Energy Crisis - Who Is To Blame

Many years ago, I was in an organization that worked hard to pin blame when something went wrong. End result: when something goes wrong, everyone knows who to blame. I have also had the experience of being in an organization that worked to get the problem fixed when something went wrong. End result: the problem got fixed.

In this time of crisis - and make no mistake - this IS a time of crisis - we can blame the speculators - after all, their speculations can drive the price of commodities in the market artificially high. Currently, this translates to higher prices for heating our homes and driving to work.

We can also blame the de-valued dollar. As of this morning, the exchange rate for the American dollar in the European market is $0.62 (that would be the "Eurodollar" - the currency that OPEC has talked about using as currency of choice for their oil going forward). Therefore, the prices of the things we buy is greater.

We can blame the environmentalists for pushing measures through Congress which do not allow us to drill for oil in many places where drilling would not only be possible but profitable.
We could blame "Big Oil" for raking in huge profits across the last few years and laughing all the way to the bank.
We can blame the Bush administration for its magical manipulation of the economy to support "Big Oil" - a community to which Bush and many of his constituents belong.

We can also blame the Iraqi's who refuse to push their output of crude much higher - that supply and demand thing - the greater the demand, the higher the price.

We can even subscribe to the "conspiracy" theory - whether you believe its a plot to support terrorism, or a plot for monetary gain by the already fabulously wealthy oil magnates, or a plot by the environmentalists to force alternative energy on America.
Any and all of these ideas have been put forth and are entirely possible. I find most people subscribe to one theory or another.
We can blame ALL of these groups and theories and, I'm sure, a great many more. End result: eventually - everyone will know who to blame.

None of this, however, addresses the problem we have - our immediate crisis: Higher energy costs. Each and every one of us is affected to some degree. We have higher home heating costs. We have higher cost of goods and services brought on by higher cost of transportation and general day-to-day cost-of doing business. We have higher cost of gasoline and petroleum-based products.
These are the facts we must live with now and into the foreseeable future.

In coming posts, I shall attempt to address energy related issues from various perspectives. I will share information as I find it and as it becomes pertinent.
Stay tuned and thank you for reading.