This is a very complex issue and the article below is too short to fully answer the question; a great deal of information is omitted for the sake of brevity.

Very few people will argue that oil plays a major role in the desire for outsiders to control the Middle East. The problem is supply and demand; the world wide demand has increased and several western nations (Great Britain and the United States) desire to maintain control over their share.

China has started moving closer to a free market economy and as a result has increased its energy demand (see links below). Considering China’s enormous size, the nation has a dramatic effect on the world wide demand. India is also increasing its energy needs. Combining the populations of India and China results in supplying the energy needs of over 2 billion people.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/south_asia/jb27df03.html

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501041025-725174,00.html

http://www.iags.org/china.htm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12501039/

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Oil_watch/Axis_Oil.html

Now we know the problem, but what is the solution? Decrease our demand for energy by building more efficient products and reduce waste. Perhaps the most important method of reducing the demand for petroleum is nature: sun and wind. Ethanol, biodiesel, corn and other non petroleum fuels are not effective because then we will have shortages in those respective areas. For example if all of the corn fields were converted to power as many cars as possible, corn prices would spike. We would find substitutes for corn increasing the demand for those substitutes and thereby increasing the price. Sun and wind are the best alternatives. Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the United States and air conditioning plays a role. The hotter and brighter it is the higher the energy demand, but also the energy creation from solar sources. Wind is just as effective.

Why haven’t we switched to wind and sun? Wind and sun energy is too expensive at the wholesale level; an energy producer can create energy at a lower wholesale cost. If the consumer purchased their own solar and wind power sources they would probably pay the same retail cost over the life of the equipment.

Reduce waste. For example, I try to avoid turning on the oven when it is triple digit temperatures outside. My house heats up with the oven on and the air conditioning cools it down. What a waste!

I looked into solar panels about a decade ago, but it was too expensive. Today my energy consumption is approximately the same, but my payments have greatly increased. In a few years solar and wind will become very competitive with other sources of energy.

Has anyone out there experimented with any alternative energy sources? If so could you please write a hub about it.

Back to the conflict, reducing our energy needs will reduce the world wide demand.

Video from Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAkfHShATKY