Regarding allan kern (Comment #48569), I agree that we should not let global warming and energy independence interfere with each other’s goals.  Nevertheless, the current data on global warming argue against deliberating for another five to ten years before taking any action.  Furthermore, there is a growing trend towards a “nuclear power Renaissance” that could have its own impact on global warming.  More details can be found at:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-Mff23hgidqmHGqbcv.lfskakEtS6qLVHUEMFUG4-?cq=1&p=260

Therefore, coming up with concrete recommendations for both issues by July 4 is definitely a laudable goal!

Only two technologies promise to produce pollution free energy into the distant future.

Solar generation of electrical energy produces no pollution or global warming gasses. The normal flux of sunlight is only interrupted and used.

Wind generators do not pollute or contribute to global warming.

Totally electric automobiles are being designed and built today that do not contribute to global warming.

The sun will shine and the wind will blow much longer than our sources of fossil fuels will remain.

According to Wikipedia, Solar One was a pilot solar-thermal project in the Mojave Desert and the first test of a large scale power tower. Solar One’s method of collecting power was based on concentrating the sun’s energy to produce heat and run a generator. It had a number of large mirrors, or heliostats, that track the sun, reflecting the sun’s light on a large tower. A black-colored receiver, on top of the tower, transferred heat used to boil water, which turned turbines, much like a traditional power plant. It produced 10 MW of electricity by using 1818 mirrors. Solar One was completed in 1981 and was operational from 1982 to 1986. Later redesigned and renamed Solar Two, it can be seen from Interstate 40 where it covers a 29 hectare (72 acre) site. As a proof of concept, Solar One and Two were successful. Solar Tres, in Spain, will produce 15 megaWatts of electric in Spain.

We can produce all of our current usage of electricity by placing solar-thermal collectors over less than 0.5% of the continental USA. This would be a square 100 miles on a side. Of course, sites would be distributed over a much wider area. ( We have covered areas much larger than this with concrete and will strip mine an area larger than this to reach surface coal veins.)

Solar thermal electrical generation uses efficient existing technology. Does not produce any pollution or CO2. Does not add additional heat to the environment and is not radioactive.

With rechargeable totally electric cars, no coal, petroleum, natural gas or uranium need be used. The technology can be used worldwide in all temperate and tropical zones. High speed inter-urban electric trains can surplant medium distance travel.

Biomass and grain ethanol would be unnecessary, since their production is has a marginal efficiency in converting sunlight into useful energy of less than 1% compared to solar thermal electric production efficiencies of 25% or better.

We must use our dwindling sources of existing energy to construct these highly efficient new solar thermal electric plants. If we wait too long, we will not have the means to make the conversion.

The Clean Coal Myth: COAL is dirty black and filled with carbon. When you burn coal you get more carbon dioxide than any other fossil fuel. Storing billions of tons of highly compressed CO2 underground sounds dangerous and foolish to me.

Meanwhile solar thermal electrical generation is a proved technology with no carbon dioxide emissions. The coal bearing territory that must be strip mined and “reclaimed” and the water pollution from strip mining will require much more land and effort than constructing solar thermal generators.

The amount of coal in Montana will last only ten years at our current rate of usage. There is only 280 billion barrels equivalent of oil in Montana’s coal.

Short term solutions will not provide future generations with the same standard of living we now enjoy unless we use all available resources to construct a totally solar, closed cycle, sustainable system that will last long after all the fossil fuel is gone.

Look into the Solar Tres plant.  This is the long term solution to the world’s energy needs.  Covering only 0.25% to 0.50% of the territorial United States will produce all our electricity for industry, homes and all electric automobiles. There are detailed studies from the Department of Energy that will bear out these findings.

While it may be disappointing to realize the dems are not going to be able to stop this war, it should serve as notice once and for all that only WE THE PEOPLE can stop it!

So, having said that it’s nice to know that the dems accomplished what they said they would in their first hundred hours, with more than fifty left over. Equally refreshing is the commitment to “a package of legislation to truly declare our energy independence.”

Now the downside. How much, if any of the legislation coming out of the House will the prez sign into law? Recognizing it will require a new set of instructions for him ... learning how to veto ... the truth is, he will do his best to master that function.

Simply put, he is what he is and nothing, absolutely nothing has happened to indicate he will ever be anything else. Leaving us with just one uncomfortable truth. The only way to restore Constitutional law to this republic is to IMPEACH the man!

And while I’m on the subject, people think this would automatically make Cheney prez. Not necessarily.

One of the major reasons this war has gone so badly is Cheney directing the placement of major corporations squarely in the way of the military functioning properly. That, and his connection with the energy department and the obvious connection between attacking Iraq and gaining control of Iraq’s oil fields speaks volumes to the reality that there will never be an “energy independence policy” under this administration. We don’t even need to go into the countless times Cheney has deliberately lied to us, to the media and CONTINUES TOO, in spite of evidence contrary to everything he says. It should be clear to all, Cheney has placed himself above the law to maintain his vision of absolute control over the energy resources in the Middle East.

There is ample evidence of Cheney having crossed the line between lawfully fulfilling his office and using his office for personal financial gain.

From Articles of Impeachment against George Walker Bush, President of the United States of America, and OTHER OFFICIALS, for high crimes and misdemeanors. H.RES. 1106, 109th CONGRESS, 2d Session. Introduced in House December 8th, 2006 (In the Congressional Record)

(a) RICHARD CHENEY- In violation of his oath of office to support and defend the Constitution, Richard Cheney, Vice President of the United States of America, played a key role in manipulating intelligence in the interest of promoting the illegal invasion of Iraq by pressuring analysts at the Central Intelligence Agency to `fix’ their intelligence estimates of the danger posed by Iraq in relation to weapons of mass destruction, whereby Richard Cheney, Vice President of the United States, did commit and was guilty of high crimes against the United States of America.

http://www.gnn.tv/_var/blogs/20357-7c20362eb1057347958a7d0556d87323.pdf

Cheney needs to face criminal charges which would require either Bush risk an open day in court, or request Cheney resign.

Bottom line.
Congress, if you want your agenda to become law, if you want this war to be brought to an end and if you want this country to be energy independent, you need to remove the present administration from the White House. You don’t want to face that fact, but that really is what you must face!

By the way Congress, I sincerely hope we the voters will not be doubly insulted next week by seeing you jump to your feet and give Bush a standing ovation every time he drags out 9/11 or GWOT. Using the horror of 9/11 over and over again to justify lies, an illegal war and the phantom fighting of a so-called Global War On Terror is beyond contemptible! Thousands of people have died to justify his POLITICAL AMBITION! The man deserves no respect or credibility!

Boo’s would be more appropriate.
(Wishful thinking?)

Alas, an intelligent person in congress. It’s high time for responsible and constructive legislation to pass.

Please no more of the republican voodoo point of view on life and the world.

I was wondering if and how Pelosi would play her own “Audacity Card,” since Obama has put that word in our working vocabulary and Edwards has now followed up on it:

http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2007/01/audacity-of-audacity.html

I cannot think of a better way for the Congress to demonstrate that it has a better handle on the future of the United States than the White House appears to have!  Needless to say, it is so ambitious that one has to wonder how realistic it is;  but, as they used to tell me in high school, you can’t hit high goals unless you aim for them!

It would be nice to believe that, if we were to get over our addictive dependence on other countries’ oil, we might then turn our attention to being a better “citizen” in the global arena;  but there may be such a thing as TOO audacious a hope!

Thank Christ for Nancy!

I’m a bit disappointed.  Energy independence is a critical issue in terms of our economy and standard of living.  Currenly, the average car owners spends $50 per week that goes directly to oil producers, most of which are our enemies and feeds their economies, which we can only dream of (billions of new investment in infratructure every year).  Imagine if such money were returned domestically in the US!

On the other hand, global warming is a political red herring, a non-issue that keeps growing because it has great political legs—green vs. non-green, oil vs. non-oil, and republican vs. democrat, as if some of us are for it and others against.

Global warming needs to be returned to scientific committee for 5 or 10 more years of non-partisan evaluation.  Energy independence, on the other hand, warrants a law by July 4.  We’d be better off not to mix them up.

Well this all sounds great and wonderful except I’ll believe it when I see it.
Look I don’t think anyone can argue that we have been making a real concerted efforts to switch to alternatives to oil, a least with a straight face.

I fear the corporate interests will kill any effort that threatens their franchises.
I’m skeptical, and new slogans just don’t fly with me.

Higher energy efficiency standards, renewable fuels, and wind and solar production could be concrete steps,and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Refurbishing a national train system would also be a great step. Fifty years ago we decided it was in the national interest to build the interstate system.
Instead of Mars? Why can’t we have a train system second to none?....one that could take you directly from the airport to the major city without entering the highway system?

One that could be a more viable alternative to air travel….with all the hassles, traffic delays and atmospheric pollution.