Energy and Security
Energy is a national security issue, argues author David Goldwyn in his new book, Energy and Security: Toward a New Foreign Policy Strategy. As long as the U.S. remains “addicted to oil,” securing access to petroleum will drive our foreign policy.
At a lecture at University California Berkeley in March, Goldwyn declared President Bush’s energy policy, unveiled at his State of the Union address in January, 2006, “snake oil” because his four part plan does nothing to wean the nation from its addiction.
Goldwyn, who served as the assistant secretary of energy in the Clinton Administration, reminded the audience that oil is used primarily for transportation. While electricity can be generated from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, petroleum will remain the fuel of choice for transportation over the short term. This fact makes it imperative to reduce our demand for oil by improving fuel efficiency. He offered alternatives to Bush’s that would address our addition to oil.
- Focus on technology that is ready for deployment, rather than research and development. He points out that European cars average 40 miles per gallon versus 23 mpg in the U.S.
- Increase the fuel efficiency standards and close the SUV loophole.
- Impose a $1 per gallon tax on gas to provide a financial incentive to consumers. As an added benefit, this revenue could be invested in public transit and energy efficiency.