Oil dependancy

Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of using renewable resources for energy (solar power, wind power, etc) wouldn’t this cripple the power of many countries we keep having problems with (i.e. Iraq)? Wouldn’t bankrupting nations such as Saudi Arabia help Israel, which, in turn, would help the U.S.? I realize the oil embargo didn’t cause Iraq to crumble to pieces, but it certainly prevented it from upgrading its military. I realize I’m not making a revolutionary argument here, but is the oil lobby more influential than even the military? Or, are enviornmentally-sound energy sources simply not a viable alternative to oil for the mass amounts of energy needed?

I don’t mean this simply as a ‘punishment’ to nations in the middle east (or Venezuela, or other nations that make money from oil) but it seems to be an argument that would persuade those who aren’t moved by the environmental reasons.

Short Answer: The structure of the US now calls for vast amounts of oil. The structure can be changed, but it will take a huge project (like the Apollo moon project) with a huge budget to be the catalyst. The problem with that may be the well known relationship between Bush and big oil companies. Senator John Kerry has proposed a major change to our energy sources, and he is considering running for president in 2004. Read the second page of yesterday’s USA today to get the details of his plan.