Energy Policy and Our Son

I had written an Op/Ed a few years ago about how Bush had squandered America's galvanized collective resolve to do anything to combat terrorism post-9/11, when he failed to at least encourage Americans to do what they could to ween this country off Middle Eastern oil. Unfortunately, post-9/11, it was also almost impossible to get anything published in mainstream media that hinted at criticism of a Bush policy.

This Op/Ed in the NYT today brought it all rushing back to me.

You're thinking to yourself, "Hey, I came here to read about an innocent little baby and how he is interfering with your lives and I have to read a rant about energy policy?!" Well, my answer to you is that this is about how our innocent little baby is transforming our lives. Energy policy is now even more meaningful to me because it's going to affect my son's life in an enormous way. Is he going to live in a world powered by dirty fuels that pollute his little body while moving it inefficiently to and from daycare? Will he, like his daddy, one day be sending his money to countries that do not approve of his race, religion, and country of origin? Or might he look forward to a little sun and solar in his life?

My friend Steve flew into town a few days ago from Toronto. He was struck by just how environmentally unfriendly "progressive" California is. For example, he couldn't believe that there are no solar panels on the roofs here. He was in Israel last month, where all new construction must include solar. And I remember back in 1979, when I was living in Jerusalem, almost every building had solar panels - in 1979!

But not here in sunny Southern California in 2008. The US government's policy has been to keep dirty fuel prices low enough so as to undermine whatever chance we have at establishing a renewable energy industry of any scale. That may have been the easy choice over the past few decades but, post-9/11, it's criminal for a leader to be pushing for ways to keep our world dependent on oil when there are alternatives that can be implemented and encouraged.

Ultimately, in spite of US energy policy, these industries will become more established. Unfortunately, it is going to take decades longer than necessary and the push is likely going to have to come from countries other than this one.