US Features

By Eva Font Mendiola Oct 20, 2008, 2:45 GMT

Energy independence: The great challenge for Obama, McCain (Feature)

New York - Every electoral campaign has its popular catch phrases that remain in our collective memory. In the US presidential campaign one of the catchiest is the Republicans' 'drill, baby, drill.' The party of candidate John McCain has turned the phrase into a slogan for the extraction of oil and natural gas within the United States. The country's energy problem is of great importance, and has emerged as one of the great challenges facing the next US president. The US is very dependent on foreign sources of energy, and 60 per cent of the oil it consumes is imported. According to James Woolsey, energy advisor to McCain and a former head of the CIA, the figure is equivalent to borrowing 'over 1 billion dollars a day from the rest of the world to finance oil.' US citizens have been feeling the pain of high fuel costs - just months ago, petrol prices were at more than 4 dollars a gallon (equivalent to about 3.78 litres). A year back the gallon was selling for just over 2 dollars. It's no surprise then that energy independence is one of the campaign issues that the man on the street can relate to. It is a topic that both Democratic candidate Barack Obama, 47, and McCain, 72, constantly refer to - and not just as an economic issue. It is also a national security for both candidates: The US does not want to depend on either Venezuela or the Middle East to fuel its estimated 200 million vehicles. Democrats and Republicans, however, differ on how to create energy independence. McCain wants domestic production of hydrocarbons to be boosted to reduce imports - in other words, you need to drill. Democrats do not rule out additional drilling, but they would rather focus on renewable, clean sources of energy that help combat climate change. At a recent briefing in New York by the two campaigns' energy advisors, Woolsey charged that Obama's programme was not very realistic. Kenneth Berlin - the Democrat's advisor on energy issues - said the only thing McCain talks about is 'drill, drill and drill.' Woolsey thinks there is a need for a transition before a complete move to alternative sources of energy such as biofuels. Some dependence on oil is necessary, he said, to avoid conflict with industry and consumers. It is because of this that Republicans favour drilling at home, although there are disagreements on the location - mainly related to whether or not to include Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Alaska's governor, is a staunch defender of drilling in this area that has huge reserves of oil and natural gas. For now, however, McCain has not favoured drilling in the ANWR, and backs maritime drilling instead. Obama, on the other hand, wants to spend 150 billion dollars over the next 10 years to help industry develop alternative sources of energy and substantially reduce oil imports - a programme he said that will also foster job growth in the slowing economy. The Democrats regard such investment as the construction of 'a new economic system' that, in addition to creating jobs, will also help slow global warming, advisor Berlin said. Obama also wants to tax the profits of the country's oil companies - the larger the profit, the greater the tax burden. The aim is to return part of those funds to families, in order to mitigate the cost of energy. The Republican Party opposes this. Woolsey said those taxes would be 'clearly discouraging domestic production and encouraging further imports.' Otherwise both campaigns have similar initiatives, such as promoting the use of hybrid and electric cars and reducing greenhouse gases. McCain aims to reduce emissions to 60 per cent below their 1990 levels by 2050, while Obama is more ambitious and wants the drop to be as large as 80 per cent by 2050. Both candidates also agree on the use of nuclear power. McCain wants to promote the construction of 45 new plants by 2030. Nuclear plants currently provide 20 per cent of the electricity in the country. 'In this country, insofar as we need power 24/7, nuclear power is a reasonable approach,' Woosley said. According to energy advisor Berlin, green activists may not approve of a growing number of nuclear plants, but they should come around to seeing it as one more option worth having in the face of the growing climate change threat.

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Obama will not have us energy independent. Period.Oct 20th, 2008 - 03:22:48

It's not a 'challenge'. McCain will drill for oil domestically and Obama wont. McCain will build nuclear power plants and Obama wont. McCain will stop billions of dollars from being shipped to countries that want us destroyed and Obama wont.

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Hope you like gas lines.Oct 20th, 2008 - 03:31:26

'Democrats do not rule out additional drilling, but they would rather focus on renewable, clean sources of energy that help combat climate change.'

Like what? Fantasy land fuel? Magic pixie dust? Hope'n Change? Automobiles run on gasoline. Gasoline is made out of oil and will be until someone invents something else and develops he infrastructure to distribute it.

' Obama, on the other hand, wants to spend 150 billion dollars over the next 10 years to help industry develop alternative sources of energy and substantially reduce oil imports - '

So all we have to do is continue on shipping billions of dollars overseas for the next 10 years and hope that someone comes up with something that they have spent a century looking for.

'Obama also wants to tax the profits of the country's oil companies - the larger the profit, the greater the tax burden. '

When Carted did that it stopped exploration, raised prices and cut supply. The price of gas shot out through the roof. This idiot wants to cause the same mess.

' Both candidates also agree on the use of nuclear power.'

No. Obama has said he would 'look at' nuclear power. He is like Bill Clinton in that he can say something in a way that makes you believe something other then what he actually said.

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Have a look at the typical Obama supporter:Oct 20th, 2008 - 04:16:36

In it's own habitat:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgtij3dE10A

Chanting, thuggish, stupid and indoctrinated.

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Typical McCain supporterOct 20th, 2008 - 04:23:12

Angry, hate mongering, angry, name calling, angry, desperate, angry!

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You must be one of the chanting fools,Oct 20th, 2008 - 04:34:31

'Angry, hate mongering, angry, name calling, angry, desperate, angry!'

Don't break your thesaurus, Shakespeare.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgtij3dE10A

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Typical RepublicanOct 20th, 2008 - 15:37:51

ANGRY!

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SP4: well PeggyOct 20th, 2008 - 16:40:48

...neither of them are real Conservatives...

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George RobsonOct 20th, 2008 - 21:28:26

Obama
Wants to spend $150 billion to help industry develop alternative sources of energy,ITS PEANUTS BUT IT'S A START.
It's interesting to note that the Germans have built a solar tower on a disused airfield in Eastern Germany,and it's very functional,and that's. a cold assed place ,imagine if that plant was in Southern Cal

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tonny from belgiumOct 21st, 2008 - 20:04:34

quote the local neocon:
McCain will stop billions of dollars from being shipped to countries that want us destroyed....
Which country could that be ?Todd Palin's Alaska ?

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Re Tonny/GeorgeOct 22nd, 2008 - 07:35:15

This isnt the first time I have noticed this: Take a look at Tonny from Belgium's writing and George Robson' writing. Same space between the end of the sentense and the punctuation. Same use of comas, same grammatical errors, same clumped up words. They both hit the same themes and tonny has been caught using sock puppets before...

Now take a look at some of tonny/George's other posts:

'rev Wrights statement that 9/11 was the chickens coming home to roost is dead on''

''quit your whining,Jewdumb gets... BILLIONS..of taxpayers money year on year.'

''Quit Waffling on about Israel, its a fake name given to to about 70% of Palestine by the U.N.in a moment of weakness and shame .''

''I would have responded to your post sooner but you see I am on holiday in Haifa yes the heart of Jewdumb Nice city probably paid for by the naive American taxpayers..'

'We can learn from the jewdumbs ???

'It just proves what Most people on the Planet already know that they [the Jews] are a race of craven cowards hiding behind.. U.S money and technology .. '

'Hopefully while the Jewdumbs are squabling and NAME BLAMING each other ...They will stay out of Arab lands...'

'shame on Bush and his Neo Cons for bowing to those cockroaches... [Zionist lobbyists] ...by not recognising the Hamas elected Gov .'

'...Either way Ahmadinejad seems like a reasonable guy ...pulverising his country would play into the hands of the jewdumbs,'

'I See the craven cowards ... WARRIERS OF JEWDUMB... are at it again ,'

On and on and on...

So this inveterate anti-American and Jew hating bigot wants Obama? What does that tell you?

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reply-tonny of belgiumOct 29th, 2008 - 03:00:35

yes and give us the money like palin did in alaska,i envy the intelligence of palin,those lucky alaskans

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reply to belgiumOct 29th, 2008 - 03:02:57

yes just like in alaska money in the wallet for all alaskans-palin power

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Energy independence: The great challenge for Obama, McCain (Feature)

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