The issue of our time

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By Jonathan Specht

Whatever you think of President Obama's surprising Nobel Peace Prize, one thing is certain: It caused a great deal of debate about how his presidential success will be measured. Obama arguably faces a wider set of challenges than any president since FDR: Iraq, Afghanistan and the economy, to name just three. Yet whatever his success in the areas, his presidency may be viewed as a failure if it fails to make significant change on the most crucial issue of our time: how we obtain and use energy.

Whether we know it or not, virtually every facet of daily life in the United States is dependent upon oil. Not only our cars but also our computers, clothing, food and just about anything else you can think of is either made with or transported by fossil fuels.

Although no one knows how much oil is left, it is certain that it is a finite resource. Thanks to the growth of the middle class in countries like China, competition for what oil remains is likely to be fierce in coming decades. If we don't make major changes now, peak oil [the point at which half of all oil has been used] will be cataclysmic.

President Obama has already shown more leadership on this issue than any president since the otherwise inept Jimmy Carter, but he still has a long ways to go. Energy independence will require far more than building hybrid cars and slapping down a few solar panels or wind turbines. It will require a fundamental restructuring of where we live, what we eat and where we shop.

Not all of these decisions can, or should, be made at the presidential level. To bring energy independence, Obama will need to confront powerful interests. Instead of asking Americans to buy more cars, Obama should be asking us to drive less. Instead of propping up mortgages in far-flung Las Vegas suburbs, Obama should be asking whether it makes sense to have mega - cities in the desert.

Obama showed leadership by being the only Democratic primary candidate in 2008 to call for new nuclear power plants, but he needs to stand up to the left and follow through on this issue.

Obama has, at least, made great strides on the issue of high speed rail. I'll leave you with this thought: According to Christopher Steiner, the author of "$20 Per Gallon," when the price of gas reaches $6 per gallon, every airline in the United States other than Southwest and Jet Blue will go bankrupt. When you consider that prices reached $4 a gallon last year, the urgency of building a high speed rail network in the United States should be apparent to anyone who likes traveling outside of his or her home city.

Originally Published: Issue 820 - October 21, 2009

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