Analyzing peak oil and energy independence

By Ed Iverson

What do Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, Vladimir Putin in Russia and Umaru Yar'Adua in Nigeria all have in common? They dictate, tyrannize, browbeat, domineer and otherwise rule over regions that supply the world with an uncomfortably large percentage of energy. Add to that list the rulers of countries that could turn against America tomorrow morning. Here we might include King Abdullah of the Saudi royal house, Felipe Calderón of Mexico and Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria.

These rulers are either openly hostile or are (in some measure) unsympathetic to America. Oil production in the world hovers around 80 million barrels per day. The few individuals named above control close to half that amount. America must become energy independent. If more incentive is required, there is Peak oil. In a nutshell, Peak oil contends that oil production peaked some years ago. Major oil fields are declining, and there have been no new "elephant" discoveries. This falling supply comes at a time when world demand is dramatically increasing. The International Energy Agency describes China as "the major driver of global demand growth." In 2003, China overtook Japan to become the world's second-largest consumer of oil.

The quest for alternative sources of energy will occupy us for decades. It is already apparent that ethanol and biodiesel are short-term "solutions." These sources of energy and the world food supply arise from the same well. Already there are tortilla riots in Mexico and pasta protests in Italy. Ethanol will be a dead letter within 20 years. Some think that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. They forget the Hindenburg. The problems of producing, delivering and safely transmitting the energy in hydrogen to the wheels of a locomotive will delay hydrogen as a source of energy for perhaps centuries.

According to conventional wisdom, that leaves solar, wind and uranium as alternative energy sources. The difficulty here is that winds only blow in some places and then for only intermittent periods. For eight hours a day (at minimum) the sun doesn't shine. Solar and wind will continue to play a role but cannot compensate for the impending imbalance between the supply and demand of hydrocarbons. Former British Energy Minister Michael Meacher, predicts this represents "the sharpest and perhaps the most violent dislocation (of society) in recent history."

Nuclear power could make up a large portion of the shortfall if it were not for Nancy and NIMBY. Regular readers will understand my reference to Nancy. Nancy is madam speaker of the House. To the degree that she represents the current Democratic Party, she represents the left's war with American commerce and productivity. As long as the DNC is in the pocket of George Soros and Michael Moore, it will sabotage nuclear power for America. The NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) syndrome will take care of any remaining effort to site nuclear power plants. Even while France gets 80 percent of its power from uranium, there is no hope for American energy independence there.

That leaves geothermal. While not now a major alternative energy player, mankind has been using geothermal energy for millennia. Ancient tribes congregated near hot springs and geysers on every inhabited continent. The Romans built baths near thermal springs from Scotland to Turkey. Iceland is 100 percent geothermal.

Vast portions of the United States are suited for geothermal power development. The process involves extracting energy from the Earth's interior and harnessing the heat to obtain steam on a massive scale. This will turn turbines and generate electricity. Hands down, geothermal can beat coal, natural gas and uranium. Geothermal is more than competitive when it comes cost per kilowatt-hour. There are no massive burner systems, no tall stacks, no rail lines or pipelines, no gigantic mines and processing facilities, essentially no air pollution and no toxic waste piles or long-term repositories.

The geothermal industry is about where the oil industry was back in 1940. There is immense growth ahead. Prepare yourselves for the next explosive, high-growth industry. It will change the world.

Ed Iverson is a former Fallon resident.