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Not as good as it can get

The declaration by President George Bush that the United States must snap out of its dependence on oil holds the promise of many positive changes for America and the world. It could, for instance, alter for the better the way the U.S. conducts its relations with other countries. It could help push oil prices down, and even slow the rate of global warming. The Advanced Energy Strategy that President Bush unveiled in his State of the Union Address promises more money for developing alternative energy sources — such as solar, wind, and nuclear power — clean coal and ethanol, so that "addicted to oil" America can reduce its oil imports. At present, the U.S. imports an estimated 500 million tonnes of oil annually — 60 per cent of its needs — compared with 117 million tonnes by China. But if Mr. Bush is genuine about breaking America's oil habit, quicker and more direct ways to reach this goal are available. Of the 20 billion barrels of oil that America consumes every day, an estimated 9 million go into automobiles. Taxing petrol at rates significantly higher than at present is one way to reduce consumption. The other is to put pressure on the American automobile industry to produce smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient cars instead of the petrol-guzzling sports utility vehicles that have become synonymous with what is grandly known as "the American way of life." And if ethanol is what President Bush wants, Brazil found a cost-effective way of making this alternative fuel several years ago from sugarcane, and the U.S. could well think of making it easier to import ethanol from the South American country.

The U.S. President has instead chosen long-term plans that will not require consumers to shake off their oil dependence in the immediate future. That makes it all sound like the promise of a cigarette smoker who says he wants to quit but puts off acting on it for another day. It has, understandably, created the impression that the much-touted energy initiative is meant to be nothing more than a nod in the direction of the green lobby by an embattled leader seeking better poll ratings. Environmentalists are now more concerned that President Bush's declaration for energy independence could be used by the oil lobby in the U.S. to push for more drilling at home, including in protected areas in Alaska. Considering that only 20 per cent of U.S oil imports is sourced from West Asia, even the singling out of that region as the preferred target for a sharp import cut appears to be a mere ploy to neutralise adverse public opinion on Iraq and the Bush administration's foreign policy. As for nuclear energy, it will not be long before President Bush is asked why the U.S. can use this to build energy self-sufficiency, but not Iran. If President Bush expected to win himself friends at home and abroad with his new energy strategies, he has not quite succeeded.

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