Today: Iraq

[kandrathe]

"So, dial power consumption back? Sacrificing the manufacture of your TV, your Car? Down to say what level? Zero?"

Haven't we heard enough slippery-slope tactics this last year? With over 2/3 of the worlds energy production being used by 1/3 of its population, a remark like that surely must come from someone in the lucky group. Noone said you have to shut down your own cars, TVs or computers (even if many 'civilised' people have several of each).

I am in the lucky group who gets to pay $275 per month for electricity and $1.75 per gallon for gasoline.

But do you need all those neon lights in the streets?

No. In fact 5 years ago I led a local movement to block the installation of curbs and gutters, street lights and sidewalks throughout our little community. It was a grand idea from a developer who had bought the city council and was transforming our community into something 90% of us had escaped from. We ended up replaceing the entire city council and the mayor, thanks to democracy and activism.

If everyone had the same high energy consumption as we have, the world would have to produce twice as much. Every country, including the socalled 'evil Islamic' ones, would need its own nuclear plants. Seeing how both fossile and uranium-based nuclear power will last only for several decades at the current pace (or did we forget uranium is a rare element?), that would give quite a problem.

The US should lead by example, but I would be a hypocrite to call for the curtailing of the energy use of others (nations), while we consume so much. I believe that as nations progress towards prosperity it is inevitable that their energy consumption would rise accordingly.

Uranium supply does not seem to be the problem as much as the Uranium market.