Instead of going to war over the world’s current oil crisis, Sweden has decided to be proactive and become an oil-free nation by the year 2020. 2020 is only twelve years away. You may think that it would be impossible to make an entire country independent of oil in a mere span of twelve years, but Sweden is dead set on working to meet this goal.
The minister of sustainable development, Mona Sahlin, believes that the world’s reliance on oil is the world’s biggest issue. Soon we will have used up the world’s oil supply and then where will we be? With Sweden working for alternatives to fossil fuels, they will be one step ahead of the rest of the world when all oil resources are tapped out.
Sweden is actually already on the right track. In 1970, Sweden relied on oil for 77% of their energy needs. By 2003, they were able to lower this number to 32%. Sweden is currently using renewable resources for 26% of their energy needs while the rest of Europe is only using 6% of renewable resources for energy. Sweden has been investing much into the creation of wind and water energy plants. They have even built a huge wind farm to generate power, which is expected to open in 2009. Homeowners have gotten rid of their furnaces and replaced them with wood-burning stoves and other boilers that do not require the use of oil.
I think it is completely awesome that an entire country can unite and work together to live oil-free lives. They are looking for alternatives for fuel and building plants in order to make it happen. Just think of all the things we would need to do to rid our lives completely of oil. We would have to find alternate transportation, different ways of heating our homes, new lawn mowers, new energy plants; the list goes on and on. What will we do when the oil runs out? Will America be able to set a goal to eliminate our dependency on oil and stick with it?
Resources:
http://environment.about.com/od/renewableenergy/a/oilfreesweden.htm
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I am not sure which is more amazing....The move away from oil or a united country. For as advanced as America swears we are, I really wonder sometimes.
Excellant!
~T
http://progressiveu.org/235259-oil-addiction
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
We're too divided anymore. And I just realized why, too. We're too big.
Not only are we a large country physically, but we're also rather large population-wise. I know people are going to say "well, [insert country] is bigger" or "[insert country] has more people," but most of the higher population countries aren't democracies or republics, or it's so many people per square mile that they're practically stepping on each other. We have a fairly large number of people spread over a large area.
Not to mention some of the states might as well be different countries because of the massive cultural differences you get. I mean, people are arguing over the idea of making English the official language because of all the people that speak Spanish and don't know or haven't yet learned to speak English. And even among English speakers, we have, what? Like four or five different, distinct accents that are borderline dialects?
For as advanced as America swears we are, I really wonder sometimes.
We're a republic and capitalistic society. That seems to count for a lot of it from what I've seen.
/::)
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Each US state IS sort of like another country. My high school government teacher always told us to live in the state that has the loosest penalties for the crime we plan to commit. I guess he didn't think too highly of the students at our school, but it is good advice!
haha... that's kind of funny, thinking about the teacher's perception of the students.
I agree with your observation of the states. Each state has the ability to declare lower emissions, higher energy-efficiency, and so on. A decision to decrease oil dependancy doesn't have to begin on the national level. It can begin state-by-state.
This is great but sadly our government is to busy starting wars and trying to find more oil than thinking of alternatives. At least some companies are going green that is a positive. I find this enlightening that sweaden is doing this, but I don't think the U.S will let go of its ignorance.
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
That's true, but we can still work individually. I have a wood burning stove as a "just in case" since my house isn't very big. Maybe I'll do away with gas heat and use that, but then again I will need to find another way for hot water....
You know I have to ask...
Why is it the governemnts responsibility to find alternatives?
Nice comment, We will let go out our ignorance when we wake up and look around...America's version of the Matrix
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
a role to play, because it's not as of yet oh-so profitable for energy companies to do their own research. If the United States had stuck to the energy policies of Carter in the 1970s, we would see a country more closely alligned with Sweden's ethic. Perhaps General Motors might actually be competitive in the world and domestic markets. When was the last time you saw a Ford automobile in Europe...?
my documentary...
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That is a good answer. A role is not too bad as long as it is a limited, temporary encouragment, I would be fine with that. I am not familiar with Carter's policies (yet) I just wish there was a way to skip all the hard parts of change.
I have never seen an american made vehicle in Europe, but I have never been their either. Does seeing one or two in Japan count?
If only companies could see that a renewable source would mean never ending profits and hopefully better enviorment, but that would mean they would have to look at the big picture and now the here and now. Maybe a tax inscentive would get them motivated?
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
There are tax incentives for decentralized renewable generation for businesses and homes I think. But from what I've heard, the incentives expire rather frequently (especially when compared to the all-too reliable oil and gas subsidies). Seems logical right? Except that investors in the renewable field complain that without this long-term guarantee and increased R&D funding, it's difficult to compete with non-sustainable forms of energy. It's a tough gig.
my documentary...
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I never saw an American-made vehicle in Europe during my time in England, France, and Italy.
I've lived in Japan for a year and a half. My city has one Ford dealership... but I've only ever seen a Ford (or any other American-made car) driving around three times.
If not our leaders, who SHOULD be responsible for initiating solutions to these issues?
Good question. Disintrested inquiry, which I think died in the birth of consumerism, should have lead scientist to new discoveries by now. The people should be the ones telling the manufacturers what we want and they should do it. I already see this happening with the mini revolt against gas prices and the cars being made now. I saw a hilarious comercial about a gas pump flattening a tire of a new car, then the words 'gas pumps hate us' and then it intorduces athe new improved car.
Its a very circular and complicated matter. The government has a big stake in oil and so telling them to do it is crazy, we should do it by refusing to take a bandaide answer.
All in all, I have no idea.
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
It sucks that everyone is so driven by money and politics. I think that would be a problem with scientists finding the solutions as well - they will need funding to conduct their research and only those affected by the results of the research would be willing to do the funding and those results would in turn affect profits of whoever the financial backer is and then the results may be altered to favor the sponsor of the research - it all seems to be a vicious circle. We need more people in government who care about people and not profits.
We, as consumers, trying to start using fuel saving alternatives may be too difficult based on cost. I sure as hell can't afford to install a more green heating and electric solution to my private home, so I am stuck making monthly payments to the gas company to ensure that I do not freeze. With the cost of living these days I destroyed my credit just trying to make ends meet, so getting the credit to make my home and vehicle dependent of oil is practically an impossibility. I try not to drive, but public transit in my home town is reliant on oil. I do not have the power to make all of my public transportation oil free. Scientists aren't going to be the ones replacing all of the buses with horse driven trolleys anytime soon.....I could go on and on.
Government officials NEED to assist in these changes. We can't do it alone.
Someone just told me they are leading the way in alternative fuel vehicles. This person seemed to think they don't use gasoline at all...I, of course, am skeptical. Does anyone know anything more about that?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Do you mean the fuel cell vehicles or is it something else entirely? Check out this link:
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/transportation/fuelcells.html
The links I found were about electric cars. The classmate who told me about it said that they drive electric cars in Brazil and that many of the electric cars sold there are made by American manufacturers and that there is a plan to test the cars in Miami markets.
This is all hearsay from a classmate, though.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
As far as I know, Brazil has retrofitted their automobiles to use sugar ethanol, which is more efficient that corn as I understand it and a biofuel that grows well domestically.
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Brazil is leading the world in its biofuel production. The majority of this fuel is sugar cane-based ethanol. 80-90 percent of new cars in the country run entirely on the ethanol, or a mixture of the ethanol and gasoline.
This biofuel production is very controversial, especially these days as the food prices are increasing around the world. Many people believe the use of food products for fuel, rather than food, is a driving force in the food cost inflation. Environmentalists are also concerned about Brazil's biofuel production because the fields for sugarcane and other crops for biofuel are taking over cattle pastures. This forces the cattle farmers to burn huge amounts of the Amazon Rainforest for grazing land.
After calculating the lower-emissions from biofuel use with the high emissions of carbon being released as the Amazon is chopped and burned, Brazil's biofuel may actually be causing more harm than help.
Anyone heard of the annual World Naked Bike Rides? I saw these cyclists on the news, some with messages written on them, some with only undergarments on, and others with barely anything on.
Also, the thing about America being too divided reflects the balance and power struggles between the federal and state governments. It comes down to sustaining the country's concept of federalism. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/orochigenocide
". . . it is error upon error, clout upon clout, and our best virtue has for its occasion a superfluous and evitable wretchedness. Our life is frittered away by detail."
- Henry Thoreau