This morning in front of a mixed crowd of students and cabinet officials at Georgetown University President Obama delivered a very articulate and well-rounded speech regarding his administration’s energy policy. After buttering up the room with some jokes at the Hoya’s men’s basketball coach’s expense, the President launched into his outline of our energy policy.
Regarding traditional energy sources the President stood by their use and even noted their expansion under his watch. He proudly proclaimed that his administration has granted many permits for off shore drilling with seven of which being deep water operations. He also spoke of expanded natural gas exploration and production as well as investing more into “clean coal” sources. And yes, nuclear is still a vital part of the policy as he hinted towards new plants being built.
His justification for this “drill baby drill” approach was that it was coupled with a reduction in foreign oil imports and higher safety standards and regulation. He then claimed that American ingenuity and technology would overcome the inherent dirtiness of these traditional sources of energy. I cannot fully accept this platform. The President simply must go further towards weaning the country off of these sources of energy. The fact remains that oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power sources have and always will be bad for the environment. Claiming that technology can over come this if foolish. Especially given that the industries themselves are in charge of developing and implementing said technology. History tells us that industry is very reluctant to do so, and there’s nothing new in today’s age to suggest any different.
The funny thing about the speech was that President Obama sort of contradicted his support for traditional energy sources by explaining how the nation can rid ourselves of their necessity. The actions by his administration towards shifting our country to sustainable energy sources all work, we just need to implement more of it. For example, while his administration’s historic investments in renewable energy is a great step forward, it’s just not a big enough step. It still pales in comparison to the tax breaks and rebates that traditional energy industries get. We need to balance that deficit by taxing oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power companies and pumping that money into renewables. Instead of building new off shore oil rigs, nuclear power plants, and tearing off the tops of mountains for coal we could be building more wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy production facilities. So there is some investment into renewable energies which is showing tangible results, why not go further?
He spoke of his administration raising fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 30 years sparking further innovative design in cars and trucks. AWESOME! We just need more of that. Raise standards higher and in shorter time periods. He also noted that the military and federal government will switch all their cars and trucks to run off alternative sources in the next 3 years. AWESOME! We just need more of that!
Those same standards could be imposed on the public sector because the technology is already here. President Obama however, claimed that the main obstruction to this more aggressive implementation is the lack of an infrastructure delivering alternative fuel sources to the consumer. THEN BUILD IT. We had a stimulus package passed two years ago which largely went to repaving roads and fixing bridges. Why can’t there be a stimulus package to build electric and bio fuel only filling stations that could then support a government call for half of this nations car’s trucks and buses to be converted to 100% alternative fuel in the next 3 years? It can be done, especially with that good old “American ingenuity.”
Beyond the policy not going far enough, the energy discussion as framed by the President needs to change. Currently our energy policy is spoken of in terms of economic sustainability and security. These are very important aspects to the issue however this fails to give credence to the environmental impacts.
On the same day that news articles are coming out talking about large amounts of tar balls still washing ashore in the gulf, the President speaks of expanding off shore drilling. There’s a disconnect here and a complete lack of consideration to keeping our oceans clean, our waters safe to drink, and our air safe to breathe. In his speech today the President only mentioned climate change and barely hinted towards environmental sustainability. You can forget about ever hearing anything about the intrinsic value of ecosystems and protecting them from degradation simply so that they can exist. Yet these concepts should be the drivers of the discussion, not the back seat incidentals.
Until we get serious about being environmental stewards the door will always be open to abuse based on a cost benefit analysis. There just cannot be a financial justification for further environmental degradation, especially since technologies are ready to be implemented now. However I feel that the Presidents pragmatic energy approach does just that, continue environmental degradation because of financial concern. This leaves us still relying on dirty sources of energy, while only incrementally increasing progressive sustainable energy policies. We need bolder leadership, higher standards, and a visionary path towards a sustainable future but the President’s blueprint leaves something to be desired.
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