We are now ten spots behind the European Union. I recently spoke with an American businessman and got an insight into the impact of our worsening position. He and his partner created a major company in Iceland because energy costs were so low due to the use of volcanic and other alternative energy. He said that it was just too good to pass up. Of course, these countries also have cleaner air and better health of its citizens. While these studies often look at energy costs, they do not factor in the deaths associated with air pollution. Indeed, most citizens have no idea of the high levels of a death associated with many pollutants.
The energy lobby in the United States continues to resist efforts to mandate alternative energy sources unless it is questionable sources like ethanol. Lobbyists insist that such sources are too expensive and unreliable despite the fact that Germany is number one in the world in the use of such sources and continues to outstrip the world in the strength of its economy. We continue like a ship of fools, spending wildly on wars while refusing to create infrastructure and resources for alternative fuels. We are watching as our educational scores drop with key industrial factors like energy efficiency. What do we think is going to happen for the next generation?