The right got more involved in the discussion with the whole list; finding alternative fuels, conservation efforts, drilling off-shore, building nuclear power plants, etc and the discussion came to the center because was hurting Americans.
Both sides had different motivations to getting this issue on the table of the public forum. I think what is really important is that the fact that we are all now talking about it and that there are solutions.
The question remains, what do we do from here? What are the common sense conservative solutions to this issue? What are the problems with our current system? How do we correct it now and in the future? How do we as citizens get involved? What role does our government as well as foreign governments play in this issue? Corporations?
Discuss.
Harley has some controversial ideas...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.harleyk.com/?p=185
Look no further than Thomas Friedman's columns in the New York Times for answers to all those questions you posed. He has been preaching E.T., or "Energy Technology" as the solution to our many energy and economic woes for a long time now.
ReplyDeleteWe have become a nation of importers, and we are borrowing the money necessary to purchase all those imports. Crude oil is a huge import, and most of that oil is coming from unstable parts of the world that finance terrorism. Forget all the environmental concerns, what about national security?
The government should reward people who are trying to create new jobs through innovation in the energy sector. We have a decrepit old electricity grid and dirty coal. If some entrepreneurs need some tax incentives to encourage investors to front some cash, then do it! It just makes too much sense to move off the old dirty stuff, and get our energy from unlimited, renewable resources, and skip the bad guys in the middle east, Venezuela and Russia all together. If they don't have any money, they can't cause trouble all over the world.
There is a lot more to say, I just don't have time to say it.
Amen Davieboy.
ReplyDeleteI think you are correct in your assessment of our current energy situation. We import our energy from volatile governments all the while we are not doing enough to develop winning strategies domestically.
We are an innovative nation. We have always been. With the proper incentives in place entrepreneurs could help solve some of the renewable energy. It would require some action on the government to give necessary incentives and rethink regulatory policies and then get out of the way and let the innovative process work for the benefit of all Americans.
In my personal opinion, I believe that the primary energy provider of our country is developing in a practical monopoly. This monopoly has been created in 2 ways. First, because oil companies control it from ground to burn. Second, the environmental lobby has destroyed any hope of alternative sources that actually WORK. (Nuclear is the best example)
ReplyDeleteMy solution is relatively simple. First, seperate the production and distribution of oil and gasoline so we have a REAL idea of what that relationship truly is. Secondly, find a way to limit the amount of national government land and give the decisions for energy development back to the states.
I think the answer to most of our energy problems come from the Fed butting out and allowing the states to make their own decisions on their land. As a result, the middle of the country will be able to build refineries, nuclear power plants and wind fields to create more energy in their state. New York and California can wallow in high energy prices and the middle of the country can have the freedom to control their own destinies and prosper.
Ultimately, the key to this problem is freeing up the inginutiy of Americans to do what Americans do. I blame the federal government entirely for this problem. They have destroyed federalism and limited ideas through unrealistic environmental regulations.
We are our own worst enemy.