Energy shortage myth

Several weeks ago I sat outside in the Florida sun for about 1.5 hours and ended up with my face, chest and legs burnt more or less to a crisp. Two weeks later, the effects were still there. (Truth be told almost a month later I still notice a bit of an effect.)

Though I'm fatter than I should be, the surface area involved was still only about 6 square feet.

Seems to me there was a significant amount of energy available in those 6 square feet during that relatively short period of time.

Another recent incident -- quite in addition to the horrendous tragedy Katrina was on a human level, it also represented a rather overwhelming outpouring of energy.

Another -- we're coming into thunderstorm season. Get ready for energy fireworks all around.

Still another -- our polar ice caps are beginning to melt, apparently because the planet is receiving too much energy.

Given the above it seems such a ridiculously false statement to talk about anything close to an "energy shortage" or "energy crisis" ? implying we don't have enough energy available.

Our problem, if anything, is just the opposite ? an energy super abundance.

I think there is an irony that we have, everyday, the same energy available to us that plants used millions of years ago to create the materials which we now dig out of the ground and burn in our cars.

There's something incredible silly about the fact that we seem to be able to only confront energy that was trapped millions of years ago instead of the same energy that pulsates around us all the time.

In fact, our search for energy sources seems to be regressing? we began with burning trees (pretty recent), moved to oil (not nearly so recent) and finally went all the way back to uranium (who knows how old!).

We seem much more comfortable looking through our past for energy instead of just looking around the world in which we live for the same stuff.

I think the public debate would be better served if we were honest about what we face ? an energy super abundance ? instead of making up problems that don't exist by talking about "energy shortages."

Perhaps it is just a cleverness shortage from which we really suffer.