I'm appalled by the lack of major media attention given to critical news regarding energy issues directly related to the economic and environmental survival of America. It brings to mind the Chinese Proverb "If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed." These issues will be "broad siding" us in the next 10-20 years or less, not 100 years from now. The following is based on information from reliable, defensible, mainstream sources. Reasonable solutions to these issues are also suggested.

Climate change, enhanced by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, threatens both the environment and the economy. Because some people still believe it's simply a political issue or that it's not based on strong science, my web page can take you to major sources of information both "pro" and "con." For the sake of ours and future generations, investigate each side of the issue and decide for yourself which side you want to believe! I'm convinced it's a serious issue demanding immediate attention.

A big part of the problem is transportation. Data from the Department Of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicates transportation uses 66% of the oil consumed in the United States. About 54% of our oil is imported and the EIA projects this use to grow 33% by 2015 due to transportation energy growth. The EIA also projects crude oil imports to climb to 66% of the nation's total energy supply by 2015, with OPEC capturing 60% of the world oil market.

Another basic issue is energy supply & demand. Oil constitutes almost 40% of the worlds energy consumption and only 1,200 billion barrels of oil reserves remain on the planet. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? The world has consumed about 800 billion barrels of oil thus far with half of that consumed since 1970 - a mere 28 years ago. In another 28 years from now, at a 2% rate of world oil consumption growth, we will have used up 90% of those 1,200 billion barrels of remaining oil! If you think there's a lot of oil left to be discovered, think again - most studies show discoveries trending downward. Furthermore, this "current rate of world oil consumption growth" is not likely to remain constant, but increase due to world economic development. If demand continues to grow while reserves decline, the cost of oil will rise dramatically within 20 years due to "supply & demand."

If you think these are just the rantings of left-wing liberals, think again. Major oil companies such as British Petroleum (BP) and Royal Dutch Shell (two of the largest) are beginning to say it's time society started preparing for the decline of oil. BP's CEO Jonathan Brown recently committed the company to energy conservation, the development of new energy technologies and is cooperating with developing world countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Shell became the first large oil company to announce support of the Kyoto green-house gas reduction treaty, encouraging more efficient use of fossil fuels.

What can you do? Use less energy! Over half of the new vehicles sold last year were "sport utilities." Do you need transportation that gets 10-15 mpg when cars that get over 25-30 mpg are readily available (not to mention less costly and generally more reliable too, according to Consumer Reports). Plan trips so you drive less, carpool whenever possible and use public transportation.

Do you need a 3,000-4,000 square foot home that "just meets" the State Energy Code? Would an 1,800 square foot home (the average size in Calif.), cost-effectively using half the energy allowed by code, be a more responsible choice? If you're concerned about resale value, how valuable do you think your home will be in 10 to 20 years if it uses twice as much energy as another of the same size?

How did we get ourselves into this predicament? A lot of it has to do with how politics encourages energy waste. If you don't like wasting money you need to know about energy "subsidies and externalities."

Energy subsidies are a part of your energy bill currently hidden in the taxes you pay. Externalities are costs that are external, or outside, the price you pay for something and include subsidies. Because these costs are indirect, or "external" to the energy pricing system, they are referred to as externalities. Some examples of externalities include human health problems caused by air pollution from the burning of coal and oil, damage to land from coal mining, environmental costs (global warming, acid rain, water pollution, etc.) and national security costs, such as protecting foreign sources of oil.

Most of us think in terms of month to month expenses. According to information from the U.S. Export Council For Renewable Energy, externalities add up to as much as $83/month per American! The breakdown is: $26 for health impacts from pollution, $17 for government subsidies to utilities, $17 for military defense of foreign oil, $10 for disposing of radioactive waste, $10 for lost wages from imported oil, $2 for crop losses caused by pollution and $1 for corrosion caused by pollution. Since the producers and the users of energy do not pay for these costs directly, society as a whole pays for them as "externalities."

There are other "costs" we pay to maintain the status quo. As we become increasingly more dependent on imported oil, some of our children will be killed in wars defending our addiction to oil. The American Lung Association says 300,000 people died last year of lung disease in the U.S. and air pollution played a major role.

Each one of us bears some responsibility for these problems as well as the solutions. Don't wait for "them" to fix it - it's "them" that got us into this mess. Fortunately, there are solutions to all of these problems. It's up to you!