The Cutting Edge

The massive earthquake in Japan has rocked more than nuclear plants. It has also threatened the oil refineries and pipelines. The same can happen in America after a tornado, tsunami, or earthquake. Or terrorism. We are not prepared for any such calamity especially since even the Strategic Petroleum Reserve reportedly contains only a few weeks of stock and only unrefined oil. Time to rethink our dependence on oil and the shaky oil infrastructure--and start to think about batteries, natural gas, bio fuels, and other means of moving around. Studies show we can do it, if we just show the will.