Yesterday Nobel Prize winner and former Vice-President Al Gore gave a very compelling speech in Washington, D.C. in which he tied together many of the biggest concerns the American public has in this election cycle in one sentence. "We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet," Gore said in his speech. "Every bit of that's got to change."
As we move further and further into this new era of high energy prices and we see an increasingly negative impact on everyday life because of global warming the idea that we can simply stand by and wish the problem away or hope somehow it will go away on its own is increasingly irresponsible. I think it is time to acknowledge and accept the fact that the days of cheap gas and low cost energy are not only gone, but are never coming back. We are at the beginning of a cycle in which the prices for all types of energy will continue to trend upward not only here in America, but around the world. It is very clear that increasing energy prices and the resulting fallout of related problems are going to take center stage in the struggle between the world’s leading nations over the next few years.
We have had a golden opportunity to begin reforming the ways in which we use energy over the last 30 years and have done very little to actually find ways to reduce the amount of energy we use or to find different renewable sources. We are going to have to begin to make significant efforts and a strong commitment to developing long-term solutions both on establishing renewable sources of energy and by finding way to significantly increase energy efficiency. This not only makes an energy policy that is sensible, but it would place the United States in a position in which our economy can benefit from technology inventions that others around the world would be compelled to make use off. As we move forward, the cost of existing sources of energy are going to make an impact so profound on the economy of the planet that new sources are going to have to be found in order to maintain peace and prosperity.
Al Gore puts on the table proposals that make sound political and policy decisions. It provides the voter with the knowledge that something besides off-shore drilling is required to meet the growing problems the world faces. We may not like the idea that cheap gas is gone forever, but if we don’t get more committed to the idea of alternative, renewable energy we are going to find ourselves in a very difficult and unfriendly world. We have entered an era in which we need to invest in America’s energy future with the same degree of commitment and enthusiasm that we put into developing the space program and the Manhattan project. This is going to be one of the most important items on the next President’s agenda whether he realizes it or not.
I hope that Al Gore would consider taking on a role in an Obama administration in which he would be the leader and coordinator of our nations energy development and policy initatives. I hope that Obama realizes the importance of moving quickly and decisively forward on energy policy and I hope that Republicans finally reach the conclusion that the energy problems facing the world are very real, very significant and very dangerous to avoid.
