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Could the new "Energy Team" in Washington mean real energy policy for America for the first time in over 30 years? This "Green Dream Team" will need to be truly outstanding to confront the tasks at hand and to face probable resistance from industry and Congress.
According to news reports, Carol Browner is slated to be senior White House adviser to coordinate energy and environmental policy, while Steven Chu will be energy secretary, and Lisa Jackson will be the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
If it is to survive as a sovereign nation, America must invest in next-generation, green-transformative technologies. But it won't be easy, as Congress just gave away literally trillions in bailout money to failing banks, Wall Street and credit card businesses that don't deserve it. These companies only had to fill out a two-and-a-half page application to receive these funds, and we seem to have no oversight for how and where that taxpayer money is being spent. Compare this funny business with the Big 3 U.S. automakers getting the third degree, with a much larger application and several Congressional hearings grilling them on specifics - and rightfully so, but it's for a fraction of the money and many more jobs at stake! In the past several presidential campaigns, credit card companies have been the leading financial contributors - what can you imagine they're getting in return?
Some of that massive amount of taxpayer money handed over to the banks, etc., would have been better spent on an energy transformation geared towards independence from foreign oil, such as the Pickens Plan. Right now, Americans need new jobs as well, and with his new energy plan President-Elect Obama has promised "5 Million new Green Jobs...that cannot be outsourced." Maybe that will help Americans recover from the Big Three auto bailout pickle. In reality, Americans should not bail out the car companies just to keep those same businesses and jobs that are part of the problematic past, when in fact we need new business models and next-generation technology that is part of the future instead.
The Big 3 U.S. auto manufacturers are considering an all-electric vehicle, but they also need to consider a selection of diesel-hybrid plug-ins too, geared towards an algae-based biofuel, which eliminates the food vs. fuel concerns. And the average diesel engine is 35% more efficient than a gasoline engine!
America has many other energy concerns as well - we need a new next-generation electrical grid. Experts say that the U.S. electric grid is obsolete, which some claim will hinder the Pickens Plan. I disagree, as solar panels and wind turbines could be a wise option for many areas, as would algae and hemp biofuel.
In any event, America needs a new energy plan based on alternative fuels, and let's hope this "Green Energy Dream Team" will deliver at last.
Sources:
Mr. Obama’s Green Team
Obama to Introduce Energy Team
US electric grid is obsolete, say experts
Algae: The Biofuel Revolution
Revenge of the Electric Car
Campaign Contributions from Credit Card Companies
