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The New Frontier of Energy
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I’ll be the first to admit that my generation has taken energy production for granted. We’re too young to remember the oil crises of the 1970’s. And we’re too inundated with modern society to appreciate the decades of relentless hard work Americans did to establish functioning electricity grids and power lines in every state.
Simply put: we’ve been spoiled by past generation’s hard work, by cheap natural resources, by Cadillac Escalades. In the mid 1990’s, when a lot of twentysomethings began driving for the first time, a gallon of gas was $1. If you didn’t grow up in a town where it’s normal to prohibit unlimited water usage, you might have never heard the words conserve and energy used at the same time before.
The question I’m posing is this: Should we, as a new generation of working-class Americans, continue to ride on the coattails of our ancestors, whose accomplishments are now beholden to O.P.E.C., or should we “risk it,” and create a new energy frontier, to make our own prosperity?
Speaking of ancestors, John McCain is scheduled to rabble rouse support from his base tonight at the Republican National Convention.
He’s paid lip service to fighting global warming during his campaign, and says “cleaning up the earth” is a priority, but his web site’s energy policy page lacks any fiscal solutions. For a campaign that criticizes the other side for empty rhetoric, the McCain camp is just as guilty.
The Republicans have many different opinions on energy policy. Some think we should drill everywhere in search of hidden oil reserves. Others still don’t recognize global warming.
McCain recently said offshore drilling should be left up to individual states. He did this right before campaigning in front of the oil industry in Houston, Texas. He’s actually consistently opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. His vice-presidential pick however, Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin, favors exploration, and still questions whether humans affect global warming.
Apparently the Republicans, despite these significant rifts, are going to try and frame the energy issue as a saving grace for American families hit hard at the pump. We’ve seen this campaign trick before from the Republicans. They scare people into voting for them by threatening the middle class. If it smells like a Karl Rove tactic, and it looks like a Karl Rove tactic, it’s a Karl Rove tactic.
The current energy crises shouldn’t be divided by political ideology though. It’s an American issue that truly affects all of us, even the Amish. If a Republican government symbolically declared a “War on Foreign Oil,” I think there’d be a stampede to the front of the bandwagon.
Barack Obama has made his energy policy a core value of his campaign from the very beginning. He set the bar high for America during his historic nomination speech.
“I will set a clear goal as President. In 10 years we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. We will do this.”
After rightfully claiming that offshore drilling is a stopgap measure and not a long-term solution. He said he’d use all of our resources to start the process, including “tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness our nuclear energy, and help our auto companies retool.”
He backed up his lofty rhetoric by declaring he’d invest $150 billion over the next ten years in “affordable, renewable sources of energy, wind power, solar power, and the next generation of biofuels. “
It’s a tough challenge, but we should take it on this time around, we might not get another chance. It might seem out of reach right now, but this is America, right? Failing shouldn’t even be an option. The real questions we should be asking ourselves are: How great will it be when The United States of America is the first country to develop an efficient renewable energy source? What will our economy look like when American workers are put back to work, in America, developing this product for the entire world? How much will this product be worth on the open market? Can it somehow also make high - definition TV better?
Obviously, the upcoming presidential election will play a crucial role in determining the answer to these questions. The role we can play begins at the local level. The first step is to educate yourself on what is going on in your own backyard. Then you must show up to vote, then do it again, and again, until the job is complete.
In case you didn’t already know, Colorado is on the verge of becoming a green industry leader. New companies are moving in. Old businessmen and politicians are moving out. Even past corporate foes of green energy are starting to come around.
Rep. Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs / Boulder) has been a renewable energy advocate for a long time. His comprehensive plan for Colorado’s energy future recognizes the potential Colorado has to be a pioneer in the industry. He’s already fought to give tax breaks to green companies instead of oil companies.
He is currently running for U.S. Senate. His opponent, Bob Schaffer, is a businessman entrenched in the oil and gas industry. Enough said.
As the future of this country, the real risk our generation can take will be to sit on our couches and continue doing nothing. This isn’t a TV show. No matter how cool it looks in HD, we can’t just sit back and watch as the world crumbles around us. It’s time to start taking action.
To join the Green Building Community in Colorado click here.
Did you know the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is located next to Colorado’s largest brewery? Of course you did.
