Our future President apparently has a new project in mind for his administration - An Energy Apollo Project!
Joe Klein has a new story posted to Time Magazine's website, in which he details a long conversation he had with Barack earlier this week. Among other subjects, they discussed the problems with the current economic fiasco, and Barack's plan to assist the economic recovery with a much greater emphasis on changing our energy:
He wants to launch an "Apollo project" to build a new alternative-energy economy. His rationale for doing so includes some hard truths about the current economic mess: "The engine of economic growth for the past 20 years is not going to be there for the next 20. That was consumer spending. Basically, we turbocharged this economy based on cheap credit." But the days of easy credit are over, Obama said, "because there is too much deleveraging taking place, too much debt." A new economic turbocharger is going to have to be found, and "there is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy ... That's going to be my No. 1 priority when I get into office."
http://www.time.com/...
Personally, I take great comfort in knowing that this is more than just campaign rhetoric. Having witnessed the oil crisis of the 70's, only to be amazed at the fact that we had done so little by this year's "oil disaster," I am heartened by Barack's plan.
I suspect that, with oil plunging back down to $70+ per barrel, the environment for passage of a plan like this will be more challenging. I know that Americans tend to have a short memory, and may resist the major changes to our lifestles that will be required.
But, maybe - just maybe - there is some HOPE?