A New American Clean Energy Economy

There were many important sections, moments, and turns of phrase in President Obama's State of the Union address earlier this week. Much of the speech revolved around the American economy and other domestic topics. In one section in particular, Barack Obama made a point that cannot be stressed enough. He talked about the US's place in the global energy economy.

For many reasons, investing heavily in scientific research across the board is a smart idea. Investing today in research for clean energy technologies is an even smarter idea. As Obama said,

The nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.

In countless cases throughout the last several hundred years, it has been the access to energy that has dictated whether a nation's power grows or dwindles. In the 21st century it will be no different. If the United States does not become the dominant leader in new energy technology, it will gradually lose its edge militarily, politically, and economically.

Long gone are the days when the US could get most of its energy from domestic sources, and even harnessing all of the country's reserves without any attention to environmental preservation would not change that fact. However, the culture of assured access to limitless energy is pervasive and implacable. Replacing this with a new national identity of scientific progress through hard work and tough decisions is the right thing to do.

It's extraordinary how inventive one can be with ethanol right now
-Daniel Yergin

BP's New Find

Today BP announced it had found a "Giant" oil find in the Gulf of Mexico. After drilling deeper than Mt Everest is tall, BP found what it estimates will provide 600,000 bpd by 2020.

By that time it would be nice if refining and extraction technology were more able to resist shutdown or damage from hurricanes in the Gulf. After the damage wreaked by hurricanes Katrina and Ike, it would be foolish not to prepare years in advance for possible hurricane damage.

Oil; Part One of Many

Deciding to go to war is the most significant decision a nation can make. The rise of total war has given conflict the potential to encompass all aspects of a nation. Likewise, the dramatic increases in globalization in the past few decades have made economic interconnectedness a facet of everyday life for developed nations. The complexity of the modern world demands that nations develop long-term strategies for maximizing political and economic wellbeing. 

When contemplating the use of military force, the weight of innumerable factors all come to bear.  No political schema is free of the subtleties politics of state. No matter if you are Kim Jong-Il or Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama or Felipe Calderon, war is no simple decision of yes or no.

Why did Japan choose to go to war in the Pacific, and finally against the United States in 1941?  The answer is elusive, and every explanation seems to either leave out important facts, or skew them to suit a particular political theory.

Uniquivocally, however, at the very core of Japan's decision, was it's lack of abundant natural resources.  Above all of its material needs sat one specter: Oil. 

Victory [in war] is the beautiful, bright-coloured flower. Transport is the stem without which it could never have blossomed. (1899)

— Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

In The River War (2004), 87.