-Caveat Lector- Linking global warming and the energy crisis Kumar Venkat Friday, June 8, 2001 AS CALIFORNIANS face higher utility bills and more blackouts this summer, and as the nation appears to be on the verge of an energy crisis, it is no coincidence that the United States is no longer involved in international efforts to combat global warming. The current energy crisis has a strong connection to global warming. Both problems are rooted in the unsustainable use of fossil fuels as our primary energy source. Any safe, sustainable and long-term solution to our energy crunch is guaranteed to be the right solution for global warming as well. Conversely, prolonging our dependence on fossil fuels by further oil and gas production -- without seriously shifting the focus to conservation, using energy more efficiently and developing more renewable energy sources -- will not only propel us closer to potentially disastrous global warming scenarios, but could bring on future energy crises just as serious as this one. More Americans favor energy conservation than increased energy production, according to recent Gallup polls. More than 80 percent of Americans polled support, in principle, the basic elements of an alternative- energy road map, including standards for regulating carbon dioxide emissions, which lead to global warming. A clear majority also opposes oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Our expectation of unlimited energy at low prices, however, isn't consistent with our concern for the environment. It is precisely this contradiction that has allowed the Bush administration to abandon any action on global warming, while aggressively supporting polluting industries and outmoded methods of energy production. The energy issue goes well beyond our borders. The United States, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, has long been the largest energy consumer in the world. Now, global warming is bringing our consumption back into focus. Americans account for one-quarter of the global carbon dioxide emissions today, including nearly half of the increase in these emissions since 1990. These emissions are unmistakably beginning to tie our excessive energy use to the long-term health of the planet. Even more worrisome is the explosion of consumption worldwide. Globalization is tempting the rest of the world to mimic the American lifestyle, complete with private automobiles, large houses and disposable products. Energy is used not only to run appliances and cars, but also to make virtually everything we buy -- from lightbulbs to plastic bottles to computers. If just half the global population emulated our level of energy consumption, the consequences would be devastating. We have a unique chance to influence future consumption standards around the world by carefully choosing our response to today's energy crisis. Of course, the transition to a sustainable energy future may well be painful and could require some lifestyle changes. But political leaders of both parties seem united in their reluctance to honestly engage the public on this issue. The administration's energy plan is heavily oriented toward conventional energy production and completely lacking in a vision for the future. The Democrats have not offered a compelling alternative, other than opposing oil exploration in protected lands. In the current political climate, the wait for the right government policies and energy technologies could be a long one. There is an immediate alternative available to those of us who can wait no longer. We could, in fact, see this energy crisis as an opportunity. Instead of complaining about paying more for electricity and gas this summer, we could use the price structure as a tool to make conservation a habit. We also have to understand that there are consequences to unrestrained consumption that cannot always be reflected in the prices we pay -- since global warming can potentially shift the environmental impact of our consumption to other parts of the world. The solution to both the energy crisis and global warming may well depend on the principled actions of individuals. If enough of us are determined to solve the problem, politicians will have no problem in following our lead. That may be our best hope for getting the policies and technologies that we'll ultimately need. Kumar Venkat is a software engineer and small-business owner in Silicon Valley. �2001 San Francisco Chronicle ANOMALOUS IMAGES http://www.anomalous-images.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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