Even though energy is all around us, and we consume copious
quantities of it in virtually every form imaginable, most people only
really think about energy when one of two things happens: Either they
open their mail one day and have an unwanted epiphany when they realize
that one of their energy bills has become uncomfortably high—for diesel
fuel, electricity, natural gas, heating oil, propane, and so on. Or,
they suddenly have one of their energy systems or energy-dependent
devices let them down, as, for example, when the electricity goes out;
the alarm clock fails; the stove won’t light; the water heater breaks
down; the car runs out of gas or has a flat battery; their Kindle,
netbook, iPod, or Droid is powerless; or, worse, they wake up to a dead
coffeemaker (something that would probably disturb many Americans most
of all).
This low-cost-energy blessing has not been an accident: Unlike many other countries, U.S. taxation on energy has been reasonably low; regulations have been significant, but offset by continued access to abundant and affordable energy; and we have benefited from a highly efficient private energy sector to discover, produce, and bring energy (both in liquid form and as electricity) to meet consumer demand.
Despite periodic power outages or equipment breakdowns, Americans are generally blessed with pretty reliable energy systems. Most of the time, when you reach for an energy-dependent device (which you do far more than you realize, as will be discussed later), the energy is there for you on demand, 24/7, to cook your food, light and heat your home, bring entertainment and important information to a monitor near you, and take you where you want to go in a speedy, comfortable, and generally safe manner.
Read more: http://www.american.com/archive/2012/june/energy-abundance-vs-the-poverty-of-energy-literacy
Our low-cost-energy blessing has not been an accident.But such instances have not been all that common in the United States. For many decades, Americans have had the good fortune and innumerable economic, health, and lifestyle benefits of using highly affordable energy. While most Americans will remember periods where prices spiked, such price shocks have been relatively infrequent events, usually triggered by an outside cause, such as instability in the Middle East or unexpectedly rapid economic growth in China.
This low-cost-energy blessing has not been an accident: Unlike many other countries, U.S. taxation on energy has been reasonably low; regulations have been significant, but offset by continued access to abundant and affordable energy; and we have benefited from a highly efficient private energy sector to discover, produce, and bring energy (both in liquid form and as electricity) to meet consumer demand.
Despite periodic power outages or equipment breakdowns, Americans are generally blessed with pretty reliable energy systems. Most of the time, when you reach for an energy-dependent device (which you do far more than you realize, as will be discussed later), the energy is there for you on demand, 24/7, to cook your food, light and heat your home, bring entertainment and important information to a monitor near you, and take you where you want to go in a speedy, comfortable, and generally safe manner.
Read more: http://www.american.com/archive/2012/june/energy-abundance-vs-the-poverty-of-energy-literacy
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