In the United States the status quo has always been that only liberals and granola freaks can care about issues related to environmentalism. This mode of thinking should be shunned as outdated and dangerous. Conservatives need to take a closer look at ideas arising from the environmental movement.
Global warming does not have to be the only reason for adopting environmentally savvy ideas. In fact, global warming may be inevitable due to rising energy consuption in the developing world. It is this rising consumption that will lead to future energy shortages and why fuel efficiency standards must evolve.
Energy, in the form of oil, will always be in short supply for the United States. Further aggravating the problem is the fact that much of the worlds oil supply is located in nations that are unfriendly to the United States. These petrostates(Russia, Iran, and Venezuela) have been a thorn in the side of the United States for some time.
Increasing fuel efficiency for vehicles will decrease the power of the petrostates by keeping oil prices low. This is increasingly important as Russia increases its influence in Central Asia and South America. Venezuela has also been flexing its muscles by throwing oil money around in South America, a move that has lead many countries to stray from Washington. High oil prices have made Iran a regional superpower, a fact that is troubling due to the situation in Iraq.
It is true that oil prices have dropped dramatically in recent months reducing the power of the petrostates as well as crashing the economy of Russia. However, this can only last for so long. At some point the world economy will revitalize and oil consumption and prices will rise. When this happens America needs to be positioned to deal with the petrostates.
Global warming does not have to be the only reason for adopting environmentally savvy ideas. In fact, global warming may be inevitable due to rising energy consuption in the developing world. It is this rising consumption that will lead to future energy shortages and why fuel efficiency standards must evolve.
Energy, in the form of oil, will always be in short supply for the United States. Further aggravating the problem is the fact that much of the worlds oil supply is located in nations that are unfriendly to the United States. These petrostates(Russia, Iran, and Venezuela) have been a thorn in the side of the United States for some time.
Increasing fuel efficiency for vehicles will decrease the power of the petrostates by keeping oil prices low. This is increasingly important as Russia increases its influence in Central Asia and South America. Venezuela has also been flexing its muscles by throwing oil money around in South America, a move that has lead many countries to stray from Washington. High oil prices have made Iran a regional superpower, a fact that is troubling due to the situation in Iraq.
It is true that oil prices have dropped dramatically in recent months reducing the power of the petrostates as well as crashing the economy of Russia. However, this can only last for so long. At some point the world economy will revitalize and oil consumption and prices will rise. When this happens America needs to be positioned to deal with the petrostates.
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