Well now that gas is back to almost $4.00 per gallon across the country, I wonder how long it will take for energy costs to take front and center stage in our nation’s conscience. Our nation has been dragging out this debate and further prolonging the painful process of creating a true national energy policy for far too long. It seems that in today’s politics we are polarized between always one choice or another. it is always portrayed politically from the common views bought and paid for by the energy lobby from our governing 545 leaders that make all of our national policies in the three executive branches.
Just as I have stated in my latest book, “The Next America, Moving Beyond a Fragile Economy,” our energy policy needs to be created and we must take a long-term vision into account when implementing this lack of a national energy policy.
There are always hybrid choices other than the two sides of each political coin each party espouses today. We in fact do need to look at many energy issues as a matter of national defense, what is in the best interest of our nation, and our responsibility to keep the planet clean and livable for all humanity.
The energy policies need to focus on rebuilding our national infrastructure so that it is the most competitive at distributing and managing demand on a just in time basis from generation to the consumer… a true smart grid and smart facility linkage.
In addition, our nation should move to incorporate more financing and thus more subsidized energy consumption from the energy wasters and dirty users of energy… and pass those steep costs of continued operation back to the consumers who desire to make energy conservation improvements and thus lessen their own demand for dirty high carbon based energy production. This includes carbon taxes on cars, vehicles and other petroleum-based products. Giving those that desire to make energy conservation improvements to their homes, facilities, fleets and automobiles should be able to get enough carbon tax subsidies to offset the negative cost of doing these improvements. At some point the crossover and transition would be really significant and the savings would continue into perpetuity. This could be a ten-year program to transition our nation from our homes and facilities and vehicles to the most energy-efficient in the world and the windfall would be a cleaner planet and lower costs to the consumers for energy in the end.
Raising CAFE standards on automobiles to over 60 MPG per vehicle on average would be a great start… get our automotive industry engaged in energy efficiency innovation sooner than later.
Meanwhile our consumption of gasoline continues to rise, our negative impact on our wallets increases and our national security is eroded by our dependence on foreign oil and mostly from places that have been proven to be aiding and funding terrorists that want to harm and kill Americans both domestically and abroad.
This lack of a true national energy policy has hurt our nation and will continue to do so until it is adequately addressed. Most of our homes could be retrofitted to become at least 50% more efficient and so could our automobiles. This alone would cut our energy demand in half in less than a decade.
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