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An action plan for energy security and leading in a changing world
These positions on gas prices, energy security, health care, immigration, Iraq, climate change and education reflect the culmination of Rep. Bob Inglis’s fact-finding tours in the district and his thoughts as ranking member of the Science Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
These action points allow the people of the Fourth District to see where Rep. Inglis stands on the issues and to add their comments.
The rapid rise of gas and fuel prices is hitting working families hard. Unfortunately, a quick fix is unlikely, because while we may get some temporary relief, global demand trends show that the price is likely to continue to trend up.
America does have solutions. We can break our addiction to oil and:
It’s not going to be easy. We have relied on drilling more holes and finding more fossil fuels since the 1973 Arab oil embargo. It is now time to exercise American creativity.
This can mean some pain as price increases bring forward market alternatives. But we can win in the innovation competition and it can be amazingly profitable.
1). More energy
A. Extend renewable energy production tax credit
B. Build more nuclear power plants
C. Continue to develop and deploy solar energy
D. Develop clean coal technologies
2). Reinvent the car
A. Conserve fuel with higher fuel economy standards. Low rolling resistance tires can improve fuel economy by 1.5% to 4.5%.
B. Use clean diesel.
C. Expand tax incentives for gas-electric hybrids.
Note several Inglis votes below...
D. Create incentives for plug-in hybrids.
E. Develop cellulosic ethanol to move beyond the competition between fuel and food (as with corn-based ethanol).
F. Make the same kind of commitment that President Kennedy made with the moon shot. Within a decade, commitment to:
3. More oil and gas
A. Drill for oil and gas offshore in a safe and environmentally responsible way.
B. Build more refining capacity.
C. Preserve some sources of oil for future use. Many high value products, such as pharmaceuticals and plastics, are made from petroleum. Hold on to America’s scarce reserves for when oil is really hard to find rather than burning up reserves in special places like ANWR.
4. Buildings use 40% of the energy we consume.
A. Better insulation
B. Better building design
5. Quick, easy and WRONG solutions
There are solutions -- just no quick and easy, painless solutions. Here are examples of quick, easy and wrong solutions:
Note several Inglis votes below...
High food prices are linked with high fuel prices. Expensive fuel to transport and harvest food increases the cost of food on the shelf. Increasing refining capacity in the near-term and moving to fuels of the future in the mid-term and long-term will help farmers lower fuel and fertilizer costs. Cellulosic ethanol from switch grass and wood chips will make corn and other grains more available and more affordable as food. We should end the competition between fuel and food.
Solving the problem of illegal immigration is one of the most straightforward challenges we face. We must:
Science Committee trips to Antarctica have convinced me that climate change is real, that humans are contributing to the problem and that we need to take action.
Rather than the end of the world, climate change gives America many opportunities to innovate:
America ’s volunteers in the military have won three campaigns in Iraq.
Phase 1. We overran Iraq in response to an American national security threat. We won.Iraq must now decide if it wants freedom. Our fallen heroes have died for the people of America and only incidentally for the people of Iraq. American national security is our objective in Iraq, not nation building. Because it’s in our national security interest, we seek to be a supporter of their democracy; we must not make the mistake of becoming a guarantor of their democracy.
Freedom isn’t free. Iraqis must pay for it.
Iraqi politicians and the Iraqi people must be held accountable for progress toward reconciliation goals. It’s not time to withdraw, but it is time to establish a series of success checkpoints to measure progress on dividing the oil fairly among Shia, Sunnis and Kurds; on reintegrating former Baath Party members into positions of public trust; and on amending the constitution to ensure Sunni rights. Those success checkpoints should be accompanied by a progression of larger to smaller “carrots” (rewards) followed by smaller to larger “sticks” (consequences).
Affording quality health care is America’s most complex challenge. We should:
1.) Make prevention especially affordable and readily available.
2.) Get every American covered by health insurance
3.) Use technology to improve efficiencies and outcomes
4). Understand the competitive disadvantage we’re causing American industry
5). Meet the patient at the need
1. The federal government should:
A. Inspire achievement. We’re committing our children to a race with the rest of the world in which they will have to run harder, faster and smarter in order to stay ahead.
— Gas prices and 9/11 are this generation’s Sputnik challenge.
— Creative, prepared young people win for us the flexibility required in a global economy.B. Provide a robust system of student aid so as to allow students to go to colleges throughout the U.S.
2. Local decision makers (parents, teachers, school districts) should manage education.
A. Parents, not government, are the most important ingredient; our system should keep decisions about education as close as possible to parents.
B. No Child Left Behind imposed accountability (right concept) at the wrong level of government (federal government) and should be repealed.
Several Inglis votes on Education...
Has anyone considered eliminating the federal fuel tax on bio fuels. Therefore providing financial incentive to use ethanol and bio diesel in the form of a tax cut, and thus making these products cheaper at the pump. Also, have you considered eliminating farm subsidies that keep the prices of American agricultural products high?
I can handle finding new cleaner energy, but we need to use oil also, our oil, not from the Middle East. There is a lot of evidence that climate change is not caused by us, but is a cyclical event that has been around since the beginning of time. I also think that we should build more nuclear plants and more clean coal plants. I am afraid that you have fallen for the biggest hoax that America has ever known when it comes to climate change. Please investigate the new evidence that is out there.
I am impressed with your position and support in building a clean energy future that will finally end our country’s addiction to carbon-based fuels! As you know, Senator DeMint and Senator Graham are voting to allow offshore oil drilling along the Carolina and Florida coasts as well as provide only limited funding for clean alternative energy sources.
I contacted their offices requesting they explain their positions further as well as pointing out that repowering America with 100% clean electricity will boost the economy, improve national security and reduce global pollution. I am interested in finding out how I can help support this issue as well as various medical reform issues.
For a preferred energy plan...1.) Encourage energy conservation. 2.) Eliminate subsidies for edible (corn, etc.) based ethanol. 3.) Emphasize production and conversion of plug-in hybrid (electric/natural gas or propane) vehicles. 4.) Convert existing coal fired plants to clean technology and provide incentives for new clean coal fired plants. 5.) Provide incentives for Generation IV (very low risk of core damage) reactors and prohibit licensing pre-Generation IV reactors. 6.) Continue incentives for renewable energy source development, production and utilization.
What about the national debt? How can we start to reduce the debt and still run the country? How can we get rid of the Federal Reserve System? JFK signed an executive order about Federal Reserve not being able to collect interest on money borrowed? Why is this executive order not being upheld?
Stuart Howlett (1/21/09)
No More Drilling! Don't drill offshore! Clean energy only, even if its nuclear. Credits or subsidies for solar panels on homes and businesses. I'd put them on my roof if I could afford it. Let Greenville lead the way to the future.