Energy for the future is a complex problem

For the short term, I favor regulation in the commodes market to prevent the abuse of the London Loopholes and the Enron Loopholes. These caused the speculation because there was no real risk to bidding up the prices om the futures market and that led to high gas prices that only subsided with Chinese rationing for the Olympics. The Olympics will soon be over and so 1.4 billion consumers will be back in the demand for petroleum. So short term fixes are not likely and get ready to pay more at the pump and soon.

Additional drilling will take 7-10 years, but many wells in the US have been capped off the last 25 years.There are 10,000 capped American wells mostly on federal land that should either be in production or exploration. I favor use it or lose it legislation that will tell us if there is oil there, like I suspect there is. We must end foreign dependence on petroleum. Petroleum is really too valuable to burn up. Oil is a major plastic source and primary source for other by products that cannot be easily replaced from other avenues and for less cost.

For the long term, we need to explore all options and have a real energy policy that emphasizes conservation, alternative fuel, and energy independence. There is real promise in bio mass options such as switch grass & blue-green algae. These are are better US solutions than Brazilian sugar cane. Bio mass can be produced cheaper than petroleum and use the entire plant for production. Corn ethanol has shown to be not an efficient solution and has raise food prices dramatically, so it should be phased out as fuel.

Wind, solar, and geothermal are especially suited for large scale fuel sources for utility power plants in our state and we need a program such as some European countries do that pay the consumer more for excess power put back into the system than the rate charged for consumption. This has worked especially well in Germany.

Natural gas is a far cleaner burning fuel for hydrogen cars, but gas extraction can produce millions of gallons of waste water and endanger our underground aquifers and that could make clean water dangerously low in Texas. Hydrogen extraction from water itself is a much better solution, but not yet refined.

Also just the simple act of changing our light bulbs to more energy efficient types will pay big dividends in less power plan consumption. It can be the equivalent to taking millions of cars off the road worldwide.

All options need to be looked at. We need to commit to the goal of a true national bipartisan consensus to achieve real results not temporary changes that are ineffective. It is time to have real cooperation, not slogans on energy. We must also redefine the engines of our cars to insure greater conservation and explore new ways of mass transit to offer alternatives and solutions to end the energy crisis once and for all.

Tom

Tom Love Democratic Candidate for US Congress TX 24
www.TomLoveforTexas.com Ph#972-263-5630
Office Address:132 E Main St, Ste 110, Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Mailing Address:PO Box 7231,Arlington, TX 76005-7231


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Jacqueline Carter wrote:

Jacqueline Carter
1207 Mackie
Carrollton, TX 75007-4836


August 21, 2008

Tom Love
PO Box 7231
Arlington, TX 76005-7231


Mr. Love:

Too many of our leaders are responding to rising gas prices with short
term fixes to lower the cost of gas rather than with sustainable proposals
that would lead the nation to conserve energy, improve energy efficiency
and increase renewable energy production.

Also, this "clean coal" solution will not work. There is no such thing as
"clean" coal. Wind is a good chunk of the key. It works without pollutting
already over-polluted air.

Green house gas emissions were being reversed until 2001 and now it's
worse than it was before. This is unacceptable.

Sincerely,


Jacqueline Carter