August 11, 2008 09:37 pm How ironic is it that the national figure promoting the most sensible, comprehensive energy policy for the country is a 27-year-old hotel heiress whose main claim to fame is that she is famous? As more than one national pundit has observed, Paris Hilton, in a spoof candidacy spun from ads run by Republican presidential candidate John McCain, is the only one who is not focusing on only one or two of the wide variety of ways to address the world spike in energy demand that has pushed oil and gas prices to record levels — drilling, conservation, biofuels, other alternative sources, inflating tires and tuning up cars. Why not do them all, she says. Indeed, why not? Why can't McCain and Democrat Barack Obama stop reciting bumper-sticker slogans and apply some common sense to a problem that is crying out for common-sense leadership? Of course we can't "drill our way" out of this problem, as Obama is fond of saying while mocking McCain. Drilling will not supply all of the nation's long-term energy needs with the domestic production of oil and natural gas. But drilling can help — a lot — to address prices in the short term. Indeed, the mere announcement by President Bush that he would lift the ban on offshore drilling was enough to calm supply jitters and send speculation on oil prices in a welcome spiral downward. Nor will we come close to solving our problem with better-inflated tires and tuned-up engines, as McCain is fond of saying while mocking Obama. But if a majority of motorists did so, and it cut consumption by even 1 percent or 2 percent, that is significant — and ought to be a part of any energy plan. Who knows how long the modest decrease in oil prices will last? Who knows exactly how long untapped domestic supplies will last? But Democrats should stop the silly demonization of oil companies. They, of all people, should know that government takes more "profit" from a barrel of oil than ExxonMobil does. They should know that if they "punish" those companies by confiscating whatever portion of those profits they consider to be a "windfall," that they will really be just punishing consumers, since that new cost of doing business will simply be added to the price of the product. Democrats and Republicans ought to be able to agree that this nation needs to do everything in its power to increase supply and to cut demand. It is not either/or. It is, or it ought to be, both. Drill for oil and natural gas. Build wind turbines. Buy tire pressure gauges and use them. Get your car tuned up. Promote and develop solar technology. Develop alternative fuels. This country has almost unlimited amounts of entrepreneurial energy. So far, too much of that remains untapped as well.
—
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.