Steven Holt: “on this Earth Day, I think it is vital to point out the increasing need for this country and this Congress to put…”

“on this Earth Day, I think it is vital to point out the increasing need for this country and this Congress to put together a sensible, rational energy policy that lowers our dependence on fossil fuels and continues to stimulate our economy. Developing such a policy is not simply about protecting our environment. From a national security standpoint, our dependence on oil, especially in the transportation sector, is a continuing danger. You can look under every rock and drill in every inch of wilderness and coastline we have, and we will simply never be able to meet our current level of consumption. The sobering fact is that the Middle East contains a tremendous share of the world's oil supply--and the more we remain dependent on their oil, the more we expose ourselves and the world to violence and terrorism. From a public health standpoint, we can no longer rely so heavily on those energy sources that are poisoning us. Coal is cheap and abundant in the U.S.--but its emissions, including mercury and sulfur dioxide, cause thousands of premature deaths and diseases like emphysema and asthma every year. These are the very human costs that we must consider when we think about where we are getting our energy. Of course, the environmental impact of our dangerous addiction to fossil fuels is well known. Even as our cars get cleaner, their combined carbon dioxide emissions, along with those from power plants and other sources, are largely to blame for global warming.”