|
The NEW China Syndrome
In a nutshell, here is how I see it...
1. China is clearly the number one source of cheap labor for the United States and many other countries. The benefit of this is that I can buy most anything I want at a very affordable price.
2. As a result of supplying the United States with nearly every product it needs, China has becoming increasingly more wealthy. The people are more wealthy, and can now afford to drive automobiles.
3. Consequently, China is now the second largest user of energy on the planet, and is the driving force behind skyrocketting oil prices.
So...here are some options...
If we all decide to boycott Chinese made products, the wealth of China may decrease, and oil prices could someday come back down. The downside of this is that my patio furniture costs me $800, instead of $300. Shoes cost me $75 instead of $19.99...etc.
Well..frankly...this is unrealistic, in my opinion. Boycotts rarely work, and national protectionism is not a great policy.
Another option...
There are a couple of new forms of alternative fuel...ethanol from corn, biodiesel from...well...corn. So instead of running our cars on gasoline, we could just use all the corn on the planet and let China have all the oil it wants.
I'm thinking this is a really bad option, because people need to eat and if all the farmland is used for growing corn...well...do I need to spell out the dismal future of that?
A third option...
This one makes good sense to me...
According to a scientist I saw on the History Channel, there is enough "wind" on the planet to provide 100% of the energy needed to supply the entire world. That is to say ALL energy..electricity, auto fuel, etc.
It sounds reasonable, especially since Holland is currently supplying 25% of their national energy needs from wind power. Anyone who has been to California has probably seen the wind farms along Interstate 10....etc.
Wind is pretty cheap...and the electricity generated from wind can be used to make hydrogen from seawater. Hydrogen is the smartest fuel we could use to run automobiles.
Please post your thoughts...this is a problem that affects everyone!
|