The Next “National Energy Policy”
President Bush chartered an “Energy Committee” shortly after becoming President in 2001. Our favorite “VP”, Dick Cheney took the chairmanship and produced a document called the “National Energy Policy”. It covered all the bases in terms of types of energy sources that America should develop but has been very short on any action to realize these new sources. From reading the document (http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/National-Energy-Policy.pdf ), one can see a statesmanlike list of chapters.
1. Taking Stock – Energy Challenges Facing the United States
2. Striking Home – The Impacts of High Energy Prices on Families, Communities, and Businesses
3. Protecting America’s Environment – Sustaining the Nation’s Health and Environment
4. Using Energy Wisely – Increasing Energy Conservation and Efficiency
5. Energy for a New Century – Increasing Domestic Energy Supplies
6. Nature’s Power – Increasing America’s Use of Renewable and Alternative Energy
7. America’s Energy Infrastructure – A Comprehensive Delivery System
8. Strengthening Global Alliances – Enhancing National Energy Security and International Relationships
With a list of chapters like these and over 170 pages of written information, what did Cheney and friends miss or what has Bush/Cheney failed to do? Today all we are hearing from Bush is “drilling off shore” and from McCain it is nuclear plants and drilling off shore. Drilling off shore and nuclear plants are 5-10+ year events before any meaningful additional energy is realized, so why are they pushing these options?
The first motivation is political. There is an election weeks away and McCain and the Republicans want to be seen as knowing why gasoline prices are high and that more importantly, they know how to fix it and the Democrats do not. The second motivation is satisfying “big oil” and keeping the country addicted to current uses of oil.
Like so many of the US’ problems there is a imminent or short term crisis, and there is a much more serious longer term threat. Politicians and the Bush Administration specifically are prone to dwell on the first and ignore the critical second. With oil the issue is clear. The amount of oil reserves is finite and the emerging world demand is growing exponentially. There simply is not enough to go around and “supply/demand” will continually drive prices higher.
Both political parties needs to hear the wake up call and really address an overall energy policy. We must set out sights on energy that is “renewable” and “greenhouse gas compatible” and do it as if it were the “man on the moon” project. Today the only direct by-product of a defunct energy process is higher gasoline and heating fuel prices. (There is an indirect and significant cost coming from a wrong headed Middle East policy that has brought us the Iraq invasion and occupation.) Tomorrow the cost will not only be higher prices but there will also be shortages and ever increasing global conflicts as other countries try to compete for the remaining oil reserves. It is time to act now.
The question voters should consider is which candidate is likely to take a broader and longer term view and develop a comprehensive policy, and then back it with action. More drilling and even nuclear should be part of any real National Energy Policy but the heart and soul of this policy must be sensible use of energy (like higher gas milage standards) and serious development of the full range of alternate energy sources (wind, water, solar, geothermal, carbon sequestration, bio, as well as oil, nuclear, and natural gas.
Which candidate do you think will see things broadly?
This entry was posted on September 8, 2008 at 12:21 pm and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Iraq War, John McCain, Politics, Republican Party. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: alternate energy sources, national energy policy, oil
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