[donshan]

I was pleased that my local paper published my letter to the Editor on peak oil in the top, lead story position of today's Sunday edition editorial page. I have copied my letter below. I struggled to condense this complex topic into the 200 word limit, and I am sure I left much that could have been said better.

However, I am posting the letter here to encourage everyone on this forum to write a letter too. Improve on my letter and spread the word.

The important issue is to shake America, indeed the world, out of their state of denial of the problem of peak oil. The interstate highway system celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2006. Business and political leaders continue to plan for ever more investment in new highway construction, more subdivisions, and more exponential growth. With peak oil looming my objective was to break this mind set. We must stop the massive investment in the interstate highway system as it is a dead end and is now fast becoming what economists call a "stranded investment". History will record the interstate highway system as something that served the 20th century well, and then quickly was proved useless to serve the new era of lack of cheap fuel to sustain it.

If all I accomplish is to get readers to read the last line and Google "peak oil" I will have succeeded. The more they learn the the better.

Quotation of my letter:

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')Addiction to Oil
State of Denial

The interstate highway system launched in 1956 by President Eisenhower is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2006. These interstates revolutionized America into an economic miracle that’s now in grave peril.

This economy will crash if gasoline and diesel fuel prices skyrocket towards $10 per gallon, or worse, are not available! America is not only addicted to oil, but America is in a state of denial typical of addicts.

Threats to our oil supply by hurricanes or foreign disruptions roil oil markets. However the real problem is “Peak Oil”---- Our Earth is reaching a physical limit, within a decade, where the total oil produced daily is insufficient to support world economic growth. We must now compete with the rest of the world for limited supplies.

Business and political leaders envision future growth of highways, housing, and business but fail to understand that exponential growth is impossible with declining transportation fuels. Alternatives are decades late for our 220 million liquid fueled vehicles.

America must now think the unthinkable--- Transition the 20th century Interstate Highway System into 21st century interstate electric trains, mass transit, and totally revised cities that function with steadily dwindling petroleum fueled vehicles.

Stop denial, start thinking, and Google “Peak Oil”!