I started my professional career as an engineer in "Alternate Energy Research" and I have always had an interest in the development of energy sources based on technologies which employ "Direct Energy Conversion", e.g. Photovoltaic conversion of sunlight to an electric current, instead of hydrocarbon combustion. President Carter thought it was in our, i.e. the US, strategic best interest to develop energy sources which are independent of the crude oil reserves used to meet our energy consumption needs back in 1979 and I agreed with him then and now. The problem is and has been, at least for the past 30+ years, the development of technologies which provide alternative sources of energy is not in the best interest of the countries and businesses involved in the production and distribution of crude oil. This inherent conflict of interest has resulted in crude oil suppliers and their US corporate surrogates artificially lowering the price of crude oil to stimulate demand and block the investments required for development / production of energy from sources other than oil. This strategy has worked for more than 30 years and has resulted in an exploding US trade deficit, reducing the standard of living in the US, and exposing the US to well financed / state sponsored terrorist organizations.
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