My Dad smoked three packs of cigarettes a day.

He started long before the dangers of cigarette smoking were known. Dad was never overweight. He could still fit into his Marine Corps uniform from WWII. Most likely the reason he couldn’t quit was the psychological and physical addictions of tobacco.

Dad knew smoking was impacting his health. He had extremely high blood pressure and he got winded easily. He was an excellent swimmer as a young man. In his late 40s he struggled to pass the swimmers test when he attended Boy Scout camp with us. Smoking cost him lung capacity. Dad constantly preached to us about never starting to smoke.

Dad suffered a massive heart attack at the young age of 54. Mom had an autopsy done to help me and my five brothers. It found he had a strong heart. The blood vessels feeding it were constricted because of years of smoking.

Only one of my brothers was a smoker. He started smoking when he was in the military and quit after Dad died. He never smoked again. We learned what not to do from happened to our father. We all heard his words. Seeing and being impacted by his mistakes and learning from them made all the difference. We chose not to repeat them.

We can learn from our own mistakes, but sometimes by the time we realize what we have done it’s too late. One of the most important things we can do to be successful is to learn from the mistakes of others. To paraphrase what Nido Qubein, very successful businessman and president of High Point University, told us, “Look at people who are where you don’t want to be in life. Figure out what they did and don’t do it!”

I had a wise boss who was fine with failure if we didn’t repeat it. “When we keep tripping over the same log, move the log or paint it yellow.” Those who don’t know or learn from history are destined to repeat it. My friend Willy Jolley, successful businessperson and Hall of Fame speaker, does a video program on marriage every Monday with his wife Dee, “Make Love, Make Money, Make it Last.”

Last Monday he shared 10 ways to destroy your marriage. They are based on his and others’ experiences. Willy and Dee shared them so we can avoid them. By learning the mistakes of others in relationships, we can avoid them and have a happy marriage.

The Ukrainian people need our prayers and support. They need the support of other European countries who may find it difficult because Europe is currently getting 41% of their natural gas and 25% of their oil from Russia. Europeans are paying over $30 per MCF of natural gas. In the USA consumers pay less than $5. According to www.GlobalPetrolPrices.com European gasoline prices range from a low of $4.89 in Poland to highs of $7.72 in Germany and $8.89 per gallon in Norway. With a median gasoline price of $6.67 per gallon in Europe, our $3.49 per gallon price is cheap. Because of increasing natural gas and coal prices, October 2021 European electric rates averaged $.23 per kWh. Germany’s rate is $.32 per kWh. (as per Eurostat).

If we lived in Europe we would be paying twice as much for gasoline, over twice as much for electricity and more for everything else like food and household products because of increased energy costs. European businesses manufacturing products find it difficult compete globally. I don’t want to pay $7 for my gasoline. I don’t want to pay six times more for natural gas. I don’t want to pay two or three times more for my electricity. I don’t want to pay more for food and almost everything else I use. I don’t want to depend on Russia for my natural gas. I want electricity 24 hours a day even if the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. Would most Americans sign up for these cost increases? How can we keep from repeating Europe’s mistakes?

Europe chose not to develop their gas and oil resources and rely instead on weather dependent energy and Russia. Europe has access to the same drilling technology as we have in the USA. The North Sea was a major source of oil and natural gas for Europe. Its production has been declining for years. Like most conventional reservoirs they are able to produce only a small percentage of the natural gas in place. Modern drilling techniques could rejuvenate this field and give Europe some freedom from Russia. Europe has on shore natural gas in their shales. The “Green Movement” in Europe discouraged development and was able to get hydraulic fracturing banned. Did Putin help fund this movement making Europe a major customer and source of revenue for Russia?

Natural gas can work with weather dependent energy to keep lights and heat on after dark or when the wind doesn’t blow. The Russian gas Europe buys is all “fracked gas.” Almost every oil and gas well must be hydraulic fractured. Fracking to oil and gas is like putting tires on a car.

Europe’s choice to depend on Russia for oil and gas is partly responsible for Ukraine’s woes. Russia is the No. 2 natural gas producing country in the world (USA is No. 1) and is one the top three oil producers. (USA and Saudi Arabia are the others). The Russian economy is not as diverse as the U.S. economy and relies on energy revenue. Increasing world oil prices from $40 to $100 per barrel and natural gas in Europe to $30-plus gave Russia a huge windfall. Russian producers don’t have the environmental costs and regulations U.S. producers have.

All of this hardship in Europe resulted in a very small decrease in CO2 emissions. Global emissions are still increasing and have yet to peak. The USA has reduced emissions by 24% since 2005 based on government data. We can have abundant affordable energy and a cleaner planet. Why doesn’t Europe follow the U.S. example?

Dad’s mistake showed my brothers and me why not to smoke. In business and in relationships we need to learn from the mistakes of others. We can learn from the mistakes Europe made with their energy and not repeat them. Our abundant, economical energy can create a cleaner planet. The USA can set an example for the world by using common sense, sound engineering principals and understanding the importance of national energy policy on families and American business.

Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is the director of marketing and sales for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and over 40 years’ experience in the energy industry. He is the author of four books and numerous published articles.