Obama’s speech touches on several of the important energy issues that we have discussed in light of responding to climate change. However, he is framing his changes in energy policy in terms of immediate political security, and not the long term environmental security that many concerned about climate change would be hoping to hear.
The immediate response to reading any coverage of the speech from an environmental advocate is extreme disappointment at the limited commitments the administration is taking. Before reading the speech, I had seen a number of news articles with headlines concerning Obama cutting foreign oil by 1/3 in 15 years. My immediate reaction was that this commitment is very underwhelming. While it may seem like a practical commitment in the light of recent concerns over foreign oil and looking at the reality of America’s addiction, this is not what is needed with the environmental concerns of climate change looming or already affecting us. From a security perspective, Obama is quite right that the United States should cut down on foreign oil, but this commitment must come along side overall oil consumption cuts.
Despite this less than encouraging start, it is refreshing that Obama does realize the reality of the situation ahead. He discusses the rising consumption of countries like China and India meaning that there is not going to be long-term declines in the price of oil. Similarly, he acknowledges there will be no quick fixes to the current energy situation.
Where Obama misses the mark, other than his focus on cutting only foreign oil, are some of his alternatives. The first two alternatives he discusses, natural gas and biofuels, are not sustainable either. While they most likely have a role in our future, he discusses them as the solution rather than means to steady the ship while we develop better alternatives. The attention he pays to efficiency is a solution worth noting. In both transportation and electricity, improving efficiency are probably the most attainable and cost-effective solutions we have. Still, Obama brushed off the long-term concerns for the environment in favor of protecting national security and the wallets of Americans; a popular strategy, but probably not a sustainable one.
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