Feeling the heat over winter's chill

Years from now when people look back on this winter it'll be known as the winter of spent energy. Some of it, future generations will say, was wasted and some of it well-spent.

It seems everywhere you turn there's talk of energy and the best ways to use it.

In his State of the Union address, George W. Bush said the nation should focus on ending its "addiction" to oil. He thinks the future of energy lies in alternative sources like ethanol made from corn, wood chips or switch grass.

Some automakers are hoping he's right. General Motors' new advertising campaign is "Live Green, Go Yellow." They're touting a new line of cars that run primarily on corn-based flex fuel.

America's big automakers need some new ideas.

This has been the winter when American stalwarts like Ford and GM suddenly looked vulnerable.

They made monster profits in the '90s by building big, gas-guzzling SUVs. But now their profit margins are dwarfed by the likes of Toyota, which invested early in hybrid technology and focused its energy on building smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

America, it seems, is feeling an addict's withdrawal.

With oil prices topping $50 per barrel and new consumers in India and China providing the demand to keep them that way, oil energy no longer looks endless.

Ideas abound for solutions on how to keep the country moving.

Willie Nelson powers his tour bus on soy-based biodiesel. His wife's car runs on grease from restaurants. Scientists are still trying to determine what powers Willie.

Columnist Thomas Friedman has a unique idea. He's backing a tax that would raise gas prices to $4 per gallon. This, he said, "would change the car buying habits of a large segment of the American public." And drive the rest of us toward nervous breakdowns.

Heck, even Southeast Missouri is getting into the act. Scott County will soon be home to the state's largest ethanol plant set to transform corn into fuel. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are praising this cleaner home-grown source of energy. No one seems to mind that it currently takes 29 percent more energy to produce ethanol from corn than there is energy contained in the end product.

And energy fatigue this winter isn't coming only at the pump.

People are also getting fed up with high heating bills. I know I'm paying more than $100 monthly to heat a two-room apartment. And aside from this week the weather hasn't even been that cold. Imagine if the winter had really bared its teeth.

I see people at Lowe's loading up on caulk, insulation and siding like they're preparing for an invasion.

Pretty soon we'll see houses built out of the material they use to make beer cozies.

I prefer a more passive combat technique. I turn down the thermostat and take refuge from the tundra-like conditions under layers of blankets.

When morning comes, the energy I spend dashing back and forth to the shower could easily power a small turbine. Hey, maybe that's a solution.

My strategies haven't had much effect on my heating bills, though.

Shakespeare talked about "the winter of our discontent," but now we're experiencing a winter of "Dis can't be how much I spent!"

Oh well, when summer comes I can finally start opening up my windows and walking to work. Now that will be energy well spent.

TJ Greaney is a reporter for the Southeast Missourian.