2008 Woodie Awards
U.S. needs clear plan to increase national energy security
Ashley Gibson
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Commentary
The challenges that America faces on the world stage and how we address them will have a huge effect on our lives going forward. None are more daunting than the need to reconcile our growing reliance on foreign energy and concerns about environmental protection with the realities of today's world.
Our leaders must outline a clear view of how the U.S. can increase its national energy security in the near term to keep our country growing while we continue to develop new and varying supply sources of energy for the future.
In his last State of the Union Address, President Bush made some very valid points about our current energy situation. We need to explore and develop multiple and diverse sources of energy. Total independence from oil and gas is not possible and replacing oil with ethanol is not realistic. Renewable energy will continue to grow, but not at a fast enough pace to replace the traditional fuels that we currently use. Long-term solutions for our nation's energy security must include investment in finding new supplies of oil and gas, and more efficiently producing and using energy.
These goals are all contingent upon our government sharing a unified vision and acting in a forward-thinking manner. It is also important that our leaders learn from their mistakes, and not take us "back to the future" by repeating them. This is the case with new energy taxes on our U.S. energy companies, which have in the past been shown to increase imports of foreign energy and decrease production here at home. Thus, they act in direct opposition to our energy goals.
Yet many in Congress still pursue these taxes. Why? It is because they are hoping to pacify voters who are angry about high energy prices. This probably includes everyone. However, the energy companies don't control the world markets; supply and demand determines price (Econ 101). So instead of punishing the domestic oil and gas providers, these taxes actually punish us all with higher prices and greater reliance on foreign sources.
Our leaders must outline a clear view of how the U.S. can increase its national energy security in the near term to keep our country growing while we continue to develop new and varying supply sources of energy for the future.
In his last State of the Union Address, President Bush made some very valid points about our current energy situation. We need to explore and develop multiple and diverse sources of energy. Total independence from oil and gas is not possible and replacing oil with ethanol is not realistic. Renewable energy will continue to grow, but not at a fast enough pace to replace the traditional fuels that we currently use. Long-term solutions for our nation's energy security must include investment in finding new supplies of oil and gas, and more efficiently producing and using energy.
These goals are all contingent upon our government sharing a unified vision and acting in a forward-thinking manner. It is also important that our leaders learn from their mistakes, and not take us "back to the future" by repeating them. This is the case with new energy taxes on our U.S. energy companies, which have in the past been shown to increase imports of foreign energy and decrease production here at home. Thus, they act in direct opposition to our energy goals.
Yet many in Congress still pursue these taxes. Why? It is because they are hoping to pacify voters who are angry about high energy prices. This probably includes everyone. However, the energy companies don't control the world markets; supply and demand determines price (Econ 101). So instead of punishing the domestic oil and gas providers, these taxes actually punish us all with higher prices and greater reliance on foreign sources.
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