The sun sets behind wind turbines Feb. 24, 2021, in the countryside east of Victor, Iowa.
Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette
Iowans may be divided over the need to wage war in Iran. But there’s one thing that almost all of us can agree on. The war in Iran has exposed our nation’s failed energy policy.
According to Reuters, Iowa farmers are experiencing record diesel prices, which are estimated to increase per acre operating costs by $20 to $30. That amounts to as much as $760 million in increased fuel costs for the current growing season, a huge burden by any standard. With many ag economists already predicting long-term struggles for Iowa growers, approximately 17,000 of whom already are in danger of losing their farms, this added burden may well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
According to multiple sources, the first 3.5 months of the war have already cost Iowa drivers about $1 billion. That amounts to an increase of about $100 a month for the average Iowa family. Then there’s the $150 more a month Iowa families are paying for increased costs of consumer goods, most of which is directly related to the rising cost of oil. For the nearly 150,000 Iowa families living at or near the poverty line, this means eating less, dropping their health insurance coverage, or both.
OK, let’s be fair and mention the bright side. While Iowans are bearing this onerous economic impact, American oil companies have reaped astronomical windfall profits since the war began, estimated to be as much as $25 billion so far. And, if that’s not enough to make us forget about our hardships, the Wall Street Journal reported that one Chevron executive made an extra $41 million from the sale of stock he had purchased this year before the war began.
Sarcasm aside, the war’s crippling impact on Iowans is the direct result of our nation’s shortsighted energy policy. The answer is simple. The great majority of economic analysts tell us that transitioning to renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, will save the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually. And it would liberate American consumers and their families from the impact world events have on oil markets.
Most important of all, this transition will spare millions of our children the pain and suffering caused by diseases linked to air pollution.
The time has come for America to go all in on clean energy research and development. Yes it will cost money. But even in the medium term, these costs will be dwarfed by the money we save. No doubt oil and gas companies and the politicians they own, and some “Not-In-My-Backyard” groups will do everything they can to block our way. But the stakes are far too great to allow anything to blur our vision or weaken our resolve.
In November, let’s vote to make America and Iowa truly the “land of the free,” free from the economic tyranny and uncertainty of global oil markets.
Jonas Magram lives in Fairfield, Iowa.