Alternative Energy Nonsense

When I hear about anything alternative I tend to cringe. Alternative music, alternative energy, alternative medicine, and alternative investments all have something in common…they are not the best. President Obama wants to try to use more alternative energy to get to make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. The President and environment whackos want lower emissions and “clean energy”. Greedy companies are not stupid. Companies would only invest in these alternatives if they made economic sense (which they don’t…well only if you include tax credits).

One big argument from environmental whackos is that we have to worry about polluting the air. Let’s look at some data before we make any decisions. From the period of 1988-2002 toxic emissions declined 51 percent. Smog since 1970 has decreased by 1/3 even as the number of cars doubled. Acid rain has declined 67 percent even though we burn double the coal. Airborne lead is down 97 percent. All of these things occurred despite an increase in population growth. People tend to argue to argue after this data “Well see the EPA is doing a great job”. What people don’t consider is what emissions were before the EPA was ever created, how much regulations from the EPA costs, and how much of taxpayer money is spent to fund the EPA. For example, the number of car accidents per highway miles driven was much less even before the National Safety and Highway Traffic Safety Administration was ever created. Along the subject of cars and the environment I think of how unnecessary CAFÉ (corporate average fuel economy) laws are. By 2020 the government wants car companies to produce 35 mpg cars. One way to increase MPG is to make the car lighter which also makes the person in more likely to die in an accident given less cushion. Also car companies with the regulation will increase the cost and pass it along to consumers.

On the current energy problem however, the President should let companies drill within the United States. If the President wants to lower other energy costs he could further deregulate electricity markets to allow for lower prices. Natural gas is very low and companies might find even more useful ways to use it in the future .However, the idea that we should use solar, wind, water, and anything else under the face of the sun is utter nonsense. Lee Raymond former CEO of Exxon once explained that you would have to have solar panels covering the city of Los Angeles in order to equal the same amount of energy in one gas station. Over time technology and the economics of alternative energy might change. However, right now oil is the most cost efficient resource we have and for the government to pick what should work and what shouldn’t is just a bunch of hot air.