An American in Copenhagen # 4

The year is 2060
...and, after a long effort, the U.S. has finally become completely independent from foreign oil and coal. It wasn’t the easiest task but, once the nation had recovered its economy and stopped pouring dollars into Iraq by 2012, the federal government concentrated its efforts on a unified nation-wide electricity grid that started to get things to fall into place. Upon completion of the trans-continental grid in 2025, investors began to profitably delve into the large amounts of solar energy in the southwest, wind power in the Rocky Mountains and far northeast, geothermal power beneath the west coast tectonic plate boundary, and tidal power along all coastlines. In addition to this, car usage has fallen by more than 50% since 2010 thanks mostly to the movement of people towards cities, which resulted in the proliferation of public transport, car sharing programs, bicycles and pedestrian travel. Furthermore, overall automobile efficiency has increased by more than 80% thanks to government mandates regarding the weight of materials used in manufacture, laws regarding proper tire pressure, and a general cultural trend towards purchasing hybrid cars. As oil became more costly and investments in other energy forms made them competitive, the nation switched to using a combination of grid electricity in rechargeable batteries and locally manufactured biofuels produced from genetically engineered algae to supply what was originally its gasoline market.

After it was clear that the U.S. was moving in an oil-free direction, China and India followed suit and much international progress has been made towards reducing world-wide carbon emissions since the 2009 UN environmental summit. Also, with the effects of global warming now clearly visible in coastal cities, much of the world has been banding together and compromising to slow the abrupt climate change.

And what has happened in the Middle East and the war on terror? Well, after a substantial economic shock as foreign oil money was drawn away, many Middle Eastern nations underwent rapid changes to gain economic independency. Many local territorial disputes and religious quarrels were thrown aside as the effort to build self-sustaining economies presented a super-ordinate goal that required everyone’s effort. Since money to purchase weapons was nowhere to be found, rates of organized terrorism fell substantially. Also, with the U.S. no longer having a need to “protect its interests” and a few sustainable U.S. power companies striking deals with Middle Eastern governments to help start up sustainable energy infrastructure in their nations in exchange for the initial profit, the U.S. has come to be seen more as a symbol of employment, development, and eventual inexpensive independent energy. In the end, it seems America’s greatest weapon on the war on terror was not its military muscle but its massive economy.

Snapping back to 2009, I’ll admit that I’m a little naïve in believing that something like this will actually happen. However, I know that it is not impossible especially if knowledge and information such as that above spreads faster with modern communication technologies. And this wouldn’t be the first time the U.S. has undergone rapid change. If my nation can go from having rampant racism and segregated public schools to electing a black president in about 50 years, then I’m sure it could become independent from foreign oil in that time as well. Of course, while I do know a number of psychology studies that would support my depiction of the Middle Eastern nations’ reaction, I also know that they don’t have to react in the way described and it only takes a single crazy dictator with a nuclear weapon to undo a lot. All I’m saying is maybe it’s worth it to become an international sustainable leader. I know Denmark has done some good for itself and the world by starting to do so and I have a feeling my nation can do a whole lot more if it did as well.