Oil Solutions Through Logical Problem Solving

TruthfulDeceit · Aug 18, 2008

Just wrote this. Enjoy. Leave any feedback.

In recent years, Americans have seen skyrocketing oil prices adversely affect the pricing of everything else, from food, to clothes, to cars themselves. With oil hanging around the high three dollar range, it is clear that in order for our countries economy to thrive, we must ease the burden of high gas prices. This year's election has brought two candidates with two very different ideas on how this should be handled. In dealing with the problem, John McCain has favored gas tax relief and off-shore drilling. Barrack Obama has favored long term development of alternate, renewable energy such as hydrogen. Neither is willing to budge on their position. This is where politics prevent real, logical problem solving.

Solutions need to be based on what is good for the country as a whole now, 5 years down the road, 10 years down the road, etc. Instead, politics comes in to play and most solutions end up shorted. A real solution needs to be broad and encompass many time periods to be effective. McCain's plan proposes a gas tax relief, which will benefit consumers immediately, and off-shore drilling, which will provide more oil production within two years. Obama's plan proposes alternatives to oil and would greatly reduce the price of energy, but would not be viable for five to ten years. Neither plan encompasses the entire time frame. Everyone wants 50 cent a gallon gas, but what good is cheap energy if you lose your house before that's possible? A solid solution must be viewed from three time periods.

The first time period is short term. Short term can be defined as the time period from the current date until around 2 years later. McCain's gas tax relief reaches the short term. Savings of ten to twenty cents may be real nice for a short amount of time, but after a while the high prices will still hit. Another possible solution would be government vouchers. Send monthly gas coupons to the poorest citizens with cars registered in their name. The relief will be felt by those that need it most. The goal of these solutions has to be temporary relief; deal with the high prices right here, right now.

But what happens two years down the road when these incentives have become ineffective? McCain proposed off-shore drilling, and experts predict it would take, at the most, two years for drilling to begin. Off-shore drilling would give a large amount of oil right to the American people, thus reducing the cost of gas significantly. But drilling can only last so long. Eventually, as more countries develop demand will overtake supply and prices will begin to rise again. Off-shore drilling can be relief in the mid term, from around two years(when it's functional) to five to ten years(when demand overtakes supply). And so a long term, final solution must be reached.

Obama proposed that the country invest heavily in research and development of alternative sources of energy. Experts have said this is possible but any significant changes are five to ten years down the road. With every drawback comes a benefit though : even though the technology is still down the road, the delay in savings brings reduction in dependency, which is permanent. Any technology reducing oil dependency on a whole is a final solution to the problem. And so significant amounts of money must be invested in research and development on oil alternatives. And where will this money come from? The extra taxes from people spending due to the financial assistance given in the first two stages.

The most important thing for any candidate to value is the security of the citizens of our country. With foreclosures, debt piling up, the dollar crashing, and other economical pitfalls, we need to look at every problem with a holistic, logical problem solving outlook. Politics needs to be put aside in order that our citizens may benefit the most in every circumstance. The goal always needs to be what is best overall, not just what sounds best at the time.
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5446was my# · Aug 18, 2008

A very interesting read.

stoned budda · Aug 18, 2008

Good post!

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Oil Solutions Through Logical Problem Solving

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Oil Solutions Through Logical Problem Solving

TruthfulDeceit Registered User

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stoned budda Smokin weed since 1975 Gold Member

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stoned budda Smokin weed since 1975
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