Posted by
Conservapendent on Friday, July 20, 2007 1:15:35 PM
This country needs comprehensive energy reform. First and foremost, our national security is at risk because of America’s longstanding import of oil from other nations, especially those that are not traditional or real allies. Let’s be honest, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf nations cannot be considered real allies. Whenever they have been friendly it has been for their own benefit, not mutual benefit, as you would expect from a true ally. It should be our policy that our national energy requirements should be met by our own natural resources. Only if that is not possible should America purchase resources from allies or neutral nations. By neutral nation I mean a nation that is not in any existing alliance with America, but holds to the same human rights and freedoms as America, and has not been found to have any affiliation with any active group that seeks America’s harm.
Environmentalists would hate this policy because they want us to get away from non-renewable resources, especially on our own soil or in our own waters. I don’t disagree with them on this point, however, from a true environmental perspective we purchase oil from nations that don’t have as stringent policies when it comes to the clean drilling and processing of petroleum products. So if we drilled and refined our own petroleum products we could ensure the safest possible methods. As well, knowing that our supplies are limited this would hasten the day that we move to renewable resources of energy.
This brings me to my second point, and the crux of my vision. Much like the space race of the 1960’s, America needs a new space race for clean, renewable energy technology. We have the greatest and most innovative minds in the world and need to harness that to move America forward to an energy independent super-power that is also the leader in clean energy. This can happen, our nation has the monetary and natural resources for such a venture. The longer we wait for such a project, the longer we entangle ourselves in parts of the world that really don’t want anything from us other than our money or our blood… and that makes us less safe.