Maybe he can help us understand why his previous words on the subject have not matched the facts, but hey, why would he want to start addressing reality now? Drilling for natural gas is a financial net loser without massive government welfare to the drilling companies and drilling for more oil raises the issue of destruction of our environment and even then, the additional oil is so insignificant compared to the consumption in the US, it offers nothing in terms of a path to energy independence and only delays and avoids facing important long term decisions.
"President Bush actually cut funding for the key energy-saving technologies," says Joseph Romm, a former head of the renewable fuels and efficiency programs at the Energy Department during the Clinton administration.Why do the Republicans hate our environment?
The department's requests for renewable fuel and conservation programs have stayed flat at about $1.18 billion annually over the past six years - really a decline if inflation is considered, energy efficiency advocates say.
"Since 2002, the energy efficiency programs at the Energy Department have dropped by a third in real dollars," says Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Safe Energy, a private advocacy group.
