Bush Suddenly Discovers Renewable Energy - Denver Post

[hatrack]

EDIT

In preparation for his State of the Union speech last month, the president suddenly found religion about renewable energy and efficiency. Tomorrow, he will visit the National Renewable Energy Laboratories in Golden.

For five years, the Bush administration has fought or ignored almost every effort to develop renewable fuel sources or support energy conservation. Indeed, the administration hasn't been NREL's friend or protector, but let today be the first step on an important journey together.

Energy use ties directly to our era's most pressing global and domestic issues, from national security to economic prosperity to environmental worry. For years, the administration's primary answer to the dilemma has been to ramp up domestic oil and gas drilling, but we cannot drill our way out of the problem. Look at the math: The United States has roughly 2 percent of the world's oil reserves and 5 percent of Earth's population, but consumes about 25 percent of global oil production. And now we see China and India, with such large populations, becoming more industrialized and creating a seller's market in the volatile Middle East oil fields.

Since Bush took office, NREL's funding has dropped from $214 million in 2004 to $201 million last year. When critics complained that Bush's 2007 budget would cut the labs to just $162 million, his aides countered that other programs would add back in some $15 million. But that still leaves NREL short of where it was last year and every year since 2001. Even as the president tours the lab tomorrow, the funding cutback is forcing the lab to lay off dozens of workers. Talented scientists and engineers will leave for steady work elsewhere, and important research projects will just sit on the shelf.

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http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3526966

[yourout]

1. This was a huge open door the Dems should have ran through.

They should have been screaming at the top of their lungs for the last several years
about a "Apollo Like" program to replace a good chunk of our energy dependance.

Now Bush who really could give a shit about it will pay lip service to it while not
giving a dime to development and steal what should have been a Dem issue.

[slor]

2. I went to several Kerry/Edward speeches...

they did say it, even supported the Apollo Alliance. The media chose to ignore it.