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Katrina
Demands Hybrid Vehicles
Oil
has become America's Achilles Heal
Fortunately, the worst of
Katrina slipped by New Orleans, but it will take days to
estimate the catastrophic damage the hurricane has caused
and will yet cause.
Aside from damage to property, Katrina could have
widespread effects upon the energy industry. It is
possible that oil rigs have been destroyed, that oil
refineries have been significantly damaged, and that major
ports could be closed for weeks. Thus, oil and gas prices
will go up and they will stay up for some time.
While this will probably be only a temporary spike, the
keyword is 'probably', and we are still early in the
hurricane season.
American demand for oil has pushed refinement capacity to
its limits, not to mention requiring the need for ever
more foreign oil.
Oil has become America's Achilles heal. If hurricanes can
wreak so much havoc on America's Energy sector, what could
terrorists do? While the U.S. can recover from a
hurricane, what if Hugo Chavez stopped shipping oil to the
U.S. for just a week in some sort of protest? What if
terrorists took a out a few oil refineries?
Decades ago, America became the world's major super power
via technology. Today, in terms of fuel efficiency, Japan
leads the way for automotive technology, as American
automakers focus on marketing budgets and profit margins.
Perhaps this was acceptable in the past, but shouldn't
9/11 have changed this? Instead, America is increasing its
foreign oil dependency from places like Saudi Arabia, the
same country where almost all of the 9/11 terrorists came
from.
Who financed those terrorists? Where did the money come
from?
Hybrid
cars, such as the Toyota
Prius hybrid, are a revolution. If every American
drove a Prius, the need for foreign oil would be over.
While critics might argue that if every American drove a
Honda Civic, a cheaper alternative to the Prius, foreign
oil dependency could also end, every American isn't going
to drive a Civic, nor a Prius. Moreover, neither GM nor
Ford would survive if every American drove compact
vehicles. The loss of those jobs would be devasting, but
only advanced technology, such as hybrid technology, will
save those jobs.
Thus, hybrid vehicles are TODAY's solution. Hybrid
technology can move far beyond the Prius, into SUVs, such
as the Ford
Escape hybrid and the Toyota
Highlander hybrid, plus it can move into larger
sedans, such as the Toyota
Camry hybrid.
More important, plug-in
hybrids and other experimental hybrids demonstrate
that the potential of hybrid technology is only just being
tapped. These experimental hybrids are technologically
feasible today, at a cost that is significantly less than
fuel cell vehicles, which are not technologically feasible
today. Oh yeah, and they could achieve 250 mpg.
Without technological leadership, the American economy
will be severely damaged. Hybrid vehicles are not just
about protecting America's national security from
terrorists, but about protecting America's national
security from economic recession or even collapse.
The American economy is led by consumers. While energy
costs for the average American have dropped since the
'80's, much consumer spending has been sustained by the
housing boom. If oil prices push the economy into a
recession, with slowed spending, and the real estate
bubble begins to deflate, the U.S. could get caught in a
vicious downward cycle.
If that happens, most Americans won't have any choice but
to drive a cheap compact, if they can even afford to
drive, and neither GM nor Ford would survive.
Is that risk really worth flossing and bling, blinging in
a gas-guzzler? Are Americans really that selfish and
ignorant? Let's hope not.
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