The missing link?
National security. We all know that foreign oil dependence is a national security risk, but our increasing national debt might be an even bigger national security risk if not taken seriously, claimed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently.
While I couldn't agree more, it seems to me that energy independence is the key to both risks.
Certainly, health care reform and green energy are two great ideas put forth by the Obama Administration to deal with these security risks. Unfortunately, America simply isn't yet ready for major health care reform, at least not any package that isn't put forth with broad bipartisan support. Besides, if we don't significantly reduce end of life expenditures and downsize the US lifestyle, nothing is going to save the US health care system. Likewise, while green energy has guaranteed potential, it's ability to drive the new economy appears a few decades away from maturity.
So, do we just wait and embrace dependency and risk, or can more be done in the interim?
Obviously, the easy answer for many is new drilling, which is not an option for most on the green side, and understandably so. Assuredly, new oil drilling seems a step backward. Even natural gas drilling doesn't seem a big enough step forward. Yet, do we really have a choice?
Studies suggest that new drilling could create as many as 13 million new jobs, while reducing the deficit and firing up the economy. More important, if true, I'd also bet that new drilling could be packaged with more aggressive CAFE requirements, more tax credits for hybrid cars, etc - at least that would be the only way I could conceivably concede to new drilling.
Don't get me wrong. In my perfect world, I don't want ANY new drilling, including natural gas drilling, but does that make any sense in the real world, particularly the political world? Isn't staying dependent upon foreign oil and foreign natural gas for 3 more decades until our green new world vision finally becomes reality nothing short of denial, and an unnecessary risk to the US economy and national security?
Isn't new drilling simply a necessary evil toward achieving a new energy paradigm before its too late?
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