The DoE: Failure

Oil and Natural Gas Resources in Alaska  Too me this is just more evidence of the Administration’s efforts to serve oil and big business interests at the expense of the American people, our ecology, the oceans, and the world. The Department of Energy shouldn’t be encouraging the use of oil and petrochemical fuels by destroying our nature preserves, lands, and waters. The DoE should be demanding the use of alternate energy sources and fuels: wind, hydrogen, nuclear, photo-voltaic, et. al., to meet the nation’s energy needs as well as work with other agencies to encourage or demand the development of usable mass transit systems, car pooling, mandating significant improvements in automobile fuel efficiency, mandating alternative energy generation (such as noted here and here) and/or management in new building and housing construction (such as this technology), and even encouraging walking/cycling to work or school (which can do wonders for the nation’s lack of exercise and obesity rates) as just a few examples. Drilling for more oil does not eliminate the simple fact that there is only a finite amount of oil on the planet. Period. It’s better to deal with the issue now in a reasonable and informed manner, then ignore it until it becomes too much of a problem to overcome without serious geopolitical, social, and environmental repercussions for all.