I've been posting the beginnings of an idea in some of the oil spill diaries, trying so hard to find ways to begin America down a path of alternative energy. I have no idea if this idea has any merit, but it sounds like a start and I'd love to get some feedback about the hurdles and pitfalls.
We obviously need to get Congress involved, because some new laws do need to be written and some old laws need to fixed. Back-up safety equipment needs to be required, like in most other countries and Congress has to make that the law.
Here's the outline of the idea:
The USA will take oil rigs in their territorial waters off-line 2 or 3 at a time. No warnings, just show up and shut them down for a rigorous inspection. Doing it this way will not disrupt the oil supply and will help to keep the global economy from freaking out.
Maximum fines will be assessed for every safety or equipment violation, no matter how small. Not fines that can be negotiated down, but the very tip-top of the fine schedule is the only line we will see when assessing these fines.
While the rig is off-line, the new safety regs will come into effect. Every rig will require a relief well/kill bore be drilled now. Acoustic shut-off valves must be placed into service. I'm sure there are many other safety rules that can be put in place, but these seem to be the 2 biggies that would have helped to mitigate, if not prevented, the catastrophic leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
Once the changes have been made to the rig and its equipment, another rigorous inspection. If the rig passes completely, it will be issued a new lease for 5 years, or until the well runs dry, whichever comes first. Once that time is up, the rig is dismantled and removed. For the duration of the lease, surprise inspections will be done and any and all violations will result in a shut down of the rig until the violations are rectified. Maximum fines will always be assessed.
The money from the fines (which will be significant, judging from what we've learned about other rigs) will be used exclusively to install a car-battery charging station in every gas station in the country.....every single gas station, no matter how remote. It must be written into law that no congressperson may touch this money for any other reason. The work of installing the chargers can be outsourced to private industry and will generate a few jobs.
I realize this may be difficult due to the all the different battery designs, but perhaps a universal adapter of some sort can be an industy standard?
I believe the infrastructure must be in place BEFORE Americans will consider switching to hybrid and electric cars in large numbers. Americans love their convenience and until charging your car battery is as easy as filling up your gas tank, many people won't go there. Rightly or wrongly, Americans ain't giving up their cars. The country is too large and mass-transit just isn't feasible in large parts of it. We can wish that wasn't true, but it just is.
Hybrid cars are widely available now, but still pretty expensive. Electric cars are coming, but there is little to no infrastructure in place to accommodate them. I think this idea could be a first step to getting that infrastructure in place.
Once more "alternative" cars are sold, more will be made, which will bring the price down. That, as we all know, will generate more sales. As the gas station owners see the need for the charging stations, they will add those as they remove a gas pump or two. A whole new industry is born, profit is generated, and the USA begins to move to a better, cleaner future. This is not a change that will happen quickly. There are forces allied against it that, as we have all seen, will do anything to keep their business plans in place. It's going to have to be gradual and it's going to have to fit into our capitalist system. The government can give a jump-start, but the sooner the government gets out of it, the better it will "stick".
I figure in about 20 years, we will have made significant progress. Young people are more aware of the climate issues facing the world and if we make it easy to own and operate an electric or hybrid car, I do believe many will get on board enthusiastically.
The incentives here are not "in your face" laws that breed resentment. We all know Americans don't like being told what to do. But, over time, many people will see that it is less expensive to own and operate an alternative vehicle than a gas-powered one. It would be great if the charging stations could be free of charge for the first 5 or 10 years, with tax rebates to the gas station owners for the cost of their equipment and energy. I also think a cap needs to be legally placed on what gas station owners can charge for use of the chargers.
I know this does not address the way the electricity is made to power the chargers. But I think it can be one way to begin to change ATTITUDES. That is the biggest hurdle we face here in America. We possess a cockiness and arrogance that is not going away. Instead of railing against it, pitting people against each other and pushing both to extreme sides of the "energy debate", I suggest we gently bring people into the change, almost without them knowing it. Make it seem as if it was their idea to make the switch.
This idea also has the added benefit of making the oil companies help pay for our transition away from their product. That is sweet revenge!
I welcome comments......point out where and why it can't work, legal issues, etc. I'm just sick of feeling so helpless....being one of the people who can not afford an "alternative" car right now, I WANT to be able to....I want some concrete action for us poor people to be able to do our part to save our planet. I think this could be a first step.