The True Cost of Fossil Fuels

But is this the "real cost" of the gasoline? True, it is the actual price you paid at the pump. But is it the total "real cost" that you and all of us are paying for our continued dependence on fossil fuels?

I think not.

Everyone knows the posted price, but very few realize the true costs. There are a number of "hidden" costs that most of us do not realize. It may not be obvious but we are quietly paying these additional costs every day. These additional indirect costs actually make the "real" cost of the gasoline and all other fossil fuel related items many times higher than it seems at first glance.

In my opinion, "Energy" is the number one problem facing the U.S and the world as we move forward in a global economy. All other problems — health care, social security, housing crisis, credit crunch etc. are ALL "small change" compared to the looming worldwide energy crisis. Reasonably priced, available energy is what separates the U.S from third world countries. This problem must be addressed rapidly, with a detailed long term plan that MUST be based upon a comprehensive accurate evaluation and assessment.

Unfortunately our government does not utilize all of the necessary cost components in order to arrive at an accurate "true cost" number. As a result, we are using a faulty equation, which, of course, will result, EVERY SINGLE TIME, in an incorrect answer.

"Socialism collapsed because it did not allow prices to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow prices to tell the ecological truth."
— Oystein Dahle, retired VP of Esso Norway

The Hidden Health-Related Costs

As we all know, the costs of adequate (not excellent) health care are rising every year. In fact, it is the single largest and fastest growing segment in numerous state and city budgets. These costs are out of control and are rapidly becoming a major fiscal problem. I am totally convinced that a significant part of this is due to the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink. The widespread and growing use of fossil fuel based fertilizers, engine and power plant emissions and fuel related water pollution all makes its way into humans through what they eat, drink or breathe.

Your penalty: Higher state and local taxes, increased pollution clean up costs and higher medical costs for you and your family.

The Hidden Costs of Air Pollution

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid growing up I never saw an inhaler (used for asthma and other respiratory problems in children and some adults) until I went to college. Now, I see 25% to 50% of the kids in my daughter's high school with inhalers. Asthma cases have increased 160% over the past 15 years and over 5 million children in the U.S. now suffer from asthma.

On some days have you ever heard the weatherman mention that it is "unsafe" to breathe the outside air? Or that air quality is "unacceptable"? So what should we do, NOT breathe?

What could it be? What could be the cause of this huge increase in respiratory problems?

Well, to put it bluntly: "It is the air we breathe." What else could it be? Are you aware that a person living in a city downwind from a coal plant has a 16 percent greater chance of dying from lung cancer? You may not be able to see it, but the problem is there, in the air we breathe.

Fossil fuel use produces huge amounts and different types of particulates, including dust, soot, smoke and other very fine suspended matter, much of which is not visible. These respiratory irritants may not seriously affect a fully developed mature adult, however, they do have serious and lasting effects on children and their developing respiratory and immune systems.

Your penalty: Higher healthcare costs, sick kids and higher taxes.

The Hidden Costs of Water and Land Pollution

Oil spills cause massive water pollution problems along our coasts and rivers. Fossil-fuel based fertilizers are washed into the ground water and cause numerous health problems. Coal mining, especially strip mining, destroys the landscape and the acid in coal causes huge water waste and pollution when the coal is washed in preparation for transportation and processing.

Your penalty: Destruction of land, killing of aquatic life, increased water pollution cleanup costs and higher local taxes.

The Hidden Costs of Thermal Pollution

When fossil fuels are burned to produce electricity it also produces heat energy. Because much of the current processes are inefficient, much of the excess heat is released into the atmosphere or to nearby water sources. This increased heating of water, once returned to rivers or lakes can dramatically upset the aquatic ecosystem by raising the average temperature and adversely affecting fish and plant life.

Your penalty: "Dead" lakes devoid of aquatic life, increased clean up costs, higher local taxes and destruction of our recreation areas.

The Hidden Macro Economic Costs

Every recession in recent history has been immediately preceded by an oil or natural gas price run up. These "oil shocks" result in the loss of hundreds of billions of dollars for our economy and the economies around the world. These problems can be politically driven or supply driven, but in either case it is the result of our excessive dependence on a non-renewable source of energy.

This repeated volatility of oil prices is a major "hidden" cost and a very significant risk factor for the stability of the world's economies. Currently the U.S. is spending approximately $1.5 to $1.75 BILLION PER DAY on imported oil this is a huge drain on our economy and on the confidence levels of consumers everywhere.

Your penalty: Economic downturn, lower stock market, loss of jobs, higher taxes

The Hidden Costs of Nation Security

In these times of increasing political volatility it makes absolutely ZERO sense to have our county held hostage to the unstable oil countries in the Middle East and their constant turmoil.

The annual cost to the American taxpayer of keeping our military forces protecting our oil supply runs in the tens of billions of dollars, if not hundreds of billions. This is NEVER reflected in any "cost" of using fossil fuels, but it is coming out of YOUR tax dollars. This situation will only get worse as the rest of the world advances economically and needs more oil.

Over the past 35 years every single American President has promised to reduce our dependence on foreign oil imports. What have the results of these "efforts" been to date? The amount of oil we import has NOT gone down at all, in fact, it has doubled as a percentage of the oil we use this is a truly miserable track record and a growing nightmare for national security.

Your penalty: Higher taxes to pay for the military, military causalities and less money devoted to domestic non-military uses in this country, like highways, urban infrastructure, education and health care.

The Hidden Costs of Global Warming

Last but certainly NOT least is the scientifically proven fact that the burning of fossil fuels causes global warming. So, in effect, even if we had unlimited and secure fossil fuels (which we don't) we could not continue to burn them at the current rate of use. The planet we all live on cannot support the current level of fossil fuel use, let alone any increased use. We must turn to renewable energy sources and build future economies upon sources that create opportunities and not sources that destroy our land, our drinking water, our planet and the future of our children.

Your penalty: Worst case, worldwide climate change, economic chaos, mass starvation and the end of our way of life, as we know it now. These are very serious penalties and very American should be aware of this situation.

We have to wake up and realize that we need to turn to renewable sources of energy now. Not in 5 years, not in 10 years and not when it clearly "profitable," whatever that means? Since when is it "profitable" or "cost effective" to destroy the ONLY planet upon which we live?

We cannot wait for a "crisis" to happen, we cannot afford to wait; we have to plan ahead and be preemptive. There is time to address the problem, not hide from the problem. These problems will NOT go away, they will only get worse.

 "There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."
— John F. Kennedy

We cannot keep depleting the planets natural "capital." It is not replaceable or renewable.

We have to muster the political will and change the tax structure to reflex the "real" cost of all alternatives. If our elected officials remain "unconscious" to the growing problem, then they will have to be removed and new leaders be elected who are conscious and have a focus on the energy problem and are willing to create a plan to address it NOW.

When you look at ALL THE NUMBERS it is abundantly clear that we have to accelerate the sustainable path and we have to do it now. At that point people will clearly see and finally realize that renewable resources are by far the cheapest "real total cost" alternative and also the best for them, the planet and future generations.

 "Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."
—H.G. Wells, The Outline of History

In Conclusion

We can lower our healthcare costs, reduce our air, water and thermal pollution, develop a more stable economy, create more jobs and become a far more secure nation if we just begin this inevitable process of evolution toward renewable energy sources.

We need to apply, what has always been America's greatest "assets" - technical ingenuity, creative innovation and our "can do" attitude.

Now you can see what the "real costs" of our addiction to fossil fuels are. We need to be preemptive and undertake this now, before we are find ourselves in the midst of a worst-case scenario.

Mr. Lynch has worked, for 31 years as an independent analyst and investor in small emerging technology companies. He has been actively involved in following developments in the renewable energy sector since 1977 and is regarded as an expert in this field. He was the contributing editor for the past 17 years to the Photovoltaic Insider Report, the leading publication in Photovoltaics industry that was directed at industrial subscribers, such as major energy companies, utilities and governments around the world. He can be reached via e-mail at: solarjpl@aol.com.