Alternative energy sources and the complacency of the modern American

So, let's start today's rant with the topic of reliance on finite resources as fuel.

After doing some Google-ing, most reliable sources (as reliable as the Internet gets, anyway) say that if we find no more untapped oil, and consumption continues to increase at a 1.4% yearly rate, we will have exhausted the Earth's oil by 2056. The same article goes on to say, however, that the currently counted oil sources are those that do not have to be purified/filtered. That is, they function much like drawing water from a well. It is estimated that an additional fourteen trillion barrels of oil reside in rocks and tar pits. This is about 500 years worth of oil at current consumption rates. Unfortunately, methods for turning this "contaminated oil" into usable oil, while possible, are not really commercially feasible; that is to say, they're not cheap. However, in my opinion, considering the technology boom we've experienced in the last century, there shouldn't be a problem in fifty years, as we will have likely developed a cheap, reliable method of harvesting and using this oil.

So, if we have a few hundred years left of oil on this planet, why should we focus on alternative power sources? After all, constructing and maintaining alternative sources requires oil (transportation, certain petroleum based chemicals used in plastics, etc.). But think of it this way: using alternative, practically infinite resources (which I will discuss a few in a moment) will lower our need for oil, thereby extending the amount of time it will last. Also, (conservatives and Southern Baptists need to pay attention here) global warming is real. It has been accepted by the scientific community. Sure, these climate patterns have happened before, but that was before we started polluting the atmosphere. It is, in all probability, going to be worse this time around. Sure, it will probably take a few generations, but just because it may not affect us during our lives is not a good reason to ignore it. More on that later though.

Alternative sources of power. I'm sure you all know about solar panels. Well, I was going to try to find the article on Popular Science, but I can't find it on the website, and I don't have the magazine here. Anyways, here's the idea: using more efficient and more effective solar panel technology, an African energy mogul is building solar panel banks in the Sahara Desert. Simple, but brilliant. Few people live there, so there's plenty of space, and it gets some of the most sunshine of any place on the planet. Once the planned panel banks are in place, they will be producing enough power not only to power the countries in that area, but have enough that they are planning to export to Europe. This could be done in America as well. Huge chunks of land in Utah, Nevada, and other western states are uninhabited and government owned. As an alternative to increasing federal taxes, the government could simply lease this land to power companies as long as they agree to build and maintain the solar power facilities.

Another alternative is using ocean currents and the up-and-down motion of waves to generate power. I'm not as sure about this one, as there might be some unknown ecological impact, and then there's the issue of constantly being submerged in salt water, which is not the friendliest environment to most materials.

The third alternative, while a bit out there, is my favorite, precisely because it is so different. There is an untapped source of power on this planet that will last as long as the planet is rotating. The jet streams. They are constant rivers of air averaging about 70mph in speed that reside between 15,000 and 45,000 feet above the ground. How, exactly, do we use this source? Just like any other wind farm: turbines. They lift off the ground like a helicopter, and once in the the jet stream, their rotors change pitch, so that they sustain enough lift in the wind and simultaneously spin the turbines to generate power. A Popular Science article on this can be found at:
Popular Science article

Ah, the complacency of the modern American. That's a nice way to say it. We live in a "microwave" society; that is, we have come to expect instant gratification from our actions. No more outdated concepts of "planning ahead". It just "what happens, happens", external locus of control, party now, work later. Sure, this lifestyle is tempting. I've succumbed to it myself. For example, I recently ordered something over the internet, and I'm frustrated that it could take two weeks to get here. The problem is, it's infectious. It used to be that the American dream was working hard for a few decades and retiring in material comfort. Now it's winning the lottery.

Take the above issue of alternative power sources. I'm no tree-hugger, but I know that our rapidly expanding population is harming the environment. The problem with people, especially Americans, is that we ignore large-scale, global issues in favor of our own individual ones. So many special-interest groups, so little time. That's why I'd never get elected: I'd tell all these special interest groups to stop begging me for favors, and to get out there and convince the American public that their position is worth supporting, instead of trying to get me to enact legislation to force the public to support it.

The absence of a strong work ethic from our nation's young people is also hurting our country. I work in a movie theater. It's a minimum wage job for teenagers finding their first jobs (not my first job, by the way...just need the money, and it was the first place that hired me). How many of my coworkers work hard without complaining? I can only think of three. Many of them try to sneak away during a shift to eat or make phone calls instead of working. Teenagers today have no clue what they want to do with their lives. They're not inspired to work. They are content to have their nice cars, clothes, and cellphones provided by their parents. Meanwhile, Chinese and Indian children dream of working and being successful. Guess what? They're realizing their dream.

It used to be that foreign knock-offs of our technology were vastly inferior to ours. Now, they're better, particularly ones from Asian countries like China and India. Have you seen the Chinese version of the iPhone? The Apple iPhone just came out this summer, and they've already made a better one, and it's CHEAPER. Apple technology, the pride of America, has been bested by a Communist nation that used to be a little fart compared to America. Our consumer mentality has finally defeated the good, old-fashioned American ingenuity that used to characterize our country. The United States is no longer at the forefront of technology development. We place a tremendous amount of emphasis on health care for seniors and social security, but not nearly enough on the education of our young people who are the future of our country, and on providing technology-oriented jobs for them. These jobs are going overseas instead. We as a people are content to buy imported technology instead of making our own.

There is another aspect of the American mentality that is both a blessing and a curse. Individualism. It is a central concept in capitalism, which has made this country great and wealthy. But it carries in it the underlying message which is now being taught to young children in schools: everyone is special just for being who they are. Newsflash: You are not special just for existing. Genetically unique, but nothing more. You might be special to a few people, but this idea becomes bad when you start expecting complete strangers to treat you like you are "special". Teenagers and children often have the misconception (and I've been this way too) that no one could possibly know what they are feeling/going through. All these ideas of being special leads to selfish behavior. Yes, it's a natural tendency for all humans to be selfish pigs, but it seems to be worse in Western society. Young people expect everything to be provided for them. They don't want to work for it. They won't do something if it means not seeing a reward for a long time. They want it NOW. Sound like a toddler?

I'm just frustrated with the apathy and COMPLACENCY of Americans towards the decline of America as a world power. Don't you have any pride in your country? I'm sorry, I forgot: you're too embarrassed to admit you're an American just because we invaded Iraq. Get over it. This is your home, and our country has gone through worse times than this (remember the Civil War? that's pretty embarrassing). Don't assume someone else will do something to improve the course that America is on. Do what you can. For the most part, one person can't do much, but if everyone does something, a lot can be accomplished. Conversely, if no one does anything, because "one person can't make a difference", nothing gets done.

*sigh* I think I've run out of gas for now. Time to go build an atmospheric wind farm for a constant flow of power. But seriously, is it any wonder that the Muslims don't like Americans, when we have everything and aren't content, and they are perfectly happy with the bare essentials for a civilized existence?