Letter: Where are all the leaders? (July 24, 2008)
Posted by Courier Editor at 7/24/2008 1:08 PM and is filed under Letters
Editor:
Where are the leaders?
As a nation, we are faced with numerous problems as we move forward into the 21st century. No problem is greater than the lack of leadership coming out of our elected officials.
First and foremost, the energy crisis looms as the biggest single problem that America is faced with. I say that because so many other problems that we face are directly related to the energy crisis – a crisis that need not be.
Our biggest energy crisis is the lack of competent leadership in Washington, D.C.
We have more energy resources than any other single nation on the face of the earth. Why then are we faced with this energy crisis? One answer immediately jumps out at us – our “leadership” in Washington has decided that we shouldn’t use any of these resources because the future is in energy derived from non-fossil sources; wind, hydro, solar, ethanol, methanol, etc.
We’ve been told that even if the Congress approved exploration in the outer continental shelf and oil reserves were found it would take seven to 10 years to bring that oil to market.
Unfortunately, our leaders are self-serving liars and scoundrels – sorry, that’s just the way it is. Last week, a Swedish oil exploration firm discovered oil in the Caspian Sea, near Russia.
This particular oil field is estimated to have approximately 1 billion barrels of oil in it. Now remember, this was last week. They have announced that they will begin pumping the oil out of that field in September – that’s about 60 days.
This confirms what I heard an American oil expert say several weeks ago. He stated that when you find oil and begin drilling, you will be pumping oil out in about 50 to 60 days.
The Chinese in conjunction with the Cubans will begin drilling in the outer continental shelf off of the coast of Florida soon. There is abundant oil there, and in all likelihood they’ll be slant drilling towards the United States to pull this oil out.
We are prohibited from drilling there because of the outside chance of an “oil spill” – an outside chance that all experts rate at about 1 percent – 65 percent of all of the oil that washes up on our shore comes from natural seepage, over which we have no control whatsoever.
In Wyoming, Montana and Utah we have tremendous supplies of coal. Through the process of coal gasification or “coal to liquid technology” that coal can be converted into synthetic fuel.
This was done by Germany in the 1930s, and while their country was being bombed 24/7 for years on end, they produced enough synthetic fuel to run their entire economy and their armies during World War II.
We have enough coal in the United States so that if converted to synthetic fuel it would total 800 billion barrels of oil, or enough to supply all of our needs for 200 years at the current demand. The cost of this process would be in the $50 per barrel range.
What are our “leaders” waiting for? Is it possible that they are so enamored with renewable energy resources that they simple refuse to do what needs to be done to ensure that America has abundant, affordable fuel produced here in this country and not supplied by cartels whose members hate this country and everything we stand for?
Are they actually willing to risk the possibility that people in America will be forced to make the choice between food, prescription medication or heat?
Are they actually willing to see our economy brought to its knees because they have a philosophical investment in renewable resources?
Someone once said; “When small men cast long shadows the sun is surely setting.” Hopefully that’s not the case in America.
In 1776 with a population of about three million we were able to produce Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Hancock and to many other leaders to list here. We are now a nation of 300 million – where have all the leaders gone?
Robert J. Kelley
Old Orchard Beach
AI
