Myth: The political campaign promise—"we will achieve energy independence"

During the 1970s and early 1980s, because of the recent oil crises, a popular political campaign promise was that a presidential candidate and his party would achieve "energy independence" for the United States. Presumably this would be accomplished in four years or no more than eight as there is a two-term limit on the U.S. presidency. Citizens look for cures to their problems, and the candidate who can most convincingly promise them may be the winner.
Without making specific reference as to which politicians (some of them were elected) made such promises, it may be noted that, win or lose, soon after the campaigns have been over, the goal of energy independence seems to have been lost in the shuffle of everyday politics as usual.
Reality:
It may be hoped that U.S. energy independence can eventually be achieved, but it will never be based on oil produced in the United States. Unless oil consumption is greatly reduced, the United States henceforth will be increasingly dependent on foreign supplies.
As part of the "energy independence" program came the headline statement from one presidential candidate, "We Will Find New Fuels". That promise was made in 1979. The candidate lost, and we have not made much progress on new fuels, now importing twice as much oil as then.
A promise made by a sitting U.S. president in the 1970s was an edict stating, "I am inaugurating a program to marshal both Government and private research with the goal of producing an unconventionally powered, virtually pollution-free automobile within 5 years." As the electric car was known then (and indeed electric cars existed before gasoline-powered cars) presumably the "unconventionally powered" car would have to be something else.
That promise is now more than two decades old and the promised new era automobile has not arrived. These statements are made primarily to gain public favor—and votes. But in the process the public is led down unrealistic paths. Politicians making such statements owe it to the people who give them public trust, to more carefully examine the facts, and not simply express cheerful hopes. Political posturing and optimism will not solve the energy supply problem. However, political decisions can encourage development of alternative energy supplies, and subsidize research toward that end. This should be done.
Energy independence for the United States is at present becoming less and less a near term possibility. The economy continues to be based very largely on petroleum, and oil imports continue to increase each year. Any political candidate who states that energy independence can be achieved for the United States in any presidential term of office (or even in two or three decades) is simply either not being honest or is totally ignorant of energy supply, and the prospects for viable alternatives.
A national move toward energy independence, which has to be expressed by the citizens through their elected representatives in the Congress, has not materialized. Energy independence for the U.S. will remain a myth if the present energy course is continued. It need not be a myth but the will to make the effort, and the reorganization of society which it would take to make energy independence a reality are nowhere in sight. Also, even if there were a consensus now, it would take many years to do the things necessary to achieve energy independence, and the capital expenditures necessary to do this would be huge. Any promise of energy independence for the U.S., at least within the next several decades, remains clearly a myth, hopeful vote-luring political statements notwithstanding.

Copyright 1997, Walter L. Youngquist -- Posted with permission
from GeoDestinies, by Walter Youngquist PhD & Chair Emeritus,Department of Geology, University of Oregon;National Book Company, 1997; ISBN 0894202995