Mother Jones May/June 2008 Magazine had an article called the “Seven Myths of Energy Independence.” Reading this convinced me more than ever of the need to pursue individual energy self-sufficiency. Based on their seven myths, here are the reasons to become energy self-sufficient.

Myth 1 - Energy Independence is Good. Summary of the Article: the point in this section is we need to focus on energy security rather than on energy independence. To build the new energy infrastructure we have to use the old energy infrastructure to do so and it will take a long time and be a lot more expensive.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - if you purchase a house on an empty lot and you want to have landscaping of mature trees, you can either purchase the mature trees and take care of them so they transplant well, you can plant trees that get to maturity fast, or you can plant slow growing trees and plan to stay in that home long enough to enjoy them when they get to maturity. Becoming energy self-sufficient is the EXACT same thing. YES, it will cost a lot of you try to achieve energy independence all at once, but if you set it out as a long term goal and keep working at it, you will eventually create a lifestyle that is far more energy self-sufficient. AND you will also have energy security if you can create all the energy you need to run your life.

Myth 2 - Ethanol Will Set us Free - Summary of Article - States that there is no other fuel that offers the same combination of massive energy density and ease of handling as oil. It also points out the geopolitical issue of using biofuels created elsewhere.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - This is flat out false, as many other fuels offer better energy and handling characteristics - especially biofuels. The major premise of this myth is that ethanol is the be all end all. This is a crazy myth and I don’t think anyone abides by this myth. There are tremendous sources of biofuels and more ways of turning trash into cash are emerging every day - especially for the individual to create their own bio fuels. Basically with all the nonsense going on with the governments worldwide, I am NOT waiting for some government solution to the energy problems we face.

Myth 3 - Conservation is a “Personal Virtue” - Summary of Article - Conservation makes tremendous sense and is relatively easier to do by making more efficient cars, appliances, homes, businesses. Also, upgrading to hybrid electric cars can decrease american’s demand for oil by 1/3. Because the majority of the grid’s electrical power is not used during the day, recharging the cars at night when existing power demand is much lower.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - I never started the pursuit of energy self-sufficiency as a personal virtue. My goal is to become a self-sufficient maximalist. Extolling people to conserve energy is akin to your doctor chastising your weight. Sure you might change your habits for the short term, but people naturally gravitate back to habits where they are the most comfortable. When becoming energy self-sufficient, what happens is you become more conscious of your energy usage and you become more aware how much your day to day choices are really costing you with respect to energy usage.

Myth #4 - We Can Go it Alone - Summary of Article - What we decrease in our usage of oil, other countries will just pick up. We have to slow global demand overall if we want to increase worldwide energy security.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - this myth fails to recognize the power of innovation or game changing technological changes. Look at how fast the internet changed communication practices and global trade. Forty years ago, the internet did not exist. By individuals pursuing a path of energy self-sufficiency, we open multiple paths of innovation. Just like what the internet has done for communication. Becoming energy self-sufficient is NOT about going it alone. It is about individual leverage and responsibility.

Myth #5 - Some Geek in Silicon Valley Will Fix the Problem - Summary of Article - Energy innovation relies on vast investment dollars from venture capitalists and the government.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - well in the internet model of the world, we need more geeks in silicon valley putting their creative talents to becoming energy self-sufficient and sharing what they are learning with others (the purpose of this blog by the way).

Myth #6 - Cut Demand and The Rest Will Follow - Summary of Article - tax the living daylights out of us to make us conserve energy to develop energy security.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - my gosh if Mother Jones Magazine is proposing taxing us to get us to comply with this or that government energy initiative - I thank my lucky stars I have an engineering background to pursue energy self-sufficiency. I want to be cannonized as the saint of common sense technology after I ascend to the afterlife. Their solution to this myth is the NUMBER one reason to become energy self-sufficient - to reduce the long term risks of outrageous government taxation on energy.

Myth #7 - Once Bush is Gone, Change Will Come - Summary of Article - all the next leader has to do is offer platitudes, but doesn’t really have to do anything to keep the pollster’s happy. Asking American’s to make sacrifices and to think globally is too hard to do.

Individual Energy Self-Sufficiency - who ever said anything about sacrificing? Why does the change to a different way of powering our life have to be associated with losing anything? What we are losing is dependency on moronic policies created by people who know absolutely nothing about generating power. We need more engineers in elected positions - the issue is most are too smart to waste their time in politics.

I recently completed a course for Cheetah Learning called - Capitalize on the Recession. One of the major tenants of the course is teaching people how to create value for others, FAST. The premise is that what people find of value today is different than what they were finding of value yesterday because the rules have changed. And to make a good living, you have to create value for others based on the rules of today (not yesterday).

I was reflecting on how the rules have changed for me over the past 20 years. I lost my job in 2000 and embarked on a path to create a more secure future for myself and my family. Relying on credit cards, bank loans, or investors was not the way for me to create a more secure future. I didn’t want to play by the conventional rules of the day - rules we have now seen have spun the world into an economic crises.

I became interested in being energy self-sufficient as part of what I call the “new rules” - this is the set of rules I’ve been playing by for almost a decade to create a more secure future for me and my family. There are two primary reasons I am becoming energy self-sufficient. The first is to reduce my risk by reducing or eliminating recurring expenses. The second is to make inflation resistant investments - investing in my own energy independence projects are the best investments I can make in these times.

Here are two mind maps that show the old rules and the new rules. Becoming energy self-sufficient is one of the new rules in the game of life.

Old Rules Dictated by Wall Street and the Financial Markets

New Rules Driven by the Desire to Create a More Secure Future