Green Options

Should environmentalism be taught in public schools?

While some companies are backing off the development of shale oil due to the economic crisis, there are still those who are cautiously continuing with the development of this domestic energy source.

The US Congress and Senate have both approved a nuclear deal between the US and India. The deal ends a 30-year ban on sales to India of nuclear technology and fuel.

One of the country’s leading energy modelers estimates that foreign-oil dependence cost our economy $750 billion this year, a little more than the daunting price tag of the proposed Wall Street bailout.

As Ike closes in, drilling platforms in the gulf have been evacuated, refineries closed and now the Port of Houston is closed. MSNBC reports:

Exxon Mobil, Valero Energy, ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil are among the companies halting operations as the storm closed in. Refineries on the upper Texas coast account for one-fifth of U.S. refining capacity.

In the week prior to landfall the energy and economic impact of Ike began [...]

Two major global energy companies are supporting and promoting Iran by sponsoring a conference being held in Tehran. The goal of the conference is to promote “gas export opportunities and potentials of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

An August 29th article on Science Daily explains how hurricane’s Katrina and Rita can give us insight into some offshore drilling issues should Gustav cause damage in the Gulf of Mexico. The findings of Dr. Satish Nagarajaiah, Rice University professor, studied the damage to offshore drilling platforms following the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As the offshore drilling debate persists and Gustav travels through the Gulf of Mexico this weekend Dr. Nagarajaiah’s findings provide important information to consider as we watch the prices at the pump in the aftermath of Gustav.

Both Katrina and Rita were category 5 hurricanes and each one caused damage to an estimated 3,000 oil platforms and 22,000 miles of pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. The following damage is recorded:

52 platforms with major damage
19 of the floating drill units exposed to hurricane force winds went adrift or were damaged
115 platforms destroyed
Eight rigs destroyed
535 pipeline segments damaged

Dr. Nagarajaiah explains that the rigs and platforms may have ongoing damage due to past storms, making them more susceptible to current and future storm surge and wind damage. If and when damage occurs to these platforms, equipment and pipelines the potential for more increases at the pump becomes greater and greater. This Science Daily article states:

When Katrina and Rita struck, gas prices soared as a result of damage to oil facilities. With oil prices at all-time highs this year, U.S. oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has a direct impact on gasoline prices.

Does energy independence for America mean that we have to extinguish all trade and global relationships? Or can energy independence for America consist of developing our technologies and resources to the point that we have the ability to sustain ourselves while still choosing to participate in the global market?

This is a critical time for those who are passionate about America’s increased interest in energy issues. While potential relief at the gas pump is favorable, it is concerning to note how quickly interest in conserving energy can wane. We must continue to keep energy issues on the forefront of the pending election as well as in front of all of our elected officials in the days and months to come.

I met Mr. Chen at a bar-b-que in Tennessee last weekend. Admittedly I learned of his interest in sustainability by eavesdropping on his conversation, hearing phrases such as “reclaiming rainwater” and “solar power”. You may be thinking “so what” there are plenty of architects who are applying sustainable techniques to their work. What makes Tien-si Chen different is that he is a Christian Conservative.