Stop the Energy Insanity
No combination of solar, wind, ethanol, biodiesel, or anything else will allow us independence in the foreseeable future
2. Fix our mass transit system for both freight and passengers. When you consider rail in terms of energy, steel wheels on steel rails are some 10 times as efficient as rubber on roads. A real rail program could probably have the single greatest impact on our oil consumption and on the release of carbon dioxide. A single locomotive run by two men can haul the same amount of freight as 70 modern semitrailer truck rigs with 70 drivers. One passenger train can take 1,000 cars off the road.
3. Raise fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks immediately.
4. Substantially increase the gas tax, offsetting it with other tax cuts to induce people to buy fuel-efficient vehicles.
5. Pursue alternative energy technologies within the limits of the market.
Such measures as these would send a signal to the world that the United States is no longer putting its fate fully in the hands of foreign nations and that we are determined to reduce the financial drain costing us at least $300 billion a year. None of this will happen without a sensible compromise among liberals, conservatives, and environmentalists. We simply cannot afford a political system that is incapable of addressing such a critical national issue. In other words, we need real leadership in Washington.
Reader Comments
The Energy Issue
It appears that the only realistic solution is the people of the U.S. are going to have to agree together what is the most important to them, their greedy desires for making more profit, or, doing the right thing and saving our planets resources and it's environment. It will probably take someone with prestige and power to get the ball rolling. Then maybe more of the general public will want to follow in the endevor to collectively do the right thing. But money can become the root of all evil.as the Blble warns us.
energy cooperation
Mr. Zuckerman you left out businesses and Wall Street in general when you called for cooperation in solving the energy problem. Realize we had the rail technology to build the fast electro-magnetic trains and sold it to Europe and Japan because we didn't want to spend taxes on such a project back in the late 60s and early 70s. We had an energy policy starting under President Carter looking toward solar, wind, conservation etc. which was squelched under Reagan. If we have a consolidated effort it has to be sold to taxpayers as an emergency program or it will fail. Taxpayers are greedy with their money my friend that is why the nation is in this mess. Taxpayers want services on the cheap and as with many buyers of cheap you will pay substantially for anything worthwhile in the long run.
The Root of the Problem
Mr. Zuckerman states the problem clearly and asks: "What is to be done?" He then describes a set of energy policy solutions, some elements obvious, some debatable, before declaring at the end of the editorial:
"We simply cannot afford a political system that is incapable of addressing such a critical national issue. In other words, we need real leadership in Washington."
I couldn't agree more. However, nowhere does Mr. Zuckerman describe why our political system is incapable of addressing critical issues and offering honest debate and real leadership in Washington, nor does he suggest any kind of solution to that problem.
The root cause of our inability to deal with any of a growing list of critical issues is the control of election campaign funds by corporate money. Even without an explicit quid-pro-quo, the simultaneous lobbying for corporate wish lists and generous contributions to election campaign funds produces government of, by, and for the corporations.
What is to be done?
We the people have to buy back our representatives. This is necessary, if not sufficient, before it will even be possible to have an honest debate on energy policy, global warming, infrastructure, health care, or any of the other major issues demanding attention in our Republic. At the moment, much as it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, the only way I can see to accomplish this is mandatory public financing of federal campaigns coupled with a prohibition on the use of corporate money (companies, unions, PACs, etc) for political purposes.
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