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AMERICA NEEDS TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT IN ENERGY.
America has the ability to be self sufficient
in energy. Unfortunately, special interest groups
have restricted access to resources and limited
our ability to produce our own supplies. Restricting
access to energy hurts the economy, drives up
prices, and is often more harmful to the environment
than helpful.
Congress should:
A.
Fast track nuclear power production. France
generates 80% of its electricity from nuclear
power. China currently has 11 nuclear plants
online, 22 expected to be done by the end of
2010, and 132 more planned. The potential for
death and injuries is far greater in coal, oil,
gas, and other forms of energy production than
from nuclear power plants. It appears that the
United States is the only major nation that
suffers paranoia over access to nuclear power.
Nuclear power is cheap, does not pollute, releases
no carbon dioxide, and is more environmental
friendly than any other form of energy production.
B. Authorize the increase in
domestic drilling. The Department of the Interior
estimates there are 19 billion barrels of oil
in currently restricted areas. This amount is
equivalent to 30 years of imports from Saudi
Arabia. America's single greatest concentrations
of untapped oil, an estimated 10 billion barrels,
can be accessed from only a few of Alaska's
19.6 million acres in ANWR. Advances in technology
have greatly reduced, and nearly eliminated,
the risk of spills.
C. Authorize an increase in research
for the production and development of oil shale
where there is the potential of hundreds of
billions of barrels of fuel.
- Ed Dedelow
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