In his lecture, Deutch declared that America's energy industry is enormous. "We face formidable obstacles and challenges," he said. Problems, he added, that can be separated into three distinct questions: How will we make the transition from oil to other alternative energy sources? What measures will we take to mitigate the effects of global warming? And, how might we reexamine the use of nuclear power? Deutch then explored possible solutions to these problems.
Deutch first claimed that Americans go through 20 million barrels of oil a day, the equivalent of 800 million gallons, with 60 percent going into our automotive vehicles. With such statistics, Deutch maintained, it is not surprising that the United States accounts for roughly 22 percent of the world's oil consumption. With our formerly low-cost domestic oil reserves now depleted, Deutch argued, gas prices have dramatically increased. Americans are now paying 60 dollars a barrel, compared to three dollars a barrel in 1960.
With oil resources at home currently exhausted, Deutch argued that the U.S. is relying on international markets for much of America's oil consumption. Dependence on countries such as Iran and Venezuela, Deutch noted, poses significant problems when policy issues come into conflict with economic oil concerns. Deutch proposed an increase in the oil tax, enabling the government to expand energy research development and lower other taxes.
Addressing the rising problem of global warming, Deutch asserted that, to be sure, coal is and will be used around the world. Deutch claimed that within the last year, China has created 70 new coal power plants, using 10,000 coal pieces a day, emitting roughly 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere-within the last 32 years, the U.S. did not build any.
Deutch also proposed that the carbon dioxide be captured and sequestered deep underground in geological storage sites. According to Deutch, however, this "carbon dioxide sequestration," would increase electric prices by roughly 50 percent, a cost that many rapidly growing international nations are not willing to pay.
Even if no visible progress is made by sequestration, Deutch added, such an option is still a practical option. According to Deutch, several demonstrative projects-in which the effectiveness of sequestration can be shown to the public-are needed for any progress against global warming to be made.
Addressing this final notion, Deutch concluded his lecture on the current energy crises with a reexamination of the use of nuclear power. Deutch admitted that the disposal of fuel has not been well-managed by the department of nuclear energy. The proposal by President Bush, Deutch added, is to chemically reprocess the waste by dissolving it, chopping it up, removing the plutonium and then burying the rest of the waste underground. Such a solution, Deutch countered, would render the plutonium immediately usable in a chemical weapon-instantly raising the issue of proliferation.
With the current administration's Global Nuclear Program Initiative, Deutch remarked, Bush may be inadvertently encouraging chemical warfare. By encouraging reprocessing, Bush is furthering the existence of plutonium ready for destructive use.
Admitting that he had not laid out a comprehensive solution to the current energy crises, Deutch concluded his lecture with a hopeful declaration. Deutch claimed that currently, the U.S. is not managing its energy problems. Claiming unrealistic goals in order to gain the vote, leaders of both political parties, Deutch asserted, continue to propose solutions that can never be met. "We need to speak whole truths to the public about the challenges that we face," Deutch said. "We will not make progress until public, spirited individuals make integrated efforts, in a more rigorous, objective process towards finding a viable solution. Amherst students have the potential to make that difference."