Pluses and minuses are coming out of the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the most significant and lasting result of these wars probably won’t be known or appreciated until some years from now.

There’s no question that the war on terrorism is likely to last for years. It is not a war like the one the United States and its allies waged against Germany and Japan with a formal end marked by surrenders, peace treaties and an almost-immediate effort by the victors to start rebuilding the defeated nations.

There will not be any surrender by those behind the terrorist movement. They and their followers may be “defeated” in certain areas, but it is highly likely those opposed to freedom, democracy and, primarily, what the United States stands for, will continue their efforts for years to come.

American military leaders, as well as their counterparts in allied nations, lawmakers and the general public, all are faced with the immediate challenge of learning how to live and survive in the face of terrorism. It is not going to go away, and there are no simple answers.

Obviously, many changes are on the way as national security reaches new levels of importance. Americans cannot hide behind the idea this country is protected by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and that Mexico and Canada represent safe buffers for the United States. There is no way for any administration, no matter how positive its spokesman may be or how many pledges and promises political leaders make that they have all the answers to terrorism, can guarantee an end to terrorism. The fact is if terrorists are willing to pay the price, make the sacrifice and do the planning, they can find a way to penetrate this country’s borders.

That being the case, this country and its citizens must make every effort to be prepared to meet the challenges as well as possible and to absorb the physical and emotional toll of terrorism. How this nation and its people react to future terrorist attacks will send an important message to terrorists. Will U.S. citizens panic and try to appease terrorists by changing government leadership as was done in Spain? Or will Americans have the resolve and courage to mount even stronger attacks against terrorism rather than showing softness in an effort to buy peace?

Americans already have learned many lessons from the Gulf War, the actions in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq and the expanding war on terrorism. We learned this nation’s intelligence-gathering efforts need a total overhaul, and it is apparent the majority of our leaders, as well as the general citizenry, had little prior knowledge or appreciation for the history, culture, religion and values of millions of people in the Middle East and Far East.

We also are learning that, just as the techniques and tools of war changed dramatically between World War I and World War II, new ideas, new tactics and new weapons will have to be developed to effectively fight terrorism.

There is no justification for anyone to think that just because Uncle Sam has always ended up the winner in previous wars that such victories are guaranteed in the future. Wars of the future are not likely to look like the major conflicts in World War II, Korea or even Vietnam.

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Another thing that has become clear as a result of the war in Iraq and the unsettled environment in the Mideast is that something must be done to meet America’s growing energy demands.

Many people and many politicians have noted the need for an effective, forward-looking energy policy, but, so far, it hasn’t been much more than talk.

Sometime soon, someone must take a leadership role, gain the respect and attention of citizens and lawmakers and call for actions that will make this country far less dependent on foreign supplies of oil and gas.

Almost every adult American agrees this needs to happen, but is the country any closer to energy independence than it was five, 10 or 20 years ago?

There are solutions or combinations of solutions, but currently, the nation lacks the will to launch meaningful action. Perhaps there isn’t sufficient fear of what might happen if the United States did indeed run out of our conventional supplies of cheap fuels. Are Americans prepared to pay the price that will accompany a strategy for lessening our energy demands?

The fresh water situation offers a perfect example. How will the nation be able to supply good, clean water by the middle of this century as the population grows from its current 290 million people to 400 million or 450 million Americans? The amount of water is not going to grow unless desalination enters the picture. This will cost tremendous amounts of money. Are Americans willing to ration water? What happens to the flow and cleanliness of rivers like the Kaw as the population doubles or triples along its route from Manhattan, Topeka, Lawrence to Kansas City?

Nuclear power plants could provide large supplies of relatively inexpensive power, but so far, the majority of Americans are opposed to or afraid of nuclear power. What will it take for the demand for more energy to override the concerns about nuclear energy?

Wind power cannot provide massive amounts of energy, at least based on current technology, but it could be a supplemental source. However, look what is happening in Kansas as opponents prepare to go to court to stop proposed wind generators in the scenic Flint Hills.

There are massive amounts of coal, but costly scrubbers and other devices to clean up emissions will drive up the price of electricity from coal-fired plants. How long will certain areas of the United States be off-limits for new oil exploration and drilling?

As noted above, much has been learned from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and one lesson is that it would be a dangerous mistake to think the United States can always count on an unlimited supply of oil from the Mideast.

Someone or some group needs to do something other than merely talk about the impending energy crisis. Members of Congress, as well as the general citizenry, have been guilty of looking the other way and refusing to plan for the future. It will not be a cheap, easy or painless, but it is essential that action be initiated today rather than tomorrow.