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As a Christian who believes strongly in good stewardship, permit me to humbly outline an energy policy for the United States:
1. Despite everything we hear to the contrary, drilling for oil must be a part of a responsible energy policy. It is absurd to argue that “we cannot drill ourselves out of this crisis” (as argued by Nancy Pelosi and others). The United States is a carbon-based energy society. We cannot end this dependence overnight. As I have argued on previous programs, our technology and our opportunities make drilling for more oil and natural gas an imperative. We can accomplish this and not destroy our pristine ANWR or continental shelf environments.
2. We must dramatically increase research and development on low-carbon energy (e.g., solar panels and second-generation biofuels). Bjorn Lomborg has written, “Even if every nation spent 0.05 percent of its gross domestic product on research and development of low-carbon energy, this would be only about one-tenth as costly as the Kyoto Protocol and would save dramatically more than any of Kyoto’s likely successors.”
3. Heavily invest in the research and development of other types of energy—wind, solar, etc.—with specific goals for the amount each could produce over the next 20 years. The creative, innovative energy of this nation must again be harnessed to produce the energy sources we need to continue to grow as a nation.
4. The US has one of the largest deposits of coal on earth. Efficient and low-carbon-emission use of coal as an energy source must be developed. Research and development monies must be targeted to develop such a use. It is ludicrous to not see coal as a strategic part of our future.
Amazingly, this nation has a huge vacuum of leadership when it comes to a meaningful energy policy. I have so argued on previous programs of Issues in Perspective. I believe that God expects us to be responsible stewards of His world. And, because we have dominion status over His world, it is proper for us to use the resources of His world as a source of energy. We can use oil, natural gas, coal, wind, the sun, etc. as sources for our energy needs—and we can do so without destroying the environment. Instead of ridiculous political infighting and unrealistic political goals (e.g., the Kyoto Protocols), we need decisive leadership that crafts a set of realistic goals tied to each energy source and then fund the R&D to get the job done. May God in his mercy give us such leaders.
See Lomborg’s most recent essay in the Washington Post (26 June 2008). |
