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Happy Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day!
Today is the 38th annual celebration of the planet we call home, and a day to step back and think about things we can do to preserve and restore our natural resources…
So that’s the official line on Earth Day, but I want to know: what do YOU think about Earth Day?
Is it a time to reflect on accomplishments?
A time to call for more action?
Or something in-between?
Send a post, let us know, then go outside and do something good for the planet.
Home > Blogs > Living Green > Archives > 2008 > June > 26 > Entry
John Boehner talks energy with constituents
I spent part of last night listening to a telephone town hall meeting hosted by U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, Ohio congressman and a West Chester Twp. resident.
The topic of conversation was energy: the price of oil, oil imports, nuclear energy and domestic oil drilling all got attention in the Q and A session, and I thought the congressman’s reponses provided insight into both the situation in Washington and his own take on America’s energy crunch.
Officials with Boehner’s officer told me 300 to 350 households phoned in to the conversation. Only a few asked questions; the vast majority listened.
I’m posting some of the questions and answers here, so anyone who didn’t call in to the meeting can have a sense of what went on and what was said.
Take a look, got to Boehner’s web site to learn more about the conversation, then come back here and post a comment with your thoughts.
Robert from West Alexandria: “Why are we being held up for oil in the Middle East and we are sending to these same people hundreds of millions for aid? Why not cut the aid?”
Boehner: “The little amount of aid goes to countries that don’t have the oil.” He went on to note that the U.S. buys 70 percent of its oil overseas at a cost of roughly $600 billion a year.
Sean from Liberty Twp: “It seems like we’ve done nothing to forward nuclear energy.”
Boehner: “We are building some nuclear plants around the country, but it is a very, very long process to permit those.” He said the permitting and siting process should be streamlined. “We can do all the safety checks, can cover the same ground, but we don’t have to open this up for everyone who wants to file a lawsuit and their brother.” Boehner also suggested that reprocessing spent nuclear fuel could extend the life of the nation’s nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain.
Greg in West Milton suggested that lawmakers make oil commodities traders actually take posession of the oil they buy and sell, to make them more involved in the market.
Boehner responded: “There’s been some talk about bringing a bill to the floor to regulate oil markets. I’ve dealt with commodties markets for 18 years. Whether it’s oil, corn or soybeans, you’ve got people who speculate every day, and they bring liquidity to the market and, believe it or not, that keeps prices stable.” He added that he would like to see more transparency in the commodities markets. “And then you can begin to make some rational judgment whether you need to take action or not. “I think we’re likely to take some action in regard to speculators.”
Jerry in Liberty Twp. asked if the U.S. is working on building more oil refineries.
Boehner: “We do not have enough refining capacity in the U.S. because trying to get the permits to build a new refinery through the EPA is a 10- to 20-year process.” He added that he thought it was possible to shorten that timeline without hurting the environment.
Nicole from West Chester Twp: “I wanted to know why they don’t put more emphasis on trying to make solar and or wind and things like that more affordable for the average person? It seems to me they could really use more wind and solar to produce the energy we need.”
Boehner: “There are tax credits in place today that would allow any homeowner (to deduct) part of the cost of any wind or solar equipment.” He added that similar tax credits are available to industrial-scale wind and solar development as well. “But you need to realize that only one-half of one percent of our energy comes from wind and solar. Even if there were dramatic increases in wind and solar, it would not have a dramatic effect on the amount of energy that comes from coal and gas and fuel oil. We have to do all of the above if we’re going to (achieve) energy independence. “While we’re going to have a lot of new sources of energy in the future, a lot of green technologies are 20 years away. I’m optimistic we’ll have alternative sources of energy in the future, but in the meantime we need more sources of energy.”
Paul from Tipp City: “Why are we dragging our feet on drilling offshore? People like Al Gore and environmentalists, they’ve gotta be cut off at the heels; they’ve got be stopped.”
Boehner: “My colleagues across the aisle are good people, but they worship at the altar of radical environmentalism. I’ve been here for 18 years and, frankly, all of these organizations, they want nothing to do with more American made energy - they’ve put us in this box and it’s been going on for several decades. “It’s just time for the facts to come out and, frankly, a lot of my colleagues believe we need to have more American made energy. We’re going to keep fighting each and every day.”
Paul from Tipp City, a self-described conservative: “On our side we’ve kind of skewed all our direction toward larger, more corporate (energy sources), but I don’t understand why we don’t do more on the distributed energy side. I think we’ve lost some ground in the last election cycle because of that.”
Boehner: “I don’t know whether the tax credits we have are sufficient to generate enough interest. I’d think the price we’re paying now for natural gas and the price we’ll be paying for electricity in the future will make those incentives worthwhile. Let me take a look at it and make some determination for what would work and what to do about it.”
Mike from West Chester Twp: “Why don’t we hear more about the impact domestic oil production would have on the trade deficit?”
Boehner noted again the estimated $600 billion the U.S. spends on foreign oil each year. “I’ve gotta tell you; I looked at the trade deficit and I never really thought about it until the last few months, until I started looking at how much oil we import. That would have dramatic impact on the trade deficit; $600 billion would have a huge impact. Think of jobs that could be created by $600 billion.”
Sue from Celina “I don’t agreee with more drilling. all we’re doing then is creating further problems with the environment and something our children have to inherit.”
Boehner: “I understand some people think increasing production isn’t the right thing to do…If I thought we had other sources of enrgy to fill the vacuum until (green energy technologies) come onboard, I could probably agree with you. “I just think for the long-term good of the country, we need take serious steps tward enrgy independence.”
Ron from Butler County “This heating oil has gotten very expensive. It’s going to be a hard winter for somebody who’s got a big house. I’m worried about people in these big homes - it’s going to be life or death for some people.”
Boehner: “It’s going to be a tough winter for people who use natural gas and oil. “I’m concerned about this phenomenon we’re going to see this winter as well.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: environment and politics
Comments
By fedup
June 27, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this
To all the politicians in DC I would like to say:too little too late.When you chumps were arguing about trivial crap Americans were sinking in real issues that you idiots refused to address now they are all critical issues way to go you pompus jerks.I say we vote out all incumbents period some of these people have had thier job too long and I think it clouds thier thinking.Through all of this I can only look back at one president that every one considered the worse ever to hold the office(until GWB came along)Jimmy Carter was deemed horrible but if his energy plan was left in place we would not be feeling the crunches as we do now.Go figure