Option #8: Mobilize a Massive Switch to Electric Vehicles with swappable batteries.

By Jim Parkinson of Siloam Springs, Arkansas

In his State of the Union address, President Bush has publicly
proclaimed, "We are addicted to OIL."

There are many ideas for alternative energy. Mine is a fully electric
vehicle whose battery, when depleted, could be easily swapped out for a freshly-charged one (much the same as we now refill at the gas pump). A built-in meter would show the amount of energy used, and determine the cost of a "fill-up" (replacement battery).

Implementation would be a monumental task. No manufacturer would make such a vehicle in the absence of consumer demand. And no one would buy one, unless there were enough "battery stations" from coast to coast.

Take the $500,000,000,000, and use it to R&D 100% electric vehicles, and finance a network of "battery stations" at strategic locations
throughout the nation. Ideally, the recharge would come from a renewable energy source, such as solar or wind. Generous tax breaks for those who would purchase these 100% electric vehicles. And conversion of military vehicles to battery operation.

Such a vast expenditure is not unprecedented. In the cold war '50s, our
Interstate Highway System was financed by the Department of Defense, out of need for rapid evacuation routes in case of a nuclear attack.

The President has taken the first step, admitting the addiction. Whether
or not we follow through with the remaining steps will have a crucial
effect on our future well-being as a civilization.