Investing in renewable energy is win-win-win-win-win.
President Bush has talked about reducing our dependence on foreign oil in literally every State of the Union address he’s ever given. And somehow, we’ve managed to become MORE dependent on foreign oil in each successive year of his presidency. In 2000, 58% of the oil consumed in the U.S. was imported. By September 2006, that number had risen to 70%. According to the Financial Times, our dependence on OPEC nations for imports “has risen to its highest level in 15 years.”
Here’s where I stand:
When I was a kid, I watched John F. Kennedy tell us that we would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. I thought he was nuts. But he put our greatest minds and the full backing of the government behind the project, and we did it.
Today, I think we need a new “Apollo project” – this time to fundamentally change our energy policy and end our reliance on foreign oil.
The natural resources we have right here in Minnesota – not just corn and soybeans and biomass and wind, but innovation and creativity and brainpower – can lead to amazing breakthroughs if we commit to this undertaking.
This “Apollo project” should provide financial support for research into new forms of renewable energy and development of currently-identified sources to make them more efficient. Of course I’m talking about corn ethanol. But I’m also talking about cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels. I’m talking about solar power. And, especially here in Minnesota, I’m talking about wind power. We live in a windy state!
It’s going to be a huge project, but it will pay off in so many ways:
- We’ll dramatically improve our environment.
- We’ll finally be taking steps to address global warming.
- We’ll make our nation more secure and less dependent on an uncertain global fuel economy.
- We’ll revitalize our manufacturing sector. The Ford plant in St. Paul that’s closing down should be making wind turbines, and we should be putting them up all over Minnesota.
- We’ll create high-tech, high-paying jobs in conservation and R&D.
Renewable energy is win-win-win-win-win, and we should back it not only with our words, but with our resources. We should also invest in conservation – energy efficiency, light rail, and increased CAFE standards are all part of that.
