You are absolutely correct. We are the USA. We could do it. But, neither party currently wants this.
It is sort of like the talk of abolishing the current tax code in favor of a flat tax. Neither party will go for it, at least with the current members. It is a great campaign issue for both sides.
Well, same with energy independence. A really big campaign issue, a really big issue that each party can bang the other party on the head with.
We must remember, the current crop of politicians love subjects that divide the country. They believe it keeps people interested, keeps people sending money, keeps them in fat city, keeps them in power. A bipartisan approach to energy independence? Ain't gonna happen in the foreseeable future. Sad, but true.
We use 22 million barrels of oil a day. Look at the
facts before you jump....if we had to build Nuc's to supply are energy needs, we'd need to build one a week for the next 10 years... Never going to happen.
"If we could start an American Manhattan Project for energy independance we could acieve freedom in less than 10 years.
You are absolutely correct. We are the USA. We could do it. But, neither party currently wants this.
It is sort of like the talk of abolishing the current tax code in favor of a flat tax. Neither party will go for it, at least with the current members. It is a great campaign issue for both sides. "
Disagree ... only ONE party is for the flat tax, and that is GOP. If we had a big majority, like 280 members, we could get a FAIR tax or FLAT tax past the RINOs and Dems.
Likewise on energy independence, the only serious party on this is the Republicans. Serious on nuclear energy, on drilling, on alternatives like hybrids too. However, there is a lack of leadership.
"Well, same with energy independence. A really big campaign issue, a really big issue that each party can bang the other party on the head with. "
True. For Democrats, this is just a way to advocate for fossil fuel taxes and make people feel guilty about driving SUVs. For Republicans, it the drilling etc.
Here is a full solution for energy independence:
key point - we import 15 million barrels of oil a day.
To get those imports to 0, we'd have to double production
and halve consumption...
1. Build 400 nuclear power plants, using it to replace coal plants (reduce greenhouse gas emissions) and supply electricity for transportation (see #2)
2. Get people using hybrid plug-in cars; by making electricity cheaper than oil (see #4 and #5) people will migrate to using plug-ins and hybrids over time
3. Drill offshore, ANWR, and govt lands
4. put a $30 oil import fee on oil
5. put a 50 cent gas tax to discourage oil consumption, but leave it off for natgas CNG, ethanol and home-grown alternatives.
6. exploit the 1 trillion barrels of shale oil deposits in the rockies. If we can get to 2 million barrels a day from that, we can boost our supplies 40%. another 2 million barrels from offshore and 1 million from ANWR and we've met our "double production goal".
7. Manhattan project to focus on batteries and technologies for electric-based and hybrid cars/transports etc.
Transportation uses 10 million barrels a day; make a goal to reduce it to 5 million barrels a day, via alternative fuels (plugins, ethanol, etc), efficiency, alternative transport, etc.
The taxes on gas and oil are the only way to really cut consumption, and even then it might need to be higher.
Still, that can help fund the programs and get rebated as a tax rebate for workers.