The other day, I was listening to talk radio in my car. Since Jim Rome went to break, I channel surfed and came upon Rush LImbaugh. A caller had said that since the US only had 3% of the worlds oil, it was time to focus on alternative energy sources. Rush thanked him, then expounded on the "fact" that those reports only cited "areas available for drilling". And then proceeded on an "Oliver Wendell Douglas" speech about how America is a growing country that requires oil to run the factories and create jobs. And then went on to say that there is oil in Alaska...we can't drill. There is oil off gulf coast of Florida...we can't drill. And that we SHOULD be able to drill there so that America can grow. However, he failed to mention anything about why it is necessary for one person to occupy a Hummer or Expedition or Suburban to drive on the paved roads to work and get 12 mpg or less. He also failed to mention why the automakers, who market these beasts as "luxury vehicles" (but not trucks) adamantly opposes including them in the CAFE standards (since they're trucks). I guess he doesn't feel that American ingenuity is clever enough to figure out a way to produce these monster vehicles with a bit more energy efficient means of propulsion. He failed to mention anything about the environmental costs associated with drilling. I'd invite him to visit the emerald coast of Florida, then proceed to Padre Island Texas and see if he notices any differences in the "quality" of the beach.
