The Energy Artifact

My icon is the electric transmission tower for the Energy Artifact. This icon represents the driving force of our economy, our computers, our businesses, our homes. Typically portrayed as the evil utility, in spite of all the good provided. According to some, the electric utility industry has become something we would all be better off without; until the switch does not turn the light on. We seldom appreciate the impact of running motors, water and machines, until they stop. This energy form supports the American dream, freeing us to enjoy the fruits of our labor rather than enslaving ourselves to produce the fruits.
Popular culture would lead us to believe that the electrical industry is dirty, Recently at Ohio State University, Al Gore (2008) told the audience, "I don't know if you've noticed, but the price of oil is going up and coal is dirty.” The facts are that since 1949, the U. S. average annual emissions from coal is 1,421 metric tons with a deviation of 425, with a maximum of 2,162 (Swivel, 2007). Our clean coal technologies work, and have improved despite a 50% increase in coal fired generation in that same time frame.
There are those that would rather destroy 232 years of the only successful democratic republic, the United States, despite what it means to its citizens and the world. The Clean Water Act of 1949 and the Clean Air Act of 1963 (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008) were enacted by generations that were intent on the preservation of what was then the un-policed spoiling of our great nation. Subsequent amendments to these existing laws in the late 1960s and 1970s improved to some extent, enforcement, but also created a situation where infrastructure critical to our nations success became fair game. Contrary to popular culture, the ‘baby boomers’ and their actions of the late 1960s and 1970s, did not create basic protection of our environment, their parents did! Those of us that were around during the interim know of the environmental improvements prior to the 1970s. To the latter’s credit, the original acts did not provide provisions of enforcement, the subsequent amendments did, but also targeted specific infrastructure. This trend of ‘targeting’ has continued into present day amendments and legislation. This has led us to our present day conflict. Mr. Gore has graciously pointed out, “coal is dirty” (2008). Admittedly it has been, but we must ask ourselves; is it so dirty that we will willingly risk our children’s livelihood, well being and continued success? Ignore the most prolific fuel source currently available to them? “Coal is one of the true measures of the energy strength of the United States. One quarter of the world’s coal reserves are found within the United States, and the energy content of the nation’s coal resources exceed that of the entire world’s known recoverable oil. Coal is also the workhorse of the nation’s electric power industry, supplying more than half the electricity consumed by Americans” (U. S. Department of Energy, 2008).
The role of the stereotypes, bad industry and good environmentalists play a fool’s adversarial game that leaves the citizens to suffer. In a democratic republic, the citizens will eventually win, but at what cost? Industry exists to answer the needs of citizens. Without a market, it is not profitable to produce a product. Environmentalists exist to answer the nostalgic wants of citizens. To quote a scene from Three Days of the Condor (Pollack, 1975), ask the American people when the population can not feed, clothe, house or warm their children, whom can best answer those needs? “Not now - then! Ask 'em when they're running out. Ask 'em when there's no heat in their homes and they're cold. Ask 'em when their engines stop. Ask 'em when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You wanna know something? They won't want us to ask 'em. They'll just want us to get it for 'em!” The environmentalist response would very well be to “huddle together”. The governmental response could very well be “huddle together in the superdome”. The industrial response would be “what could we build, that you can use”?
It is foolish to think that we can afford to throw away any, much less, our most abundant energy source. We should continue to explore any possible energy source. We should continue to utilize, as efficiently and responsibly as possible, the energy resources we have. My hero representative is the folk hero John Henry. He personifies hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. Understanding that his demise will spell the end of the tradition he represents, the better will come of it. John Henry is typically characterized as a strong, black, ethical, hard working man. I would select Michael Jordan as a celebrity representative; strong, ethical, hard working, just as John Henry.
American ingenuity and independence are the values demonstrated by my energy artifact. That is how we started and should be how we measure ourselves. We began and succeeded on our own, we progressed to the apex of the world on our own, and we have provided security to the world on our own. Just as in the past, the whole world will benefit from our success. My vision is simple, use what we have.
Given sufficient resources, I must first apologize; there are some, with little arable land, little potable water, and few resources, beyond oil, that will suffer. I would make responsible use of all American resources. I would utilize all available technology to make the effort as environmentally friendly as practical, but I propose utilize it all. I would develop every natural energy resource, but I would focus first on the one to reduce first: coal. At $130.00 a barrel, I believe the American industry can develop a means to liquefy coal for fuel competitively if we can only relinquish the ‘dirty coal’ mindset. We have technologies available from the 1920s, “At its peak in early 1944, the German synthetic fuels effort produced more than 124,000 barrels per day from 25 plants (U. S. Department of Energy, 2008).
I come from West Virginia, and worked extensively in its central and southern coalfields. One of the best things to happen to this region, in terms of wildlife diversity, is managed mountaintop removal and reclamation. Where before there were only a few black bears occupy mature timber; after reclaim, there is injected a portion of diverse habitat. Visit a well managed ten year old site and one is amazed at the abundant various wildlife, including a larger black bear population, present in the area; previously non-existent. Visit Hazard, Kentucky, previously a flood ravaged town, look where it has moved to. In science fiction novels, it is romantically referred to as ‘terra-forming’. In Appalachia, environmentalists refer to it as ‘raping the mountains’! Ask the local, he will say “making usable land out of a mountain steeper than a goats face”. In fact, many communities that were previously very isolated now have operational public airports, situated on reclaim mine sites.
It is foolish to think that we can afford to throw away any, much less, our most abundant energy source. Following Mr. Gore (2008), oil prices are soaring and coal is dirty. However, for us to abandon coal will only increase demand upon our other resources and increase their price, including oil. I find it incredible that there are those that believe American ingenuity can not improve on 1920s to present technology to use that most abundant resource effectively and responsibly. To remove coal from the energy menu would be to forestall any continued technological improvements concerning its use.
With my sufficient resources, I would begin developing existing coal to liquid fuel technology to compete with $130.00 per barrel oil; using clean coal technology. I would expand my technological research and development beyond fuels and include plastics and synthetic fabrics. With successful development, it would be prudent to begin investing in idle coal holdings and expiring contracts. A concerted American effort such as this would result in a dramatic drop in world oil prices, increase the United States technological development and mining workforces, potentially placing the U. S. well on the path of energy independence.
The American public is tired of being held hostage to outside oil interests. The time has come to tell some entities in the world to ‘eat your oil’. It is time to tell some internal entities that we desire energy independence in a rational manner. Let’s not take any energy resource off the menu, but make responsible full use of those we have. Many of the global issues existing today would be immediately mitigated by such a national effort. After such a concerted national effort, long term contracts for foreign oil could very well be negotiated at $20.00 per barrel, take it or leave it!


References
Richards, J. S. (2008, May 4). Gore calls for quick action on global warming. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/04/gore.html?sid=101
Swivel Data. (2007) U. S. – Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1949 – 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/show/7804451
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2008). United States of America: History of the clean air act, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/caa_history.html#
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2008). United States of America: History of the clean water act, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/fwatrpo.html
U. S. Department of Energy. (2008). United States of America: Coal, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from
http://www.energy.gov/energysources/coal.htm
Pollack, S. (Director). (1975). Three days of the condor [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
U. S. Department of Energy. (2008). United States of America: The early days of coal research, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from
http://www.fe.doe.gov/aboutus/history/syntheticfuels_history.html