Dos, don'ts on energy
Another bill Congress hasn't passed
NewsDay
October 1, 2008
The bailout strikeout is not the only congressional swing-and-a-miss these days. Congress also has failed to agree on a comprehensive energy bill that could steer our economic and environmental future in the right direction.
Even if legislators do finish work on the bailout sometime soon, they'll probably bail out of town without harmonizing the differences between the House and Senate on the energy bill. So we'll have to wait either until an unlikely lame-duck session this year, or until next year brings a new Congress.
With gas near $4 a gallon, voters may be tempted to tell Congress: Do anything necessary to give us relief. Instead, we should urge them to act soon and follow these guidelines:
Do provide environmental safeguards for the new offshore oil and gas drilling leases that will flow from Congress' decision to end a 27-year-old ban on new leases. That moratorium no longer exists, as of today.
Do renew credits that encourage development of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Without the credits, progress will be slower toward the green energy that we desperately need, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs in clean-energy industries.
Don't offer incentives for dirty-fuel sources such as oil from tar sands, oil shale or liquid coal. They have far too big a carbon footprint to justify the tiny contribution they might make toward easing our reliance on foreign oil.
Do continue research on capturing and burying carbon dioxide, so we can burn our abundant coal more cleanly.
We really can build a strong economy and curb global warming, but only with a smart energy bill - soon.
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpene015864868oct01,0,7713651.story
