The behavior of the United States during the current oil shortage has been more detrimental than beneficial in solving the country's energy problems, A.J. Meyer, professor of Middle Eastern Studies and lecturer on Economics, said last night.

Speaking on the topic of the energy crisis, Meyer told 15 students at Quincy House that the United States, the Europeans, and the Japanese are behaving like "newly-trapped lobsters." "Instead of seeking a way out, they turn on one another," he said.

Meyer added that if these three nations would stop blaming each other for the present shortage, and consolidate their efforts into finding an alternative for imported oil, the problem might be solved.

Possible alternatives to the present oil crisis lie in learning to harness other fossil fuels like coal or such non-fossil fuels as fission, fusion, hydrogen, or solar energy, Meyer said. He added that it is in these directions of research and study that the United States should be moving with a concentrated effort.

"During the past decade, we have legislated mightily, but to little avail on the matter of energy," Meyer said. "The result has been measures, poorly thought out in isolation, which have cut domestic energy output, while stimulating domestic energy demand," he said.

Meyer said that two advantages may still be derived from the present oil crisis. One might be an opportunity for peace in the Middle East if the talks in Geneva prove successful; the other advantage is that the United States has been made aware of a crisis that can with proper alternatives be aborted before it becomes disastrous, Meyer said.