Is the Obama administration on the right track when it comes to energy? I would say yes but with reservations. It is on the right track, but much more could be done and there are some aspects of this announcement that I do not really favor. To begin with the negative, I do not support increase in domestic oil production. I understand the need for increased energy security, however, I do not think this should be accomplished through increases in oil production. It is time to move away from oil, foreign and domestic. With regards to natural gas, I echo Kenny’s skepticism in that I do not see it as a viable long-term alternative to oil.
As to what I found positive, I like the emphasis on alternative fuels and increased energy efficiency in automobiles. I do not see personal automobiles going anywhere anytime soon, so it is imperative that we find new ways to power them and increase their fuel efficiency. At the same time, I do understand that the construction of new hybrid/electric cars can have serious environmental impacts. But this is just another aspect that needs to be improved upon. Finally, what I liked most about this announcement was the public/private partnership. Leaving it to the market to solve today’s environmental problems will simply not happen. But at the same time, we will not be able to solve these problems without the private sector. That is why we need the world’s governments to push private industry to become more environmentally friendly. In my eyes, public/private partnerships have the capacity to do just that.
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