Submitted: Editor, Daily Oklahoman I enjoyed your recent essay on the policy effects of the 1973 Arab oil embargo. I like the nostalgia of knowing that we coped in difficult times. And I like the sense of security that we get, knowing that fracking will supply all the gas we are likely to need for a long time, and that any future price shocks are likely to be mild. But the next series of price shocks is already upon us, and is growing wildly. These are the costs for relief efforts in the event of natural disasters. As this ( tinyurl/jwjn9dh ) recent study mentions, no one is doing the accounting in this area, but a conservative estimate is that relief efforts have cost $136 billion in the three years 2011-2013. We need someone to keep track of this, because these costs are rising rapidly. The second, of a one-tow-three punch of price shocks, are the costs of steps taken to reduce the impact of future natural disasters. A recent tv show has New York spending billions on sea walls and water-proofing its infrastructure. Most coastal states are planning to combat rising sea levels, and even OK is about to consider building storm shelters (and rural prairie fire equipment?) (c2es.org/us-states-regions/policy-maps/adaptation ) Again, the costs here are difficult to assemble, and we need some agency to take up this task. The third punch, and potentially the largest price shock of all, will come when we finally address the cause of all these events, the carbon pollution that we continue to subsidize. We desperately need to start adding renewable energy to the grid. It is only a matter of time until the public recognizes that fossil energy is the root cause of this wild weather, and that we must reduce our usage of coal and other fossil fuels. Doing this through the price mechanism, rather than with government controls, will be the most acceptable way, so that the price increases are incorporated rationally. But this shock can be cushioned, to the extent that we are ready with renewable energy, to be used as needed. Joel Olson Meteorologist, NOAA, retired Moore, OK
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 08:32:40 +0000
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