Energy Independence

Don't Give Up on Energy Independence

By ROBERT MCFARLANE
May 7, 2008; Page A17

This week in Congress, efforts are underway to roll back goals enacted just last year to encourage the development of biofuels. This could damage – perhaps irretrievably – the substantial progress we've made toward relieving the threat posed by our reliance on foreign oil.

Our country is in the midst of a vigorous, healthy argument over whether the apparent appeal of biofuels as a means of reducing our reliance on foreign oil hasn't had the unintended effect of driving an increase in food prices throughout the world. We must base this debate on established facts, and emerge with renewed commitment to measures to relieve a historic threat to our national security.

Let's focus first on what is true in the food-versus-fuel argument. Read More

Energy independence, like a domestic food supply, is vital to our national security. Agriculture has stepped up to provide both. Ultimately, the price of the oil that we are importing has caused the price of food to rise along with most everything else. The US has an incredible supply of untapped oil resources. We shouldn’t be risking the future of this nation on pipelines in the Middle East.