In an really interesting article in this weekend's New York Times, Elisabeth Rosenthal takes issue with the idea that the United States needs to be dependent fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. In fact, we could probably transition quite successfully to clean, renewable forms of energy like solar and wind power if there was the collective political will to do so.
Right now, the United States is falling behind the rest of the developed work in the development of renewal forms of energy. This keeps us hostage to Big Oil and to the petty dictators in the Middle East who control much of the world oil supplies. As Rosenthal points out, it doesn't have to be this way.
If we were as committed to funding research in renewable energy as we are funding research on new weapon systems for the Pentagon, we could be completely energy independent by mid-century.
A missed opportunity, for sure!
