Energy
There is no question that we need a long-term strategy to deal with the intertwined problem of high gas prices, energy consumption and global warming. But there is no quick or easy fix.
Energy markets are global, complex, and vulnerable to excessive speculation, fraud and manipulation. And when you factor in a weak dollar – you wind up with record oil and gas prices that only continue to escalate.
And it’s clear that opening up the coastline of California and the protected areas of the Outer Continental Shelf to new drilling is not the answer. That wouldn’t produce lower gas prices any time in the near future.
Instead, we need a real, long-term strategy to address our nation’s addiction to fossil fuels. We need to make the shift towards renewable energy and invest in clean technology. And we need to get serious about the problem of excessive speculation in our energy futures markets – and protect these critical markets from fraud and manipulation.
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