When President George Bush calls to repeal a 27 year-old ban on oil exploration in coastal waters surrounding the US, both law-makers and the American public need to take one step back and benefit from an oft’ forgotten virtue, perspective.
With words like “green” and “sustainable” diffusing their way into our daily conversations, habits, and outlook, it is important to understand the implications of our evolving energy landscape. The price of a barrel of sweet crude oil has more than doubled over the 52-week period, punching through $130 without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, the renewable energy industry has proven to be the dark horse, establishing itself in the pack with steady progress fueled by economies of scale, tax incentives, and increased operating costs for its competitors.
Although the petroleum and renewable energy industries sometimes appear as sharp rivals, we forget that they are in fact members of the same team, our nation’s energy portfolio. Diversification is one of the first lessons in investing. Shifting focus to any one member of the team weakens the unit as a whole. This applies to Congress neglecting to renew the tax incentives that have helped facilitate an increase of over 300% in the electricity generated by wind in the United States during the past 5 years.
Perspective: Offshore wind development faces opposition by oil-backed alliances, and President Bush wants to go sniffing around the bottom of the ocean looking for a fleeting, finite resource. Construction of offshore wind farms poses minor and temporary disturbance to the marine environment while offshore drilling continually exposes the same environment to a steady stream of hydrocarbons from drilling “mud” and cuttings, not to mention the threat of oil spills. Has anyone ever heard of a wind spill?
When peak oil is reality and renewable energy an opportunity, what stand does the United States want to take? Do we subjugate ourselves to the bottom of the sea and bury our heads in the sand? Or do we raise our heads, our standards, and our wind turbines high, welcoming the birth of a new era where social and environmental responsibility sets the tone for a sustainable, profitable future?
The windmill was introduced in this country by pioneers harnessing the power of the earth to pump water, grind grains, and perform other mechanical tasks. We now embrace that utilitarian implement and our pastoral image of days past. Let’s allow future generations to look to the wind turbine with the same sense of triumph and modern aesthetic that represented a turning point in man’s stewardship of the earth.
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, stated, “We cannot drill our way to energy independence.” Wise words are being spoken in Congress. Let’s encourage our leaders to listen.
