:: Fuel for the Future ::
A man had two daughters, one married to a gardener, and the
other to a brick maker. After a time he went to the daughter
who had married the gardener and inquired how she was, and she
said to her father, “All things are well with me, and I have
only one wish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in
order that the plants may be well watered.” Not long after, he
went to the daughter who had married the brick maker, and
likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied, “I want
for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may
continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks
might be dried.” He said to her, “If your sister wishes for
rain, and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to
join my wishes?”
What a difficult situation for a father to be in! If you’re a
dad, you know just what a jam that father was in. Neither
daughter was wrong, yet their desires and needs were
contradictory. Likewise, as a nation we find ourselves in a
sticky situation when dealing with energy demands.
We want SUVs to haul children, luggage, and groceries around
throughout our busy lives. We want environmental policies that
protect the air, the water, and the earth, while at the same
time wanting cheap gasoline to power our economy. We want
those on a budget to not have to choose between gas and other
necessities, and we want our business to be free of burdensome
environmental regulations. We want low gas taxes and
state-of-the-art roads to combat traffic congestion. We want
inexpensive alternative fuels and a national petroleum reserve
waiting in the wings in case of disaster. And we want our
resources to fit our lifestyles, not our lifestyles to fit our
resources.
Now, that’s all okay. We can want all of these things. And
like the two daughters, none of these desires are wrong, but
some may be contradictory. So how do we come to terms with
these desires?
Here’s one thing we can all agree upon: if there was an easy
solution, by definition, the problem would not have been hard.
Sometimes I like to take a step back from a tense situation
and assess all the solutions being tossed out. In a matter of
a week, Capitol Hill was buzzing with “easy solutions” to
combat gas prices – offer $100 rebates to taxpayers,
temporarily repeal environmental regulations, encourage people
to carpool, put more air in your tires to increase fuel
efficiency. Each of these answers had one thing in common;
they were “quick fixes” to a complex dilemma – and not even
very good “quick fixes” at that!
Here’s the bottom line: there is no silver bullet when it
comes to energy prices. The common-sense American understands
that we cannot drill our way out of the problem, we cannot
conserve our way out of the problem, and we cannot alter our
lifestyles enough to fix the problem. But when we combine
increased production with conservation and alternative energy
sources, we can aim a powerful punch at gas prices. Here’s how
we do it:
Take Quantifiable Steps Towards More Production and
Refinery Capacity – We must increase our internal supply
of oil. The safest and quickest way this can be accomplished
is by authorizing drilling in ANWR and by allowing the
construction of new refineries.
Decrease Oil Dependency By Employing Current Alternative
Fuel Technology & Research – Alternative fuels are our
most promising opportunity to decrease oil dependency. I have
supported the establishment of renewable fuel standards so
that gasoline sold in the U.S. must contain an increased
amount of renewable fuel such as ethanol or biodiesel. I have
also supported research and development programs to bring
safe, fuel-efficient vehicles to consumers. Additionally, I
have cosponsored a bill to reduce tariffs on much-needed
ethanol imports to ease ethanol supply issues that are driving
up gas prices.
The mix of federal and state standards, along with local
refinery decisions, has resulted in adjacent or nearby areas
that may require boutique fuels or gasoline with significantly
different properties. As a result of having a number of
boutique fuels across the country, a disruption of fuel supply
to any given area can be severe and cause consumers to pay
higher prices. Therefore, I support shrinking the number of
boutique fuels from 18 to 6, so there will be fewer variations
of these fuels from region to region. This will allow
suppliers to be more readily able to meet demand, while also
allowing localities to meet environmental standards.
Another viable option to explore is the use of synfuels, or
synthetic fuels, made from coal or natural gas instead of oil.
Synthetic fuels are created by heating coal into gas and then
distilling it into a synthetic form of crude oil, which can be
refined to create a liquid fuel. Congress has been exploring
this option since the 1940s, and now may be the time to move
toward synthetic fuels. With the United States having the
largest deposits of coal in the world, the production and
utilization of synthetic fuels would significantly reduce the
nation’s dependency on foreign oil.
Use Tax Incentives to Encourage Creative Long-term
Solutions – Tax breaks can be highly effective when they
encourage creativity and growth towards energy solutions. I
support extending tax incentives to encourage domestic energy
production and energy efficiency, as well as consumer tax
credit incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, and a
tax deduction for "clean-fuel vehicles," including alternative
fuel vehicles and hybrid vehicles.
The summer months will pass us and while gas prices will fall
as they have cyclically done for years, the underlying problem
will continue to be acerbated unless we substitute “quick
fixes” with long-term plans. As nations such as China and
India grow with increasing consumer demand and manufacturing
gusto, so too will the demand on the world’s already finite
energy sources. Soon, other growing nations will, too, join
the line of nations hungrily clamoring for energy sources.
This is the future and no $100 rebate will put a dent in
changing our destiny.
Like the father torn between the desires of the two daughters
he loves, we only have one choice. We take the hands of those
whose interests are counter to ours and we come to the table
to work out some solutions. In doing so, we make the choice to
move the pile forward together.
::
Women's Health Checklist ::
Between
families, careers, church and other community events, the lives of
women in our society are becoming increasingly busy. In the midst of
the hustle and bustle women are taking care of everyone else’s needs
and overlooking their own health.
The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality provides helpful information on how women can stay
healthy.
Top health experts
from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that when you go
for your next checkup, talk to your doctor or nurse about how you can
stay healthy no matter what your age, and take this checklist with
you.
Log on to
Women: Stay Healthy at Any Age – Checklist for Your Next Checkup
to learn tips like these listed below:
Screening Tests: What You Need and When
-
Mammograms: Have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years
starting at age 40.
-
Pap Smears:
Have a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years if you have been sexually
active or are older than 21.
-
Cholesterol Checks:
Have your cholesterol checked regularly starting at age 45.
If you smoke, have diabetes, or if heart disease runs in your family,
start having your cholesterol checked at age 20.
-
Blood Pressure:
Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2 years.
-
Colorectal Cancer Tests: Have a test for colorectal
cancer starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test
is right for you.
-
Diabetes Tests: Have a test to screen for diabetes if
you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
-
Depression: If you've felt "down," sad, or
hopeless, and have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things
for 2 weeks straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can
screen you for depression.
-
Osteoporosis Tests: Have a bone density test at age 65 to
screen for osteoporosis (thinning of the bones). If you are between
the ages of 60 and 64 and weigh 154 lbs. or less, talk to your doctor
about whether you should be tested.
For more information on staying healthy please
visit the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
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IN
YOUR TOWN ....
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June 24, 2006
Forbes, Sallie
Mae Fund Announce
Free “Paying for
College” Workshop in Chesapeake
Paying for College,
a free workshop for high school students and their parents
on planning and paying for college presented by The Sallie
Mae Fund, in partnership with the National Association for
College Admission Counseling.
For more information please
Click Here. |
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