Posted by
Bert Chapman on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 7:42:47 PM
This may seem like a strange title for a posting originating from Indiana. Oil prices are now approaching $100 a barrel. There seems to be no apparent end for the upward spiral of oil prices which will have spillover effects in food prices and numerous other areas of economic activity. Our society needs to take a careful look at how we use energy and to cut out unnecessary uses of energy. To me, it's more important that existing finite energy resources be used for essential economic activity such as transporting goods and services and transporting ourselves to and from work and for legitimate pleasure activities. Auto racing is a frivolous and wasteful use of energy resources that could be better used for other economic activities. (Expect howls of protest from NASCAR nation and other auto racing afficianados).
I don't know how much gas and oil are used in auto races such as the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500 but it has got to be enormous for individual races let alone multiplied exponentially for all the races occurring in NASCAR, the Indy Racing League, Formula I, and other forms of auto racing.. (I know ethanol is being more widely used in auto races but it still represents a tremendous waste of energy). Think about how much more gas and oil we'd have access to if it was not squandered on the adolescent passion for fast driving which I admit I have succumbed to. Unfortunately, I don't think the Energy Dept's Energy Information Administration or National Renewable Energy Laboratory have done research or collected statistics on this but that would be a worthwhile use of their resources.
Our discussions of ways to promote more energy sufficiency should leave nothing off the table. Will our political leaders at all levels, have the guts to question the necessity of auto racing at a time of protracted global conflict with Islamist terrorists and at a time of unending oil price increases? Will sportscasters have the guts to ask auto racing stars such as Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, and others why society should indulge their sport at a time of energy resource constraints? During World War II, the Indianapolis 500 was not held due to the need to conserve energy for the war effort. There's no intellectually credible reason why that could not occur now. The auto racing energy could use its mechanical and engineering expertise to assist in national efforts to produce more fuel efficient cars and trucks. I await your flames and, hopefully, thoughtful responses. Real conservatives support conserving our natural resources and making efficient use of them instead of promoting profligate waste.