Thursday, June 19, 2008

Time to drill in Alaska? Time for nuclear?

We progressives I believe share two main ideals about energy policy: that we should personally stop doing the things that use too much energy (like driving SUVs), and we should look for friendly energy sources such as sun, wind, and water.

Our approach admittedly has weaknesses. On the former matter, we tend to want to impose our restrictions on others, such as the bone-headed zero-population notion, and in so doing, violate our own love of freedom. We also lose our appeal to moderates that way.

On the latter point, we just haven't found efficient ways to provide all of our remaining needs for energy. It makes us cringe to think of interrupting the pristine Alaskan wilderness, especially after the Valdez, or of creating new nuclear waste sites. But I think McCain has us cornered on this one. We really don't have better alternatives at $4 a gallon.

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