Interesting look at the long-held political mantra.
The Myths of ‘Energy Independence’
By Laura Vanderkam Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Filed under: Science & Technology, Book Reviews
A provocative new book argues that ‘energy independence’ is neither practical nor desirable.
Americans disagree on taxes, the war in Iraq, and a host of other issues. But politicians of all stripes have embraced “energy independence” as a winner. In President Richard Nixon’s 1974 State of the Union address, he said that the United States should “not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need to provide our jobs, to heat our homes, and to keep our transportation moving.” This sentiment has since been echoed by countless Republicans and Democrats.
There’s just one problem, says Robert Bryce: “Energy independence is hogwash.” In his new book, Gusher of Lies (PublicAffairs), Bryce challenges the notion that America can ever be totally “independent” of the global energy market. It is neither practical nor desirable, he argues. Repeated ad nauseam as a campaign slogan, the concept of energy independence keeps us from having an honest discussion about globalization, economics, and foreign policy. Americans will be best served by embracing global interdependence, and getting government out of the energy business as much as possible.
Bryce, a fellow at the Institute for Energy Research and the managing editor of Energy Tribune magazine, makes a convincing case. For starters, it’s unclear why “energy independence” should be prized above other forms of independence.
Americans depend on global markets for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the raw materials used in everything from electronics to medicines. Like these other markets, the international energy market is highly intertwined and difficult for any single country to disrupt. The 1973 Arab oil embargo did not cause lines at U.S. gas pumps; Nixon’s price controls did. Iran has never had a problem finding a market for its oil, despite U.S. attempts to isolate the Islamic Republic since 1979. Indeed, even Saudi Arabia imports some of its energy.
Americans don’t like this lack of control. That’s why we cheer when politicians talk about “energy independence.” But the reality, as Bryce quotes former UN secretary general Kofi Annan saying, is that “arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity.”
It’s also pointless to argue against fossil fuels. For all the interest in alternative fuels, Bryce writes, “the laws of thermodynamics, combined with the many trillions of dollars that have been invested in fossil-fuel-powered automobiles, airplanes, power plants, industrial systems, and residential heating and cooling systems, will mean that fossil fuels will predominate for the foreseeable future.”
Oil may peak at some point, but then we’ll rely more on natural gas, a relatively efficient source of energy. We should also take another look at nuclear power—but since we import most of our uranium, energy independence will prove illusory then, too.
What we won’t rely on—at least not efficiently—is corn-based ethanol. The highlight of Gusher of Lies is Bryce’s 50-plus-page indictment of a substance that “isn’t motor fuel. It’s religion.” While plenty of economists have pointed out the folly of subsidizing corn, then subsidizing its conversion to ethanol, and then forcing Americans to use it, Bryce actually manages to make the subject entertaining. This is no small feat.
