Energy Policy Draft for Unity08

A new potential “third way” is organizing on the internet, http://www.unity08.com

The site, Unity08, describes the effort as follows:

We’re a movement to take our country back from polarizing politics. In 2008, we’ll select and elect a Unity Ticket to the White House— one Democrat, one Republican, in whatever order, or independents committed to a Unity team. Come join us - and you don't have to leave your party to do it.

As Unity08 develops a “platform” of issues, there has been much discussion of energy policy. Following are my thoughts in four related points:

1. Technology: We should not succumb to the myth that all our problems will be solved by technology. We are still waiting for technology to solve the problems of global warming, the depletion of fish populations and the return of cod, the social problems of urbanization, the demographic issues, etc. etc. Technology deals with a small fraction of our major issues. Today’s technology is living off of yesterday’s science, and we are investing less today than we did yesterday in pure research. THAT is the serious issue that needs attention -- Support for theoretical research

2. Electrical Energy: The energy that produces the electricity that runs industry, keeps our cities and their inhabitants alive, well and comfortable will increasingly be supplied by nuclear energy. The old problem with waste is on the verge of solution. The issue here is building our uranium reserves; China may be ahead of us.

3. Transportation Energy: Oil may have already hits its PEAK, and geologists are pretty well agreed. So once we are on the downward slope of using our reserves, short to mid term efforts will be made to extract from shale (at higher cost) etc. There is no doubt that oil is a finite resource and we will depend increasingly on lower grade crude, at a higher cost. Demands for oil for transportation will force most governments to subsidize the price in one way or another and provide incentives for manufacturers to produce more efficient and alternative fuels and engines. We need to continue experiments with compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel, electric, ethanol, Fischer-Tropsch, liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol and propane, etc. Tax incentives should be given to those investing in these alternatives as well as vehicles that are lighter and use alternative fuels. Short and mid term we need to push for more public transportation.

4. Foreign Policy and the dollar: Oil has been driving much of our foreign policy since WW II. It has formed our relationships in the mid-east and makes our dealings with the Saudis dangerous. For a while it looked like a great coup to have oil priced with the dollar as the sole exchange. We need to be prepared to have that change as China increases its ownership of the US debt, and has higher energy demands, the EU achieves greater independence from the US and the movement for a kind of mixed Pan Arab currency gains ground. The bottom line is that we need to strengthen the dollar through reducing our massive trade imbalance and debt.

MFA