Energy Independence In Our Time?

I'm a Baby Boomer who well remembers the oil embargos of the 1970's. Back then, it made no sense to me that we were so dependent on other countries for a basic natural resource that is a necessary raw material for our ecomony. Since then, I've believed that it is the biggest failure of my generation to not have figured this out.

I heard a compelling interview yesterday morning on CNBC (www.cnbc.com) with Boone Pickens http://www.boonepickens.com/. Mr. Pickens said that we spend $500 billion annually on imported oil. Over a ten year span, that means $5 trillion will leave our country. This is a compelling reason to demand that the Presidential candidates articulate their visions for an energy-independent USA. Now, over 30 years later, we also know that there's a compelling environmental reason to get off our oil addiction.

I hope you will think about this major public policy issue. At least one of these three themes must certainly resonate with you:

1. Economics: What does it mean to send a half-trillion of our dollars every year to foreign oil sources? Most of these sources are government-owned national oil companies, some of which are our enemies.

2. Geo-politics: Our interests and prestige are compromised on a regular basis by the complications created by our dependence on foreign oil.

3. Environment: Most agree that global warming is caused, at least in part, by mankind's carbon emissions. If you believe this, getting off of imported oil is the single most effective thing we can do to help reverse the trend in global warming.

Despite this serious reality, I am a firm believer that innovation and free enterprise will solve this issue. But, we need those who develop public policy to make this a priority. Keep this in mind as you decide who to vote for this November.