Another "Great" Solution from Bush

As a follow-up to my last post, I read an article in the Salt Lake Tribune that turned my stomach. Not only does Bush want to drill offshore and in ANWR, but he wants to exploit the deposits of oil shale deposits in areas of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming as a way to cut gas prices. What's truly tragic is that so many people think this is a good idea. To get to oil shale, you don't drill. You strip mine. Anyone who has ever been to the Bingham Copper Mine or lived in the Southeast where coal companies were allowed to run rampant can see the effects of his practice. The land is permanently scarred and irreversible damage is done. Why? All for the sake of saving us a few bucks. I really hope we're not at the point where we're willing to permanently change the face of the West to save a few bucks. Again, Bush's ideas should be thrown out the window.

Energy Crisis

I had been at a loss of ideas (as well as time) for new blog posts, but I figured I'd post my ideas about the world's energy crisis. It's tragic, really, that we let it get this far before trying to finally do something about our dependence on non-renewable sources of energy. Bush's solution to our high energy costs is just to feed our reliance on oil by drilling offshore... horrible idea. The Dems in Congress want to nationalize all of the nation's oil refineries... another horrible idea. McCain may have the brightest idea of the group, calling for 45 new nuclear reactors and $2 billion a year toward achieving clean coal. Alternative fuels are not only a bright idea in reducing our reliance on foreign oil, but it's also a step toward reducing our environmental impact. Like I said in an earlier post, the high price of oil is beneficial in the sense that it makes people think twice about letting their car idle forever or in leading the public to demand public transportation and bike paths.

All in all, the solution to our energy problem is not to nationalize the oil industry or to drill offshore or in ANWR, but to find alternative sources of energy, of which nuclear is by far the most effective.

Why high gas prices may not be bad...

So I, like all of you, have felt the pain at the pump and curbed my driving habits accordingly. However, we had an interesting conversation at work the other day that kind of resonated with my more liberal side. While the average American struggles to put gas in their cars, we have seen time and time again where major oil companies are raking in record profits or CEOs of these corporations are retiring with packages worth more than the GDPs of many small countries combined. However, like I said, there may be an up side to all of this. That is that the average American will finally start demanding something that I have been preaching for years... alternative fuels and more economical cars. No, not ethanol, but hybrid and electric cars, which not only cut our reliance on foreign oil, but also help to protect the environment. The argument I have heard against buying a hybrid up until a few months ago was that you never make the cost back... that it's an economic decision. However, in the near future it may be a pure economic decision for Americans to invest in hybrid vehicles and demand more fuel efficient cars and trucks. I understand that the pain at the pump hurts the economy, but I think that long term there may be some benefit.