Backcountry Notes

Barack Obama has announced that his energy policy will cut our imports of foreign oil in half by 2030.  Truly, the man is clueless.  Twenty-two years??? We don't have that kind of time.

Obama espouses the changeless energy policy which the Democratic Party has followed for the past 30 years:  alternate fuels, conservation, and bashing big oil.  I have my own list of criticisms of the petroleum industry, but let's be realistic about this: these are business corporations; they exist for the purpose of making a profit for their stockholders.  Attacking the oil companies for doing what they are designed to do is like cursing salmon because they swim upstream to spawn.  It permits Congresspersons an opportunity to posture and spew for the news media but accomplishes nothing.

In my family, we are all for conservation and we've done our part year after year.  We have energy-star stuff wherever I look.  I have always owned fuel-efficient vehicles.  We have recycled a small mountain of newspapers, bottles, cans, plastics, and aluminum (I started with newspaper drives in Cub Scouts 50 years ago). We have the energy-efficient light bulbs.  But there is only so much more we can do, and I suspect the same is true for most American families.

Alternate fuels aren't ready to take up the slack.  Corn ethanol has problems, not the least of which is disruption in the supply of corn.  Renewable energy sources are beginning to come on line, but they are nowhere near enough to fill the gap.  The Department of Energy projects that renewable energy will supply 12.6 per cent of electricity generation by 2030.  That is simply not enough.

 The only answer is to increase the domestic supply of petroleum and increase the use of coal and nuclear energy for generation of electricity.  The response of most Democrats has been to make disingenuous arguments, such as the squawks about compelling oil companies to drill on existing leases where the geologists have found no oil, and to blame George Bush for this problem, which he manifestly did not create.  It seems as if all sins are to be blamed on Bush - - if you point out to a Democrat that his shoelace is untied, he shouts, "Bush!"  I didn't vote for W. either time, folks, but I believe that criticisms must be fair and credit should be given where it is due. 

A short while ago, I directed the following series of questions to my Democratic Party friends:

- - What Democratic Party initiatives to support drilling of Rocky Mountain oil shale have the Republicans blocked?

- - What Democratic proposals to increase domestic refinery capacity have the Republicans thwarted?

- - Which Democratic-sponsored legislation to permit offshore drilling have the Republicans deep-sixed?

- - What Democratic Party movement to support drilling in ANWR has been suppressed by the Republican Party?

- - Which Democratic proposals to build clean-coal power plants have the Republicans resisted?

- -  What Democratic program to encourage and enable the construction of nuclear power plants has been killed by the Republican Party?

To date, the only answers I get are: none, none, none, none, none, and none. 

The Obama energy plan offers no change and no hope.  What we need is a plan which will restore confidence in our energy supply, too much of which is now in the hands of crazy people who hate us.  We don't necessarily need a plan which will cut the price, although that would be nice; we need stability and reliability.  Newt Gingrich's "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" initiative will provide that.  We can live with $3.00 gas; we can live with $4.00 gas; we can't live with the uncertainty of a foreign energy supply, and we can't live with $10.00 gas in the near term. 

Related posts: 

The Price of Gas: Pelosi Fixes The Blame

In Obamamerica, There Won't Be A Middle Class

Hiding The Truth, Internet Style - - And A Conservative Response

 Barack Obama Is The Dr. No of Energy Security

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