The unflattering oil economy
The BP and Deepwater Horizon oil spill got me thinking about the way people see things and the perspectives we have. Yes, this is a human and environmental tragedy of still incalculable proportions, and it is very unpleasant to go over the list of effects this event will have.
We can start with the loss of human life in the name of saving an old industry, and then move up the chain of life that has been bitterly abused or terminated, to serious long-lasting environmental impacts and to the Gulf Coast. economy that won’t soon forget what it’s like to have Katrina # 2 sitting on its weary doorsteps once again.
And the list will go on …
But although this oil spill is similar to a catastrophe, I would like you to stop for a moment and change your perspective with me. Events like this often change the course of humanity (as long as we are conscious enough to see that we have the ability to change it, of course …).
Changing your perspective means taking a look at the timing of this. On the surface it seems to be very, very bad because in many ways it is. But it is also an exclamation point that draws attention to something else. A deeper look clearly shows slow government cooperation not only in protecting the environment, but also, equally important, in implementing a strong movement towards a sustainable industry that we all know is needed right now. So if anything, this will definitely put a lot of politicians right in the middle of the hot seat with not just our environmentalists, but also anyone who likes to eat fish or look at a clean ocean.
It is also something that can be seen as a big white elephant in the room when applying the economics of oil production vs. renewable energy production.
Fossil fuels are pumped from the ground, go through your processes, given various additives, transported to gas stations, and made available to put in your car.
You, the owner of the car, pay a price for that fuel and go.
But think a little more about the bad economics of this. Your investment will be used up when your tank is empty. The amount of money it costs to get the fuel off the ground and into your car is very high compared to what you actually end up paying at the pump. That large amount of money spent insuring oil goes to an investment that cannot be replenished or even begin to sustain itself. Therefore, the money you spent out of pocket to fill your tank will go to something that does not grow, but rather shrinks.
And after that chain of events, you have multiple layers of business and industry now facing dire consequences if they don’t upgrade their technology or purchase carbon credits to reduce their carbon footprint. They, in turn, will likely have to raise their prices to cushion the cost of saving the environment and humans from pollution caused by fossil fuels … and drilling for …
So as you watch the ‘who knows how many’ thousands … millions of gallons of oil seeping from the bottom of the ocean, watch what is REALLY coming up and yelling at you to pay attention …
We are humans smarter than this.
Economically, renewable energy is a no-brainer. Wouldn’t it have been nice if every time we dug into the ground for those fossil fuels, they were immediately replenished? That would be an investment!
So imagine running your car on clean water or electricity. Your investment doesn’t run out when your car does. Your investment is counted because you have just invested your hard-earned money in something that really helps everyone! You also just saved the two thousand dollars that you would have ended up spending on cleaning up the pollution, either directly or indirectly.
It really is an easy choice.
Peace!
Ornesha
