By: Robert Jay

     DEVELOP AN ENERGY POLICY so we are not dependent on the mid-east oil. That area has always been combustible and it isn't worth the life of one single Yank. If the American oil companies want to "protect" that area let them pay for a private mercenary army not the U..S military. Are you willing to have your kid killed or wounded by the folly of an ill conceived energy policy? I think not! After all, what are we paying those yokels in Washington $135,000 a year for --- to continue depleting our human and financial treasury?

     Approximately 50% of our oil is imported. And the projections, over the next few years, are due to rise dramatically. And where's the foresight? What are we doing about what will undoubtably be a not-so-distant problem? Nothing! Our leaders only react to crises.

     There is no reason why we are not creating incentives for the dramatic increase in wind power. The Research & Development has brought down the cost to where it is equal to oil in power generating plants. Yes, I've heard all the baloney, that wind doesn't power generators on a consistent enough basis to make windmills economically viable. But power can be generated in different time zones and easily transferred to where it is needed. I understand the great plains area would be a tremendous resource. Everywhere from Montana and the Dakotas down through Texas could be wind-farms. And they needn't interfere with existing crops or the cattle industry.

     Solar-voltaics (creating energy directly from sunlight) and fuel-cells (producing electricity by strategically combining ingredients like hydrogen & oxygen) have been close to being competitive in price for a long time, but they don't seem to break the expense barrier. I suggest that a wealthy private individual, a foundation, or as a last resort, the government, step up to the plate and award a lotto size prize for some inventor that meets a set of standards that would make alternate energy sources viable!

     But to depend on the incendiary middle-east for oil is folly. Between Saddam Hussain, the mullahs of Iran, the Palestinian/Israel problem, not to mention Egypt's increasingly dire predicament, that area is one gigantic powder-keg just waiting to blow. And what does the U.S. do? We figuratively keep walking around with our finger in our ear. As they say, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what is sooner or later going to happen. The sooner we become energy independent, the sooner we can clear our military and diplomatic concerns out of the area. I am for sooner rather than later. How about you?

Sincerely,
Robert Jay, aka gadfly@mail.iswest.com
474 E. Wilbur Rd.#104,
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Tel.# 805.495-8207