12 Steps To Breaking Oil Dependence
While President Bush admitted that the United States is addicted to oil, he offered few real remedies. To address this gap, Michael Brune of the Rainforest Action Network offers a '12-Step' energy program for America.
"Our president almost came clean in his State of the Union speech last week when he finally admitted that "America is addicted to oil." That addiction threatens our national security, our environmental health and our way of life. It is true that our leaders are exhibiting the classic signs of an addiction denial, aggression, avoidance, blaming others and as a country we are falling far short of reaching our full potential."
"America's stubborn dependence on oil erodes our bedrock values. For it, we will go to war, support unstable and undemocratic regimes, destabilize our climate, decimate our forests and parks, threaten the health of our children, and weaken our economy."
"The president admitted to a national problem, but stopped well short of committing our country to a full recovery program. We already have the technology. What we desperately need is the courage to act now. It is time for nothing short of a national intervention, and a 12-step program to break America's oil addiction. Here's how."
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12 Steps to Breaking Oil Dependence
Why is it during the President's State of the Union address and in most of the subsequent commentaries (including this one)following the SOU,that we see virtually no mention of our railroads? We are facing a both and energy and mobility crisis and the leader of the free world (again) misses a key moment.
Moving people by rail is well-established as the most energy and emission efficient mode we have available to us. Yet Washington has done nothing to establish a truly intermodal transportation policy that would balance our transportation system by redeveloping our rail infrastructure and expand the capacity to move ourselves and the things we need for our daily lives.
26 states, including Ohio are even now developing or implementing plans for regional high-speed rail systems. But these plans will never reach their full potential without a strong federal role in funding them. But yet the new Bush budget offers billions for highways and aviation. There's no question we need good highways and safe, efficient aviation systems. But to build these without putting the same effort and funding into rail leaves us with a transportation system that is unstable and vulnerable as a two-legged stool.
Stu Nicholson
Public Information Offcier
Ohio Rail Development Commission