<p dir="ltr">Interesting article posted by the <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5565637.html">Houston Chronicle</a> yesterday. It reads...</p><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;The price of crude oil has topped $100 a barrel and could go higher. Rising demand for oil in India and China, combined with global bottlenecks in production and refining, could cause an energy crunch with the potential to disrupt economies and place public safety at risk.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At the same time, the burning of carbon-rich fossil fuels is creating greenhouse gases and causing temperatures and sea levels to rise. The United States is the world&rsquo;s largest energy consumer and producer of greenhouse gases and must lead the way in the search for alternative sources of energy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The following is a list of 10 steps the United States must take in order to avert an energy shortage and protect the environment.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>1. Most of the oil consumed in the United States is for transportation. Congress recently raised fleet mileage (CAFE) standards to 35 miles per gallon. The mileage standard must continue to rise as swiftly as new technologies and concern for passenger safety allow.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>2. Scholars and industry executives now agree that demand for oil will exceed supply in the next few years. U.S. energy needs demand that government and industry engage in a program to develop alternative energy sources &mdash; wind, solar and hydrogen, to name a few &mdash; that would rival the scale and national commitment of Project Apollo&rsquo;s missions to the moon. Houston remains the world capital of energy technology and, as with the space program, is primed to play a major role in producing tomorrow&rsquo;s energy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>3. The lead time for developing new energy sources will leave the United States dependent on the oil and gas industry for years, probably decades, to come. Industry should not be hobbled by a windfall profits tax that would only discourage exploration and production, limit supply and drive up consumer prices. Also, industry needs greater access to domestic oil reserves in the Arctic and off the East and West coasts. There is no reason why the western Gulf of Mexico and its adjoining states should solely bear the burden of supplying the nation with oil and gas pumped from beneath the sea.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>4. Government has already raised efficiency standards for home appliances, but Americans need to voluntarily adopt conservation measures &mdash; both as a personal virtue, as Vice President Dick Cheney put it, and as a strategy to curb energy prices. And when buying a house, Americans should calculate commuting costs. The numbers might persuade homeowners to buy a smaller house closer to work, saving money and putting the hours spent driving to more rewarding use. Government, for its part, must provide urban commuters attractive mass transit alternatives, including a robust system of zero-emission light rail in Houston.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>5. The U.S. nuclear energy industry has proved itself to be safe, reliable and free of toxic emissions. New technologies make plants more efficient and easier to build and operate. Environmental concerns dictate that nuclear power play a larger role. However, full exploitation of nuclear power plants demands that the government quickly provide a safe site for the disposal of radioactive waste.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>6. Although China threatens to overtake us, the United States remains the largest producer of greenhouse gases. A carbon tax or cap-and-trade system is the best means to decrease emissions without putting industry in a straitjacket. A carbon tax could finance mass transit and alternative energy research; a cap-and-trade system is likely to benefit Houston, with its long experience with energy trading.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>7. The United States gets most of its electricity from burning coal. The U.S. government must revive its research into carbon sequestration so the country can safely continue to utilize this abundant resource.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>8. States such as Texas, the nation's leading producer of energy from wind, need to invest in adequate transmission capacity to get clean, green electricity from the wind farms to the cities.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>9. Congress must stop mandating use of ethanol made from corn as a motor fuel. The net gain in energy is small, while the demand for corn disrupts food markets and needlessly raises prices at the grocery store. When ethanol from more efficient sources such as sugar cane and switch grass becomes profitable on a large scale, then ethanol can play a constructive role and lower U.S. dependence on foreign oil.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>10. So-called green buildings are gaining in popularity, both because of their energy and cost savings and their aesthetic appeal. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System should be incorporated into local building codes whereever reasonable.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The 10 courses of action listed above do not constitute a menu from which Americans can pick and choose. If the nation fails to pursue all of these recommendations and more, as new technologies become available, a jarring energy shortage and continued environmental damage to the planet are inevitable.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

The energy industry is facing one of the largest challenges in the world&rsquo;s history - how to meet the needs of a growing global population clamoring for resources necessary to fuel lives. It should be all-hands-on-deck when it comes to developing conventional, alternative and renewable energy, and the world needs to accept that hydrocarbons are necessary for energy advancement. In order to supply the world with energy for the foreseeable future. People in the industry, and in the world, need to change their attitudes. <strong><br /><br />A global shift towards support and understanding must take place. </strong><br /><br />While visiting my family in their gorgeous lake town with live music and plenty to do besides work, I was suspiciously eyeballed by one of my sister&rsquo;s friends as she waxed on about the evils of the energy industry - big business and people with &ldquo;screwed up priorities.&rdquo; She apparently hates hydrocarbon and wasn&rsquo;t a fan of much else relating to energy. Alternative wasn&rsquo;t alternative enough, green wasn&rsquo;t green enough, progress wasn&rsquo;t progressive enough and it should all be scrapped. The angst was palpable, and her energy solutions weren&rsquo;t forthcoming. A perfect reflection, I thought, of the world at large. <br /><br /> To gain any kind of success with today&rsquo;s energy challenges, energy providers should rally together and work toward understanding and sharing best practices. What has the hydrocarbon marketplace taught us about the environment, about safety and about owning up to-and correcting-mistakes? What can we learn from nuclear, from solar or from coal for that matter? As individuals, we should also try to understand global business before attacking it. Here&rsquo;s a question for starters-difficult business, resource taxing business, business that challenges the brightest minds-shouldn&rsquo;t this be profitable?<br /><br /><strong>Factions of the energy industry must stop demonizing each other and work together. </strong><br /><br />We need hydrocarbons, solar energy and, of course, nuclear energy. Windmills make my heart leap, and while I can&rsquo;t quite wrap my mind around the &ldquo;goodness&rdquo; of ethanol, perhaps, someday, to our advantage, we can make this work too. We should spend less time bashing other energy sources and more time capturing the lessons that we have learned in our own businesses. Between &ldquo;the great crew change&rdquo; and the world&rsquo;s continued dependence on energy, we&rsquo;ll need this information. Surprise surprise, much of it is transferrable across the sector. Lessons on processing, infrastructure development, efficiency and, dare I say it, international resource management are much more valuable than pondering the moral implications of for example, liquid natural gas from the outside looking in.<br /><br /><strong> Hydrocarbons are necessary for energy advancement. Accept it. It is a good industry, so it is a good thing.</strong><br /><br />Currently, and in the foreseeable future, we&rsquo;ll continue to rely on hydrocarbons to meet a large portion of our energy needs. This isn&rsquo;t a &ldquo;big oil&rdquo; conspiracy. It is simply reality. Why? Many alternative energy resources developed aren&rsquo;t affordable or fully viable, from a technological perspective. Do we have enough feedstock for biofuels? When will nano-technology make solar live up to our imaginations? As we continue to innovate in order to create the processes and infrastructure for new forms of energy, these high energy endeavors in their own right will be fueled, for the most part, by hydrocarbons. If everyone focuses on the task at hand, the innovations will deliver. In the meantime, hydrocarbons are buying the world the time it needs to figure out where fuel will come from fifty years from now. Hopefully, the world will be an even better place. <br /><br /><strong>Stop talking about what you are against, and be pro-people. </strong><br /><br />According to the International Energy Agency, approximately one quarter of the world&rsquo;s population does not have access to electricity. Wouldn&rsquo;t it be nice if this remaining group were given the tools to see in the dark, for example? Individually, some people need more energy and some, especially in the United States, could use a bit less. However, to grow the overall standard of living for all global citizens, we need it all. This includes continually innovating to deliver alternative energy resources while, at the same time, working hard and creatively to find and produce hydrocarbons despite the increasing challenges that this presents. Don&rsquo;t be against big oil; be for big technology. Don&rsquo;t be against big profit be for big incentives. Don&rsquo;t be against big alternatives be for big solutions. Create your own energy policy and make it pro-people. <br /><br />Here is a quick outline: <br /><br />Spend your time figuring out how you can personally use less energy <br /><br />Support the work of people that are trying to find and deliver more energy<br /><br />It&rsquo;s a workable balance; one that we need now. Don&rsquo;t believe me? Tonight, when you are at home, take out a sheet of paper and a pen. Now turn out the lights. It&rsquo;s rather difficult to design a better windmill in the dark, isn&rsquo;t it?

Help energy professionals find Energy People Connect by digging our stories.&nbsp; Check out this one... <a href="http://digg.com/general_sciences/Big_Oil_is_Evil_Just_Go_Green">Big Oil is Evil, Just Go Green!</a>

The energy industry is facing one of the largest challenges in the world&rsquo;s history - how to meet the needs of a growing global population clamoring for resources necessary to fuel lives. It should be all-hands-on-deck when it comes to developing conventional, alternative and renewable energy.&nbsp; The world needs to accept that hydrocarbons are necessary for energy advancement, and big oil is <em>not</em> evil. In order to supply the world with energy for the foreseeable future, people in the industry, and the world, need to change their attitudes. <strong><br /><br />A global shift towards support and understanding must take place. </strong><br /><br />While visiting my family in their gorgeous lake town with live music and plenty to do besides work, I was suspiciously eyeballed by one of my sister&rsquo;s friends as she waxed on about the evils of the energy industry - big business and people with &ldquo;screwed up priorities.&rdquo; She apparently hates hydrocarbon and wasn&rsquo;t a fan of much else relating to energy. Alternative wasn&rsquo;t alternative enough, green wasn&rsquo;t green enough, progress wasn&rsquo;t progressive enough and it should all be scrapped. The angst was palpable, and her energy solutions weren&rsquo;t forthcoming. A perfect reflection, I thought, of the world at large. <br /><br /> To gain any kind of success with today&rsquo;s energy challenges, energy providers should rally together and work toward understanding and sharing best practices. What has the hydrocarbon marketplace taught us about the environment, about safety and about owning up to-and correcting-mistakes? What can we learn from nuclear, from solar or from coal for that matter? As individuals, we should also try to understand global business before attacking it. Here&rsquo;s a question for starters-difficult business, resource taxing business, business that challenges the brightest minds-shouldn&rsquo;t this be profitable?<br /><br /><strong>Factions of the energy industry must stop demonizing each other and work together. </strong><br /><br />We need hydrocarbons, solar energy and, of course, nuclear energy. Windmills make my heart leap, and while I can&rsquo;t quite wrap my mind around the &ldquo;goodness&rdquo; of ethanol, perhaps, someday, to our advantage, we can make this work too. We should spend less time bashing other energy sources and more time capturing the lessons that we have learned in our own businesses. Between &ldquo;the great crew change&rdquo; and the world&rsquo;s continued dependence on energy, we&rsquo;ll need this information. Surprise surprise, much of it is transferrable across the sector. Lessons on processing, infrastructure development, efficiency and, dare I say it, international resource management are much more valuable than pondering the moral implications of for example, liquid natural gas from the outside looking in.<br /><br /><strong> Hydrocarbons are necessary for energy advancement. Accept it. It is a good industry, so it is a good thing.</strong><br /><br />Currently, and in the foreseeable future, we&rsquo;ll continue to rely on hydrocarbons to meet a large portion of our energy needs. This isn&rsquo;t a &ldquo;big oil&rdquo; conspiracy. It is simply reality. Why? Many alternative energy resources developed aren&rsquo;t affordable or fully viable, from a technological perspective. Do we have enough feedstock for biofuels? When will nano-technology make solar live up to our imaginations? As we continue to innovate in order to create the processes and infrastructure for new forms of energy, these high energy endeavors in their own right will be fueled, for the most part, by hydrocarbons. If everyone focuses on the task at hand, the innovations will deliver. In the meantime, hydrocarbons are buying the world the time it needs to figure out where fuel will come from fifty years from now. Hopefully, the world will be an even better place. <br /><br /><strong>Stop talking about what you are against, and be pro-people. </strong><br /><br />According to the International Energy Agency, approximately one quarter of the world&rsquo;s population does not have access to electricity. Wouldn&rsquo;t it be nice if this remaining group were given the tools to see in the dark, for example? Individually, some people need more energy and some, especially in the United States, could use a bit less. However, to grow the overall standard of living for all global citizens, we need it all. This includes continually innovating to deliver alternative energy resources while, at the same time, working hard and creatively to find and produce hydrocarbons despite the increasing challenges that this presents. Don&rsquo;t be against big oil; be for big technology. Don&rsquo;t be against big profit be for big incentives. Don&rsquo;t be against big alternatives be for big solutions. Create your own energy policy and make it pro-people. <br /><br />Here is a quick outline: <br /><br />Spend your time figuring out how you can personally use less energy <br /><br />Support the work of people that are trying to find and deliver more energy<br /><br />It&rsquo;s a workable balance; one that we need now. Don&rsquo;t believe me? Tonight, when you are at home, take out a sheet of paper and a pen. Now turn out the lights. It&rsquo;s rather difficult to design a better windmill in the dark, isn&rsquo;t it?