The war with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz expose the futility of Trump’s obsession with fossil fuels

Donald Trump’s war in Iran is now focused on keeping that country’s Strait of Hormuz open, which is a predictable and strategically vital follow-up to hostilities that began a month ago.

In the short term it’s clear that maintaing the flow of oil through that waterway, which is a seagoing  valve for about 20% of the world’s crude oil and liquified natural gas, is an economic necessity. 

In the longer term, though, it exposes a flaw in Trump’s way of approaching energy independence for the United States. It’s also a tacit admission that we need oil as much as we ever did to keep the lights on and traffic moving in this country.

We’re stuck on oil, and it doesn’t make sense.

Given issues like climate change and periodic political disruptions in fossil fuel availability, it would be smart for Trump to start focusing on energy that can be provided by renewable sources.

The rest of the world seems to be headed in that direction, even as the U.S. is falling behind the curve. This planet is capable of huge reductions in the use of fossil fuel by mid-century, so much so that according to the European-based multinational energy consortium Met Group “renewable energy can completely replace fossil fuels in the next 30 years, but it requires international cooperation and innovation. Natural gas could accelerate the shift towards a sustainable future. The cleanest hydrocarbon source  could simplify the transition to green technologies.”

Why Trump doesn’t want to get with that program seems senseless, a senselessness that is exposed by the urgency of the Hormuz situation. Filling a tank with gas at a cost of 70 or 80 bucks should make it clear enough to all of us that it’s time to make a break with fossil fuels. I’m sick of being a hostage to the political vagaries that determine the price of gasoline. You’d think Trump would be on to that but his hostility toward renewable sources of energy seems as rigid as ever.

What’s wierd is that Trump’s attitude repudiates what used to be a guiding principle for the GOP, namely that consumers should have as many choices as possible in the marketplace, and that includes the marketplace for energy.

Do you remember those days, when once upon a time Republicans used to believe in that notion? I do. In fact I used to be a Republican because of that commitment to freedom of choice but … no more. There are plenty of examples of lost free-market principles in other areas (think tariffs, for one thing) but the pain of losing that once fundamental aspect of Republicanism is especially acute when it comes to making decisions about energy use.

Consider that Trump, encouraged by acquiescent, if not altogether comatose, congressional Republicans,  has gone all-in on fossil fuels. While the oil depletion allowance, a huge tax break for oil producers remains in place, he derides windfarms. He is hostile toward solar panels. He is rolling back electric vehicle mandates and incentives. 

And, while he’s doing all this, he’s spending billions of our dollars and losing American lives trying to make sure that oil keeps coming through the Persian Gulf.

The situation is expensive and irrational, and it has effectively taken away choices in a marketplace that should give consumers the chance to select their preferred sources of energy. 

Though this crisis will pass, it’s only a matter of time before we have to endure another oil shock du jour.

John Tsitrian is a businessman and writer from the Black Hills. He was a weekly columnist for the Rapid City Journal for 20 years. His articles and commentary have also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post and The Omaha World-Herald. Tsitrian served in the Marines for three years (1966-69), including a 13-month tour of duty as a radioman in Vietnam. Republish with permission.

Photo: Operation Epic Fury, public domain, wikimedia commons

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