SOS/FAN was published in 2013, after more than a decade of research. When SOS/FAN was first published, the author was told it would be at least 10 years before it 'took off'. If America is to survive global warming, Americans must understand America's energy options plus America's environmental obligations; then cast their votes accordingly. When it comes to America's energy needs, Voters must put aside their political ideologies. Democrats, Republicans and Independents must come together and make sure America is on the path for a strong, stable economy which will provide the resources to successfully combat global warming.
Now is time for America’s voters to get behind meaningful ideas, electing leaders based on their support for specific, detailed policies which are beneficial to most Americans! Beyond the reach of special interest groups the BizzEB Fuel America Now Energy and Environmental Plan, (BizzEB FAN Plan), has been developed on the basis of America utilizing its natural energy resources in a manner which is in the best interest of most Americans. Without Americans creating an economy which returns America to once again being the Land of Opportunity, mankind has no chance coping with the unpredictable and disruptive weather events which will precede Earth’s recurring climate changes or creating the technology which will allow humans to monitor atmospheric CO2 levels and manage global climate to the benefit of all mankind.
The BizzEB FAN Plan is designed to present a foundation which can result in the development of America’s first realistic energy and environmental policy. The BizzEB FAN Plan will assist America in the development of an expanding, robust economy essential to provide a competitive edge in attracting industry and jobs back to America. Once America implements a rational energy and environmental plan, it should limit the extent to which presently elected as well as elected leaders in the future can mismanage America’s energy resources.
1) Global warming. The BizzEB FAN Plan is founded on the fact there is already more than enough CO2 in the atmosphere to end, or virtually end human life at some point in the future. Also, regardless of America’s use, reduced use or non-use of fossil fuels, the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere by humans and other natural causes significantly exceeds the ability of earth’s sinks, (trees, plants, ocean), to remove and sequester atmospheric CO2. BizzEB FAN Plan concedes the reality that life on earth is carbon based due to the fact carbon is responsible for all earth’s life forms. Carbon gives life and carbon, (in the form of atmospheric CO2), can also end life on earth. Unless humans develop the technology required to monitor and control atmospheric CO2, mankind’s continued existence is doubtful at best.
2) Prepare for climate change. During the time required to develop and implement the technology required to monitor and control atmospheric CO2, America will need to make the adjustments required to adapt to changes in climate. Farming will have to deal with major changes. Regions that previously received regular rain fall will experience droughts. Areas that were dry may receive extra moisture. Regions that are already hot in summer may become excessively hot. Coastal cities will experience higher tides than normal. Many other adjustments to life will have to be made due to current and future climate changes. America must be prepared financially and technologically to adapt to climate change.
3) Over population. The root cause of excessive atmospheric CO2 emissions is first and foremost the result of human over population. If human population continues to grow, at some point the earth’s ability to support mankind will be exceeded. America is fortunate in the fact that its population does not surpass America’s natural resources required to support the current population. The problem is America’s population continues to grow, primarily as result of immigration, plus the fact the new immigrants tend to have larger families. America’s energy policy should include regulations designed to manage immigration plus encourage smaller families. An example would be to limit personal tax deductions to 4 per family, 2 adults and 2 children. If a couple wants a larger family, that’s their business but they will only receive tax deductions for 2 children. Also, apply the similar limitations to individuals on public assistance.
4) If America is to fill highly skilled positions with Americans, America will have to make significant changes in advanced education and training. Automation has significantly reduced the need for unskilled and minimally skilled employees. As America’s economy improves, there will be a serious need for highly educated and trained employees. At least initially, many of these positions may require the immigration of the required talent. America will need to rethink its trade school and college education system. How can a society justify offering fully paid college scholarships, including room and board plus a spending allowance, to students based solely on their abilities throwing, catching, hitting or running with a ball; while requiring highly motivated, capable American students to incur significant debt to obtain a trade school or college education?
5) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The BizzEB FAN Plan energy plan underscores the need to develop technology to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions as a result of consuming fossil fuels. At the same time, Americans must realize that regardless of how much America reduces its green-house emissions, global green-house emissions will continue to increase. According to NOAA, the year 2012 has clearly revealed, even as America reduced its CO2 emissions, global CO2 emissions not only continued to increase; global CO2 emissions increased at a near record rate.
6) Remove America’s oil, coal and natural gas from the influence of world energy markets. America’s energy resources need to be limited to use in the United States. Only American individuals, companies and organizations with the facilities to take delivery of the product; then consume, process and/or market the fossil fuel products within the boarders and territories of America, can purchase America’s fossil fuels. Energy speculation by financial investors using U.S. markets or operating within America’s boarders is illegal. America’s fossil fuel resources must be developed and consumed in a manner that is in the best interest of most Americans, both living now and not yet born. America must use its fossil fuel resources to provide a competitive edge in the international market. By doing so, America’s low energy costs will create an economic environment that will return industry and jobs that were previously lost to countries with lower wages.
If America allows its oil prices to be influenced by world markets, even after achieving energy independence, energy prices would never become stable and manageable by most Americans. If America’s energy prices are allowed to fluctuate based on world events, America’s wealth would simply be transferred from average Americans to oil producers and marketers. America’s energy independence would be meaningless to most Americans.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, (FERC), oversees specific aspects of electric power generation, hydropower facilities; natural gas pipelines, transportation and storage, plus oil transportation. The FERC regulates electric power generation and distribution more closely than the other energy products. Since fossil fuels will not be subject to open market pricing, the prices will need to be set by FERC or other regulatory agency. Energy is a necessity for modern life and needs to be regulated to prevent the price gouging Americans are currently experiencing. Energy producers, refiners, carriers, marketers and retailers must be able to make a profit. The regulation of fossil fuels could follow the electricity model that has served America and industry well for decades.
7) America’s crude oil exports are generally prohibited by statute: “The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975” (P.L. 94-163, EPCA) directs the President to restrict the export of crude oil. There are loop holes and exceptions to this statute that need to be closed. Also, the statute needs to be broadened to include all fossil fuels. In addition to preserving America’s natural resources for Americans, by becoming energy independent plus eliminating the export of America’s fossil fuels, America will become immune to world events that now result in major fluctuations in energy costs for all Americans.
8) Limit exports of refined energy products. Refined oil products can only be exported if demand for the product in America has been met plus the production of the product to be exported is due to an imbalance in demand for other products produced in the production cycle. If America’s need for a specific energy product, i.e. gasoline, is at a level that requires the production of other energy products; i.e. diesel, heating oil, propane, at levels that exceed America’s market requirements, the excess production can be exported. In the event coal, natural gas or other fossil fuel is converted to oil, the oil produced will be subject to the same restrictions as oil produced from conventional oil wells and methods.
9) Limit import of crude oil for refining. Crude oil can only be imported if: (1) America’s need for energy exceeds the production of America’s natural resources. (2) If America’s need for energy and oil related products has been fully supplied and refinery processing capacity exceeds the production capacity required to meet America’s needs. In which case, the products produced from the imported oil or other fossil fuel resource, can be exported without restrictions.
10) Set a minimum price for oil and other fossil fuels. Since America imports a significant percentage of foreign oil production, as America reduces its imports, there is a probability that the world price of oil will drop, maybe drop dramatically or even ‘crash’. (The end of 2014 for example!)
When imported oil prices increased significantly in the 1970s, American oil companies increased efforts to develop America’s oil shale. Then in the early 1980s, oil prices dropped considerably, making oil produced from oil shale unprofitable. On May 2, 1982, Exxon cancelled its participation in the development of America’s oil shale. The date is referred to as ‘Black Sunday’ by locals in western Colorado since more than 2,000 workers lost their jobs on that date. America cannot allow the situation to be repeated. There has to be a minimum price for a barrel of oil that will allow America’s non-conventional oil resources to be developed profitably. The minimum price for a barrel of oil could be $60 or less. In the event the world market price for oil drops below the minimum price, there would be a tariff on imports equal to the difference in price.
There is a problem with tariffs. The United States is a member of the World Trade Organization, (WTO), which provides a forum for nations to file complaints against other nations ‘unfairly’ using tariffs to suppress trade. There is little doubt a complaint would be filed in the event America applied a tariff on imported oil. America could use the anti-dumping defense in this situation. America’s position would be that oil prices were decreased to prevent America from developing its energy resources.
11) Eliminate government regulations that hinder development of America’s fossil fuel resources. The BizzEB FAN Plan stresses the fact that environmental regulations must be enacted or current environmental regulations changed to encourage development of America’s energy resources in a manner that minimizes the harmful environmental impact. Public lands under the management of the Bureau of Land Management, (BLM), must be opened for the exploration and development of America’s oil shale as well as other fossil fuels.
Another potential advantage in the development of oil shale on public lands is the ability to set a price for oil produced which will assure the developer a profit and in effect create a price all other oil producers will have to match and cannot exceed to remain competitive.
It is impossible to develop most fossil fuel resources without negatively impacting the environment. The negative impact on the environment resulting from developing fossil fuel resources must be minimized utilizing existing technology. Unless the environmental damage resulting from developing fossil fuel resources have a proven and substantial harmful impact on humans, the development of the fossil fuel resource cannot be blocked.
12) Limit the time a holder of a government energy lease is allowed to develop the lease. America cannot allow large energy companies to stock pile energy leases. Once a lease is issued the lease owner must begin development within a specified period of time. The lease holder will be required to be in production by a designated date. Plus, if there is sufficient data available to support the anticipated production volume, the lease owner will be required to be in production at an expected volume or be able to justify the failure to produce at the projected volume. Leases to develop energy resources on Federal lands must be made available as necessary to sustain America’s economic requirements.
13) Legal challenges to the development of America’s fossil fuel resources limited to Federal Courts. The BizzEB FAN Plan prevents the filing of trivial suits designed to interfere with the development of America’s fossil fuels in local courts which could issue baseless injunctions. If there is legal justification for challenging, halting or revising the development of specific energy resources, the case must be presented before and ruled on by a federal court. The loser of the court challenge will be liable for all court costs plus damages to the opposing party.
14) Promote research and development. The BizzEB FAN Plan emphasizes the fact that America’s government should provide financial incentives for the research and development of technology that monitors and controls atmospheric CO2. Additionally, America’s government should offer incentives for the development of technology that reduces CO2 emissions as a result of the consumption of fossil fuels. The development of businesses specializing in the development of new energy technology should mostly be left to private enterprise. The project to monitor and control atmospheric CO2 will likely have to be a government project due to the massive cost of research, development and implementation with little or no possibility of generating profits.
Once the technology required to monitor and control atmospheric CO2 has been developed, the next logical step would be to convert a portion of the captured CO2 into synthetic oil. This will allow carbon to be recycled and significantly reduce the need for conventional and non-conventional fossil fuels. Until the atmospheric CO2 has been reduced to a level that will eliminate the threat of global warming, a significant portion of the captured atmospheric CO2 will have to the sequestered, (stored in the earth).
15) America cannot continue to jeopardize the future of Americans on technology that does not exist and may never exist. For years there has been the rumor of a battery that could allow vehicles to travel hundreds of miles without recharging was on the threshold of being developed. If solar and wind energy arrays are to be stand alone rather than be supplemental electricity producers, there will need to be major advances in electrical storage devices, (i.e. batteries). If America continues to ignore its available energy resources while waiting on advances in technology, there is a high probability American’s will continue to struggle in a weak and unstable economy. Plus, climate change will continue unabated.
16) America will need to responsibly manage the significant influx of cash that will be the result of a strong economy. The world’s oil producing countries, by and large, have squandered the considerable wealth their oil production and sales have created. America cannot repeat the mistake. The BizzEB FAN Plan is structured to manage America’s energy resources in a manner that is in the best interest of most Americans. With ‘cheap and plentiful’ energy, America will attract manufacturing that will create goods and services that will be marketed internationally, generating a trade surplus. Americans share the ‘space ship’ we call earth with other humans. Americans will need to use a significant portion of the wealth generated from America’s robust economy to create the technology required to monitor and control atmospheric CO2; eliminating the global warming threat. The bottom line is that the world can benefit from America’s success as a result of Americans developing America’s natural energy resources.
17) When America’s economy enters into a recessionary or inflationary period, if the government regulates fossil fuel prices, the cost of fuel could be decreased or increased as required to alter the economy. This is an idea which will create a lot of controversy but really deserves considerable thought and consideration. American consumers are particularly sensitive to changes in energy costs, especially when it comes time to refuel their vehicles. There could be an argument for regulating energy costs rather than printing money or controlling interest rates. Furthermore, since energy prices influence virtually every product and service required for modern life; a minimal change in energy cost could significantly impact America’s economy. With the dollar stabilized, people on fixed income would be able to live their lives rather than live in fear about the loss of purchasing power of their incomes.
The BizzEB FAN Plan is a straightforward document when compared to the energy plans put forth by every President elected this century. The BizzEB FAN Plan puts forth thoughtful steps that can lead America into a future that will benefit not only hard working Americans but all mankind!
Without a doubt, there will need to be revisions to the BizzEB FAN Plan to make it work in the best interest of most Americans. Changes could undo the intended benefits and if Americans truly desire America returning to its position as the Land of Opportunity, all changes should be presented for public review before becoming part of America’s energy and environmental plan.