Ending Oil Dependence & Creating Green Alernatives

By James Lau

The current spill in the Gulf is conservatively estimated to be 200,000 gallons a day. The spill points up the risk to California. We need to reduce the nation's dependence on oil, and invest in alternative forms of transportation.

Prior to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Governor and members of the Legislature proposed closing California's budget gap by drilling for oil off the coast of California. High gas prices and the economic downturn had, until recently, softened opposition to new oil extraction. But now with hundreds of millions of gallons of oil floating off the US coast, we are reminded of the enormous unavoidable cost of oil exploration, extraction and transport.

As an environmental engineer I understand the short and long term effects of our dependence on oil and the potential for alternative energy sources to replace this dirty energy source.

Our media is consumed by the current crisis, but there are 70 oil spills reported in the United States every day. Oil spills affect hundreds of species, contaminate the environment for generations to come, devastate local fishing economies, and in some cases leave irreversible environmental damage in their wake.

The current spill in the Gulf is conservatively estimated to be 200,000 gallons a day + and it is not stopping. A moderate spill off our coast would destroy local sea life, pollute our environment and bring a halt to California's coastal tourism, a $60 billion industry.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 and the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico remind us that the best way to protect wildlife from oil spills is to decrease our dependence on oil. California is leading the way on environmental standards, but we are still the 12th largest emitter of carbon in the world.

We can do more. We need to invest in alternative forms of transportation - bike paths, pedestrian walkways, and railways - encourage smart growth, and provide incentives for clean energy companies and vehicles.

The good news is that we can get it done now. Funding exists through Measure R ($40 billion), ARRA ($3.4 billion), and state gas excise funds ($3.5 billion). Tapping into existing funding can create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and help jump start our economy and improve our environment.

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