A CALL FOR AN ENERGY REVOLUTION
America is standing on a precipice. Gas prices are rising, the
environment is deteriorating, and Congressmen and women taking
to long to respond. To solve this complex crisis we must first
understand that our energy dilemma is intertwined with our need
to address climate change and the loss of jobs that support
Virginia's families. It is critical that we view our energy
needs in the light of how future demand threatens our national
security. We have lost more than 3 million manufacturing jobs
over the past ten years while simultaneously undermining our
national security by our continued dependence on petroleum. But
there is also opportunity in this turmoil, the solutions to that
energy crisis can stimulate Virginia's economy while going a
long way to solve our environmental challenges.
Facing this crisis demands a commitment on the scale of
President Kennedy's Apollo Project. I call on Americans to rally
around a national effort to meet the three-pronged
environmental, security, and employment problems we face. I
propose a solution propelled by both immediate and long-term
incentives. We can and must
make our energy production independent and responsible.
During this campaign I will not only speak about my vision of
how to start an energy revolution but I will propose policies
that bring our energy production home to Virginia while creating
jobs that simply can't be outsourced.
Our
energy crisis intersects with four policy areas:
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National security
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Infrastructure
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Climate change
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Job creation
The US spends
more than $33 million per hour on foreign oil up from $13
million per hour four years ago. That dependence influences our
energy policies and subsequently nearly every sector of Federal
decision making. The strength of our economy relies on the
availability and cost of energy and therefore it is critical our
energy policy not depend on what is happening in the Persian
Gulf. Thus, we must develop a forward-looking energy portfolio
that frees us from the need to depend on unstable governments
and the whims of the market. Demand for more domestic
exploration solves neither long-term nor short-term problems.
Calls for opening offshore leasing to oil companies, for
instance, ignore the fact oil and natural gas companies already
lease 68 million acres of federal lands on which they are not
drilling.
For the
long-term, however, we must reduce our dependence on oil
altogether. We must demand “Zero Gas by 2050.” To reach that
goal, we must invest in alternative energy sources and energy
efficiency. We must commit to a smart energy policy that will
also serve as a sound economic policy, creating tremendous
opportunity for America. A revolution for clean energy will
create the jobs of the future while providing energy
independence and climate protection.
When
elected to Congress I will:
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Support
incentives that will
make our automobile industry more competitive in hybrid
technology and production.
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Support research
and development:
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Of cellulosic
ethanol which is more efficient to produce than
corn-based ethanol;
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Of hydrogen fuel
cells so that we may end our dependence on foreign oil;
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Of wind, solar
and tidal based sources of power generation.
-
Support the
purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles
for government use and
offering
incentives for public transportation to purchase fuel
efficient vehicles.
-
Re-appropriate
incentives given to
the oil industry to help develop the industries focused on
renewable forms of energy.
-
Invest in alternative energies
so that America can grow 3
million new “green collar” jobs.
-
Invest in bringing our rail systems into the 21st
century
so we can reduce our fuel
consumption while better connecting our nation.
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