OPINION: Help them, help you conserve resources
The United States of America uses approximately one quarter of the world’s energy, while only claiming four percent of the world’s population. This is a staggering amount of energy used by a few hungry and restless people. An average USU student probably has no idea how he or she contributes to that energy use, or who they buy it from. Students also probably don’t comprehend the social, economic and environmental costs paid for their usage. The average student most likely believes we are far from an energy crisis, with no reason to fear the future or feel the need to invest in alternative energy production — the power that comes through our plugs is so magical and far away from our local Logan lives. I don’t really blame people for their lack of thought on this matter. That’s what engineers, politicians, power companies and the Saudis are for.
I, however, am stuck thinking about this as I ride my bicycle around Logan sucking up exhaust from big diesel trucks. I was stuck thinking about this as I ran the Top of Utah marathon, enjoying the fresh air beautiful Blacksmith Fork Canyon allowed me to breathe, dreading the onset of Logan’s winter air and all its wonderful health benefits. I was stuck thinking about our energy situation as I toured the University of Utah’s campus and saw dozens of student projects that were done with the U’s version of a green fee. I really liked seeing those projects, and they gave me great feelings about what our students have in store for this campus.
Realistically, we are approaching an energy crisis. Americans discovered and invented oil mining and refining to burn for energy, and we are leading the charge to use it up. Taking the current proven world oil reserves and current usage levels, it is estimated our oil will last for 40-50 years. This does not mean we will run out of oil in 40 years, but it does mean we need to find more oil quickly, or find different ways to get to travel and different ways to make plastic toys.
Many environmental activists and scientists call for massive changes in the consumption behaviors of every individual person on the planet. If we all drove less, we would be better off. If we all bought more locally, we would use much less oil. If we all ate less meat and showered more quickly, we would pollute the atmosphere much, much less. While I fully believe our consumption is through the roof and bordering insanity, I also believe behaviors are hard to change. Living in the world we do, it is not reasonable to ask everyone to ride their bikes
to work every day to buy local produce. Instead, we need to invest in something new and better. We need to support science, engineering and math, and put our money toward renewable energy. We need to support political leaders that listen to the scientific consensus and make it a priority to invest in a more diverse energy portfolio for our country.
In a radio address to the nation about the energy crisis in the early 1970s, President Richard Nixon said “America is a rich, a strong, and a good country. We must set for ourselves this
goal: We must never again be caught in a foreign-made crisis where the United States is dependent on any other country, friendly or unfriendly, for the energy we need to produce our jobs, to heat our homes, to furnish our transportation for wherever we want to go.”
Almost 40 years later we find ourselves in a similar situation. Let’s start some awesome things here at USU.