We Need Another Moon Shot!

I find it difficult to articulate my frustration when I hear elected representatives discuss opening up coastal preserves, the Artic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) and other National Parks to drill for oil. Using the current hysteria surrounding $4/gallon gas, these supposedly thoughtful policy makers are suggesting that we commit billions of dollars to the search for relatively small amounts of crude oil that will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to change the economics, security or sustainability of our current energy situation.

Why can't we, as a nation, accept that oil-based reserves are finite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil). Whether they disappear in 10 years or 100, we need to find an alternative - and commit to building an alternative energy infrastructure today. If I think about where we are and where we have to be in the next 10-100 years, my question is simple, WHY AREN'T WE, AS A NATION, EMBRACING THIS CHALLENGE? If you think about how important it is that the United States have access to affordable, secure energy, why are we failing to implement policies and foster cultural norms that accelerate our energy independence and guarantee that we will not have to continue to fund foreign treasuries - to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars each year - just so that we can continue to favor cup holders over mpg and enrich a very few at the expense of the rest of us.

Let's do the easy math: The US uses 25% of the world's energy resources. We have about 3% of the world's oil reserves. Experts generally don't agree on how much oil and natural gas lie beneath the country's coastal shelves, but the generally discussed band is minimal (The following US News and World Report article is frighteningly blunt: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/05/23/arctic-drilling-wouldnt-cool-high-oil-prices.html). What does that mean? It means that if Big Oil and short-sighted politicians have their way, we will desecrate all of our last remaining natural jewels for the sake of enough oil to reduce the price of gas at the pump by about ONE PENNY!!!! Oh yeah, and it will take 7-10 years to develop these offshore oil reserves that Big Oil and their politicians "know" are "out there". Are you kidding me? Shouldn't someone be fired for even thinking this is a good idea?

How about the difficult math: how much is it worth to protect and maintain unspoiled wilderness in this country. Set aside the human heritage argument (which I agree with); let's just be selfish. Would you rather live in a country that is bereft of natural wonders, but has plenty of gas stations, track housing and smog, or would you be happier, and would you ascribe value to a place that maintained some wilderness?

As we all know, politician are generally highly evolved " Reactive Agents", perfectly attuned to external stimuli. They get a lot of this stimuli from Big Oil lobbyists, competitively damaged Detroit automakers and a loose group of well-funded groups that wish to profit via the development of previously undeveloped habitats.

However, a good politician understands the law of numbers. If we make our voices heard; if we point out the absurdity of drilling our way out of this mess; if we support a "To the Moon" national effort to develop an alternative energy infrastructure, the weather vanes in Washington may just begin to point us in the right direction.

Give a click http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/