Energy Independence the Hard Way, Part 1

The Year of Our Depression 2008 is quickly grinding towards a smouldering ruin of finality, and already we sense that there is great hope that 2009 will be the turn-around year. Great faith seems to be place in President-elect Barack Obama's multi-hundred-billion-dollar make-work programmes. It seems to us that Mr. Obama is considered the man who can lead this nation to a better future.

Mr. Obama's transition website paints a starry, starry picture of energy independence: 1 million plug-in hybrids purring about by 2015; 10% renewable energy by 2012; 5 million jobs and $150 bullion over ten years. How lovely, but we point out to the President-elect that $150 billion is chump change; the Federal Reserve has 'injected' over $1 trillion, and that hasn't done squat. What can a measly $150 billion do for energy?

We posit a different scenario for energy independence, although it won't be appearing on change.gov anytime soon. In a decade, the government will have spent more money than we have the vocabulary to describe - but all for naught; infrastructure programmes will have been started, and abandoned. In essence, the United States will be so poor, its domestically-produced oil (currently about 25% of supply) will be all that is needed.

Cliffhanger? You bet. Part 2 tomorrow.