RANTS
The Interstate Highway System, the Automobile, and the Oil
Leak in the Gulf of Mexico:
In the 50's the Eisenhower Administration initiated the construction of the Interstate Highway system. This major
construction project employed thousands, and resulted in a transportation system that is the envy of the world. It
enabled rapid transport of goods and people across the country and it lead to the great prosperity of the
American society and culture. Unfortunately, it also fostered the culture of the personally owned vehicle (POV) of
which there are now millions jambing the Interstate Highway system during peak usage periods like "rush hour".
Millions of POVs sucking down millions of gallons of non-renewable fossil fuels, polluting the atmosphere,
changing the climate, and now, with the uncontrolled gusher of oil spewing forth a mile down on the bottom of the
Gulf of Mexico, possibly killing the oceans and with them, the planet.
Years ago we should have invested money in mass transit instead of billions of dollars to create acres of
pavement catering to the POV, but we couldn't because we all preferred driving our 2 tons of steel to work or the
corner store rather than the inconvenience of waiting for a bus or riding a bicycle, or walking. Now our addiction
is coming home to roost in the form of middle eastern terrorism, war, pollution, rising gasoline costs, and huge
auto insurance bills that most of us will never receive any monetary benefits from.
Now we are locked into spending billions each year to maintain the aging Interstate system with its deteriorating
bridges and pavement. Recently we have even had to subsidize 2 automobile manufacturers with our taxes in
order to sustain our national economy, Americans drive 3 trillion miles a year on roads and bridges that are
dangerously deteriorated. In fact, there are some studies that indicate that more than half of our bridges are
more than 50 years old and are in danger of collapse. Repairing or replacing those bridges and roads would cost
more than can be imagined.
Even more unfortunately, the majority of the world population wants the same type of transportation system we
have. If India and China are able to realize this ambition, there will be millions, maybe billions of new POVs and
millions more acres of paved parking lots and highways, and millions more tons of pollution entering the
ecosystem. The competition for fossil fuels will become more and more intense, with the resulting wars and the
death and destruction that come with those wars for energy.
Now we are seeking to feed our addiction from greater depths than ever before. According to the media, the
current leak in the Gulf of Mexico is at more than a mile below the surface. The pressures there are incredible
and that is one of the major problems that must be overcome in order to stop the spewing of thousands of gallons
of oil into the Gulf. Nobody has ever had to do this before, therefore nobody knows exactly how to deal with the
problem, so they have to try a bunch of stuff until something works or until the biosphere dies, whichever comes
first.
We may have lead the world to its own destruction by our shining transportation system example.
It's time to stop being stupefied by our addiction to oil. In fact, it may be too late.
HOPE- One technological development that could help stop of even reverse the fossil fuel madness trend is the
Internet which provides the opportunity to communicate on a face to face basis without the need to travel.
There is no longer any need for a business person to travel hundreds of miles for a meeting with his clients or
potential partners, they can easily do it on line and save the jet fuel. However, institutions and corporations have
not yet adopted to this new technology and are still wasting fuel and damaging the environment by holding
meetings that require travel.
State and national governments are particular abusers of the carbon footprint by requiring representatives from
various departments distantly located to travel hundreds of miles to meetings that may only last an hour. Until we
can look at the big picture, the world wide picture, and see how silly all this unnecessary travel is, we will continue
on the well paved road to our own destruction.
Another development that could help us turn the corner is that the Obama Administration has indicated a
preference for funding mass transit projects over highway funding.
Even with the terrorist threat mass transportation is still the best way to move goods and people, because our
addiction is feeding the terrorism, when our travel fuel consumption goes down, so does their funding for
mounting attacks against us.
Any long term change in the direction weaning the world away from privately owned, fossil fueled vehicles should
help detoxify the environment, increase public health (as they breath less polluted air and get more exercise by
transporting themselves by bicycle or on foot), diminish the motivation for war, and eventually result in a more
stable economy.
That is, if the Gulf oil leak can be stopped. If not, there is no need to worry about a problem that cannot be
solved. We can just relax and enjoy what is left of our time.
UPDATE 8/13/2010 The well has been plugged, The end of the world is delayed until the next time. Folks
against the moratorium on deep water drilling are complaining that stopping deep water drilling will cost 640,000
jobs on the gulf coast. They include in that figure all the sales clerks and waiters and truck drivers etc. having
some distant connection in supporting the deep water drilling and assume that those folks have no other
customers. The figure is obviously grossly inflated, but even if it were accurate, is saving those jobs worth the risk
to the atmosphere? We may be sure that if deep water drilling resumes, there will be another disaster. RCC