An item appeared on PR Newswire today indicating that people do understand the problem.  Whether the politicians in power will do anything about it in time, or step aside and let private enterprise do it, remains the $64 thousand question. 

According to the announcement: "Former U.S. Senator John Breaux and former Long Beach, Calif., Mayor Beverly O'Neill, co-chairs of The Energy Initiative, today sent a letter to Congress urging members to act immediately to correct serious flaws in the energy legislation they are currently considering. The Energy Initiative is a broad coalition of energy consumers, producers and organizations of elected officials."

It went on to say: "The authors stressed the need for balance between new and traditional sources of energy, writing "From the beginning, members of our Initiative have acknowledged that America must lead the way in developing new sources of alternative and renewable energy. But it is equally important to develop traditional energy sources like coal, nuclear and oil and natural gas. Unfortunately, the bills passed by Congress fail to strike this balance and provide Americans with the energy we need to meet the challenges of the future."

To build supply, The Energy Initiative urged Congress to:

-- Streamline the federal permitting process for energy exploration, production and refinement and delivery infrastructure on federal lands, including offshore;

-- Conduct a study to measure the impact of offshore drilling on the world's oceans and coastal areas over the past 40 years, accounting for technological improvements; and

-- Approve a balanced offshore leasing program that promotes exploration and ensures that the producing states receive a share of the federal resources from the activity.

I couldn't have said it better myself.  Unfortunately, the current political/social climate in the U.S. indicates such calls for rationality are falling on deaf ears.  Let's hope Congress and the rest of the country pays attention before the lights start winking out, big time.  All the conservation and "green energy" in the world can't keep them on for the next 20 years without doing a great deal more on the traditional supply side.  Environmentalists and the Global Warming cabal (and the current Congress) don't seem to understand that at all.

For a complete copy of the letter and The Energy Initiative's final policy recommendations, visit http://www.theenergyinitiative.org/core_principles.php.