuclear power plants pose serious problems. Neither the US nor any other country has developed a safe way to dispose of nuclear waste. Nuclear energy is high in cost, risks proliferation of nuclear weapons, and we have learned that an accident at a nuclear reactor or during transportation of nuclear waste can be deadly.
Currently, the US uses 25% of the world's oil, yet we only have 3% of the world's oil reserves. We cannot drill our way to energy independence. Instead of increasing our imports, we need to phase in energy efficiency.
More efficient automobile engines, transmissions, and aerodynamics are the keys, yet Detroit declines to put them on their cars and SUVs. By raising miles-per-gallon standards to 40 mpg for cars and light trucks we could save 3 of the 9 million bbl of oil that US autos guzzle each day. This would save consumers at least $45 billion each year at the gas pump-money that they could spend in their communities, decrease our dangerous reliance on imported oil, and slash pollution.
Renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, and solar are becoming increasingly cost-competitive, and can help protect consumers against fluctuating fossil fuel prices and cut pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. The readers of Oil and Gas Journal and members of the Sierra Club both know we cannot rely on fossil fuels forever, so we must begin to invest in renewable and cleaner energy. Even some in the oil industry see merit in cleaner energy. For example, British Petroleum is investing $1 billion in solar energy.
Raising fuel-economy standards, investing in renewable energy resources, and conserving energy through efficiency will save the average consumer money, help curb global warming and air pollution, and maintain public health standards.
Daniel Becker
Director
Global Warming and Energy Program
Sierra Club
