Posted by Craig
The House passed the president's energy bill yesterday, allowing the possible drilling in the Alaskan area known as ANWR. However, Democrats have vowed to try and stop the bill in the Senate. And although Bush has made it clear he wants this energy bill to pass, is it really doing anything about our problem?
One thing I have always tried to maintain, is that I do not blindly follow anyone or anything. I agree very often with President Bush and the Republican party, but there does arise issues that make me take notice. The energy bill is one such item. Even though there are provisions to increase the efficeincy in the use of other fuel options such as coal, nuclear energy, oil and natural gas, is it directing the efficient uses of consumers?
The top two answers get a not really and a no. The problem of energy usage will continue to be there, even after we drill into the earth's crust in Alaska. I still beleive we should do it, but we need to couple that with new ways to use that fuel efficiently. "An attempt to require automakers to increase fuel economy to a fleet average of 33 miles per gallon over the next decade was defeated 254-177". That quote was taken from an article on MSNBC.
The second asnwer of no is due in part because we as consumers continue to use any form of energy thrown at us faster than refineries, and energy producers can hurl it as us. In recent months, gas prices have skyrocketed, not becasue of poor supply from OPEC, but simply because we are demanding so much, refineries canot make it fast enough. The simple supply and demand model is in effect. They have tried to raise prices to levels that will curb consumption, but instead, we bitch about the price the whole time the nozzel is in the car, never changing our diving habits.
It is painfully obvious something needs to be done about our enegy needs. Maybe we should have taken over Iraq's oil fields, becasue except for the left wing wackos, there would be alot less compalining at the pumps. But that isn't the answer either. New energy avenues need to be looked into, and initiative needs to come for the White House into exploring these ways.
April 21, 2005
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I have to agree with you here Craig.
ReplyDeleteIt is past time now to find alternative energy sources. Though I doubt as long as big oil is in the executive office, and as long as ExxonMobil is the largest campaign donor to most Republican war chest's, anything will happen soon.
The technology is already here for more efficient automobiles.
To me it makes very little sense to keep giving money to Saudi Arabia a place in which 15 hijackers came from.
But, if I'm not mistaken, we did take over Iraq's oil fields, didn't we? We just failed to provide security to the country to enable the oil production to operate, as well as anything else in the country.