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Bush Offers Warmed-Over Proposals that Fail to Cut Oil Dependence and Global Warming Statement of Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club Our socks are still on. Despite the warning from the President's economic advisor that the State of the Union would "knock your socks off in terms of our commitment to energy independence," so far we have heard no new evidence that this administration understands what it will really take to break our oil addiction or curb global warming. In fact, the President's proposals are more likely to make the problems worse. The policies that follow these speeches continue to reflect the interests of the giant oil, coal and nuclear industries--not real-world solutions that would benefit the environment and the American consumer. Americans are still facing higher energy costs, more pollution and less national security while oil companies like ExxonMobil are posting record-high profits. In regard to this year's specific proposals, the president is misleading the American people on what will solve oil dependence and global warming. The President is focusing on the wrong solutions when the right ones are easily done and are a better deal for America. For example, the President assumes that fuel economy will increase but fails to order an increase when a 40 mile per gallon standard is the single biggest step we could take to curb global warming and end oil dependence. We would be less dubious of the president's intentions if he had promised to raise the standards instead of assuming that they will rise four percent a year. The policies accompanying the President's address continue with a retread of the same, tired package of Arctic drilling, weakened clean air protections and increased use of coal and nuclear power. And when it comes to better solutions, the President talks about a destination without providing a map to get us there. The President also continues to call for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge when it will do nothing to decrease our oil dependence. And the President does little to address the fact that we can't solve global warming without making and using electricity more efficiently. If done correctly, alternative fuels such as cellulosic ethanol may be part of the solution to oil addiction and global warming. But despite the President's proposal at last year's State of the Union Address, we have seen little progress in the right direction. And there is little reason to believe this year's proposals will result in any more progress than last years'. Alternative fuels must be part of a package which focuses primarily on a real increase in fuel economy for cars and trucks, a real commitment to renewable energy like wind and solar and increased efficiency. Such a mix of solutions provides the best deal for Americans by creating jobs, boosting the economy, fighting global warming and protecting the world our children and grandchildren will inherit. Because 2006 was the United States' warmest year, and global warming received unprecedented attention, Americans want to learn more about what they can do, what business can do and what the government can do. For too long President Bush and former Congressional leadership fed Americans misrepresentations manufactured by polluters. In contrast, the new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming which Speaker Pelosi has created, and the Senate Committee on the Environment chaired by Senator Boxer, bring the government of the United States into this dialogue for the first time in six years in a positive, constructive and visionary way. |
