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September 2012 Archives
What role should natural gas fill in the United States?
President Obama, members of Congress, and various interest groups are tackling that question right now as the country is awash with vast new resources of shale natural gas. A debate is raging about the various ways natural gas could or should be used, including exporting it, using it in vehicles and as a feedstock for manufacturers, and encouraging utilities to shift even more to natural gas from coal in the electricity sector.
Meanwhile, some environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, are urging that the U.S. not become any more dependent on natural gas and instead shift directly from coal to renewable-energy sources like wind and solar.
In what ways can natural gas help the economy? Can it be exploited in multiple ways while still remaining affordable in its various uses? How do environmental concerns, and stronger regulations, affect this debate?
20 responses: Eileen Claussen, Amy Harder, Paul N. Cicio, Catrina Rorke, Rich Deming, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jack Gerard, Dave McCurdy, Dan Kirschner, Chuck Gray, Amy Harder, Don Santa, Tom Amontree, Matthew Stepp, Bernard L. Weinstein, Daniel Simmons, William O'Keefe, George Blitz, Tyson Slocum, Scott Sklar
What are the biggest energy challenges facing the United States?
Congress is gridlocked on energy and environment policy, but that doesn't make the problems facing the country any less pressing. President Obama, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and members of Congress are never without words when it comes to the importance of solving the country's energy problems. But different people see different problems, which makes it inherently hard to get closer to solving anything.
What are the greatest energy challenges facing the country right now? Where do climate change and energy security fit into this debate? What can the private sector, state and local governments, and other countries do to get closer to tackling some of the biggest hurdles while Washington is gridlocked?
11 responses: Cal Dooley, Tom Kimbis, Michael Wu, Brent Erickson, Margo Thorning, William O'Keefe, Alex Trembath, Lewis Milford, Kathleen Sgamma, Scott Sklar, Bernard L. Weinstein
How close is the United States to reaching the elusive goal of energy independence?
President Obama last week set a goal of cutting oil imports by one-half by 2020, while GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said in his energy plan that he could make North America energy-independent by 2020. House Energy and Commerce Committee holds a hearing on that Romney's goal on Thursday. Presidents dating back to President Nixon in 1973 have called for weaning the country off of imported oil.
But what does the phrase "energy independence" exactly mean? Is the goal of becoming energy-independent really possible? And what policies could the government, including the executive branch and Congress, put in place to get closer to this goal?
19 responses: Olga Belogolova, Eileen Claussen, Thomas Gibson, Daniel J. Weiss, Brigham McCown, Jack Gerard, Brian Wynne, Brent Erickson, Kate Offringa, Tim Greeff, Bob Dinneen, David Holt, Marvin Fertel, Evan Tracey, Mary Rosenthal, Carl Pope, William O'Keefe, Bill Snape, Scott Sklar
