An observation worth noting … and pondering, from Bill Squadron [offering a reply to the National Journal’s series—by Amy Harder—What’s Ahead in 2013 for Energy, Environment Policy?]
‘One of my favorite lines in the military was “‘hope is not a strategy.’” And we need some strategic thinking where energy is concerned. For 40 years, or more, we've had a lot of policies, but we really haven't had a coherent strategy.’ – General James L. Jones, Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center….
[E]nergy issues may command less attention than other Administration and congressional priorities, a failure to press aggressively for a path to a sound energy future for America would be a major mistake. The key energy issues – security, climate, and economic impact – are becoming increasingly urgent.
In OurEnergyPolicy.org's panel discussion, former Senator Tim Wirth stressed the need for a national conversation and improved public education on energy issues. This approach is critically needed, both to articulate these matters more clearly to the public and to create the grassroots support that will make adoption of a sound energy policy more of a priority in Washington. As General Jones indicated, we continue to delay embracing a coherent national energy policy at our peril.
The suggestions require a commitment from the American public to pay just a bit more attention to our energy challenges. [Duly noted we all have plates full to overflow as it is.]
The much-better financed cheerleaders for the fossil fuel industry do a hell of a job and a terrible disservice to the public by the repeated playbook assertions about massive this and that resource and technology yadda yadda yadda. What they don’t tell you are the unpleasant details about the actual production efforts other than the preferred cherry-picked statements conveying the [false] impression that all is well and we have nothing to worry about. “Fossil fuels … to Infinity!” Nice message, lots of BS built-in [recent production increases notwithstanding.]
I and others point out those annoying facts which matter so much more than statements about our “abundant resources” and potentials for this or that. What matters are the energy and financial investments needed to extract the harder-to-access-and-produce reserves not serving as the (temporary) driving force behind our recent production increases. High prices are good for the industry but not so much for us. The rate of production and the decline rates from fracking also require much more attention than the industry offers.
That’s just for starters, but since few of those details portray as sunny a picture as “abundance” they tend to get edited out of the narrative.
Hope is not a strategy. Misleading propositions offered to a public already overburdened and completely disinclined to add energy woes to their list of concerns is a strategy. It’s not a good one if honor and integrity count for anything, but it does serve a select few quite well. The second side of the story these cheerleaders tell is the one that matters most, because that story provides the public with the information needed to begin addressing the challenges ahead.
A major part of that effort requires a national energy policy dealing with the facts and the truths—however unpleasant they may be. We all have a part to play. Relying on Happy Talk from those with vested interests in keeping the full set of production and supply facts from the public is no longer an option, if it ever was.
Choices. Opportunities.
Adapted from a blog post of mine
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