Black Gold

The US needs a broad-based plan to reduce reliance on foreign sources of oil. Other than Canada, the US must not be held hostage by our energy needs and the whims of OPEC. America uses approximately 20 million barrels of oil a day. 8 million barrels of these are produced domestically; which means that we import 12 million barrels a day.

First, we must do better with our energy use. We need to conserve, and produce more efficient vehicles. I support hybrid technology and encourage all consumers to consider one of these newer cars that get 50mpg or even more. This nation must also consider more mass transit funding.

The second thing we must do is develop alternative energy sources. We must take advantage of the sun and wind. New developments must be built to include solar panels. And tax credits used to encourage people to install solar panels on existing homes. We must also use the power of the wind where we can, and tap windmills into the power grid. In addition, we must build more nuclear power plants, as France and China are doing. This would also allow us to produce hydrogen for a new fleet of vehicles.

The third thing, is that we must develop more domestic sources of energy. This means environmentally responsible drilling for oil in ANWR or anywhere else that we can. This is only a temporary measure to reduce our reliance on OPEC and until we can achieve a more modern energy program.

The US imports 12 million barrels of oil a day. This nation must make responsible steps to reduce our dependance on foriegn sources of oil. It requires a broad-based plan and everyone must take responsibility and be part of the solution.