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Addicted
to Power
July 24, 2001
by
Maren L. Hickton
President Bush's campaign was heavily backed by big power
companies including Exxon-Mobil and other fossil fuel interest
groups. Bush, Cheney and their band of energy pals came to
the White House with decades of involvement in the energy
industry. As a result, it should come as no surprise to any
of us that their parochial vision related to an energy plan
for the United States, or the world for that matter, is heavily
tilted towards power production. Production is what they understand
the best and, unfortunately for us, we must work hard to help
Congress fight their energetic machinations to get their fix,
the seduction they have succumbed to, where they have ended
up sucking-up to big power companies in private meetings and
producing in their current unbalanced Energy Plan for this
nation.
We can cave in and say, "Let them do what they want in ANWR,"
and destroy what's left of the earth and continue to waste
power. We can whine and insist that the government should
pay for energy (like Cheney's doing now at his mansion), continue
to demand for energy assistance programs for things like air
conditioning, which in some areas used to be a luxury - like
many other huge energy-using appliances that we now take for
granted. We can continue to buy SUVs and vans and insist that
these manufacturers lower their gas mileage and overcome gravity,
rather than buying smaller cars, expecting that these larger
vehicles are constructed more lightweight with safety questions
related to rollovers and uncertainty over split tires presently
being disputed in lawsuits. We can continue to burn incandescent
light bulbs and use inefficient appliances that waste more
energy. Or we can work together to conserve, think and buy
smart, and help those who can't help themselves - including
Bush and Co.
Mother Earth and this atmosphere is all we got. While Congress
continues its discussion about X number of millions of gallons
of crude, how much coal or what amount of natural gas is located
in which region on what part of the globe - it's all very
interesting, but there is by no means a limitless supply,
with "crude" a good word for energy - anywhere. At least not
on earth. NASA continues to try to dig its way out of a budget
shambles along with our real defense force - the military,
while Bush plans to continue to blow up millions of taxpayer
dollars with missile defense tests in his consistent grandiose
display of confused priorities. This tax money would be better
utilized funding continued R&D for energy alternatives and
on NASA, if for no other reason, to explore space for toxic
energy waste stores, for wastes that are not able to be safely
recycled.
Digging, drilling and pumping today is only a Band-Aid for
tomorrow; it will not solve long-term energy problems by any
stretch of the imagination. Further, major exploration now
is an unsound investment in that it would take years to realize
any return during a period of time where our economy is not
strong, and when realized, will only add to the pollution
of one of the biggest polluters on earth: US.
The President's current Energy Plan is, therefore, incomplete
and seriously flawed in that we risk hurting the entire global
environment, risk already-strained foreign relationships,
all for a short-term solution purported to reduce our dependency
on foreign oil. Something not likely to ever happen without
serious conservation efforts and the addition of newer, alternative
energy technology.
We must, therefore, continue to explore alternative fuel
sources. Raping our environment, endangering creatures large
and small and the natural balance of life - our ecosystem,
risking spills and kills, is flat-out immoral. The Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge and other remaining wilderness areas
need not be on the energy map if we take the time to find
these alternatives.
Bush's energy-crisis by design experiment in California resulting
in the record number of blackouts, due to his immediate failure
to investigate, revealed a variety of issues that contribute
to the energy problems that we face in America today. The
list includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Energy companies need to be monitored more carefully so
that collusion does not occur anywhere in this country.
2. Deregulation to build a competitive energy market only
works if you have interested suppliers in a particular region,
enough people buying from these suppliers, and protections
to consumers as new unknown suppliers come to the marketplace.
3. High bills encourage customers to venture into places
in their minds and hearts to seek cost saving innovations,
help others, and further develop already energy-smart behaviors.
Governor Davis and his tireless group of advocates for the
people of his State should all receive a medal of valor and
could certainly be impaneled to teach us all a few things.
While we don't have a crisis now, as is continually reported,
we do have the power ourselves to drastically cut our energy
bills which will hopefully avert the immediate need for us
to act on an unsound plan until an alternative, more balanced
plan can be developed.
Bush and Cheney can't help themselves. They have been addicted
to power for years. It's time for tough love: Say NO to enabling
further energy abuse. Say NO to the President's current Energy
Plan.
References
for Review:
The Home Energy Saver: http://hes.lbl.gov
Tips to Save Gas and Improve Mileage: http://www.epa.gov/oms/17-tips.htm
Alternative Energy Sources: http://www.gale.com/freresrc/earthday2000/energy.htm
Special Wastes: Crude Oil and Natural Gas: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/oil/index.htm
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