A Scientific Response by Ron Strange

Current US oil consumption is about 20 million barrels per day with only 43 % going to motor fuels. Thus, it is remarkable that people believe that relying on auto manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency will be effective in dealing with current energy problems. This is in spite of the time lag for getting new cars on the road and ignoring the oil (57 %) going to diesel and other distillates, jet fuel, and other uses.

US energy consumption is about 100 quadrillion Btu, about 4% of which is in renewable sources--wind, solar, biofuels, and geothermal. These remain expensive and people believe that tax subsidies to promote solar and wind power will be effective in dealing with current energy problems. But it would require doubling the current use four times for these sources to take on a majority of the energy supply.

Current nuclear reserves and technology, on the other hand, are in place to provide energy for the next billion years. Currently about 20 % of US electricity is nuclear. Doubling this twice to about 80 % would eliminate much fossil fuel use. In about twenty years, when the oil production curve makes its predicted downturn and energy supply becomes a recognized crisis, I have no doubt that we already will have built many more nuclear plants and turned to fuel re-processing and breeder reactors, now used in other countries.

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Comment by Fairleigh Dickinson University's Dr. Ron Strange, Professor of Chemistry.

Dr. Strange can be reached at 973-443-8786 or strange@fdu.edu