What steps is the U.S. government taking to lower our dependence on oil?

Question

I'm asking this because i'm concerned that future wars, more terrible than Iraq and Afganistan, will erupt over this resource that is disappearing faster and faster.

Answer 1

Not to much at the moment. If they were then they would petitions car companies to put their extremly efficient gasoline engines (which do exist) into mass production and sell them to people.

Answer 2

As long as our government officials are slaves to the oil companies no significant progress will be made on this issue. Too many politicians are vested in oil and they all receive the billions of dollars in campaign contributions from them so until this resource is gone or the voters wake up, we will be at war.

Answer 3

The U.S. government ISN'T doing much to lower our dependence.

There will be no substantial change until big oil is in a position to profit from that change. As long as big oil profits from dependence, there is no reason to change, rather a reason for big oil to PREVENT change to protect their margins. Actually, the more dependent we become, the more they can charge - shell, bp, HALIBERTEN anyone?

Think about this - electric cars have been around for years (oh yeah, where does that electricity come from - burning a fossil fuel of some kind). Hybrid technology has been around for years (big auto sees a demand and NOW puts the product to market) Ethanol has been around for years (bp has a slice of that pie - low and behold, ethanol cars.....)

Notice how things like this make it to market when and ONLY when big oil and or big auto are the ones making the money from it. If big oil/auto are not the ones to profit from new tech, we see ridiculous , scare tactics about the stock market crashing, claims the new tech is un-american, claims the new tech is anti-business, claims the new tech is anti capitalist and thus socialist, other bs, red tape, new laws restricting it etc.,... until big oil/auto gain a big enough piece of the pie - THEN we see it at market.

The U.S. government will start taking real action to lower our dependence on oil THE MOMENT big oil is in a position to profit. Why would you expect a politician to do anything different? They are elected because of money donated by big business (either directly or personally through executives and other interests).

The problem I think is big business has too much influence. Oil dependence is a symptom of this problem in my mind. We've moved from capitalism (which I think is a good system) to commercialism and consumerism and now blatant market manipulation (big tech - microsoft; big aggriculture - monsanto; big oil - bp, shell, etc.,..; big pharm - pfizer; big telcom - ATT merging back together; big retail - walmart; big medical - health care costs an managed health care) - all in the name of profit.

Its un-american to save. Its un-american to be responsible with money - we are supposed to spend spend spend spend. Particularly on credit as that generates profits on interest. That's too much of a good thing I think.

Think of this though, a corporations ONLY responsibility is to its shareholders to return on their investment. That is THE ONLY job. We ask for change, but would we not all ***** and freak out if our mutual funds tanked as a result? Do you honestly know what funds your large cap/conservative investments are in or do you leave that to your financial adviser? Are we willing to actually risk the losses to our portfolios to facilitate change?

As investors, we are also part of the problem. Whether its through direct stock ownership, mutual funds, 401K, etc.,... are we not?

I think the problem is that big business has gotten too big. Oil dependence is just one of many symptoms.

Answer 4

The big thing it can do is allow markets to take over. Stop regulating oil to death. Open all areas to drilling. Eventually, the market will bring a viable alternative if it is needed.

Answer 5

The leaders of the administration are all oil men. Their friends are all oil men. They make money from oil. They have no plans whatsoever to do anything like what you are talking about.

Answer 6

Sending 20,000 troops to Iraq.

Answer 7

put solar panels everywhere, it should be something built into everyones roof. wind generators everywhere possible. new technology based on the tide. there is so much we could and should be doing that is so easy.