Obama: Gulf disaster forces us to acknowledge the dangers of oil dependence
by Jed Lewison
Thu Jun 03, 2010 at 03:20:04 PM PDT
President Obama, speaking yesterday at Carnegie Mellon University, making the case that BP's oil spill is a stark reminder of the need to end our dependence on fossil fuels:
[watch]
In the short-term, ending the flow of oil into the Gulf and helping the Gulf Coast recover is obviously President Obama's top priority, but he is absolutely right that in the wake of this disaster we must confront the dangerous reality of our dependence on oil. We must recognize that we need to pursue alternative sources of energy -- that our way of life, the health of our ecology, and the prosperity of our economy all depend on developing new, clean, affordable, and secure sources of energy.
Oil and fossil fuels are not a serious long-term option and we are very lucky to still have the opportunity to take control of our destiny. The pundits tell us that the test of Obama's presidency is whether or not he can stop BP's leak, but that's the argument of fools: the real test of this crisis is whether President Obama is able to lead this nation to a clean energy future. To do that, he's going to need to engage the American public in an honest and frank discussion about the implications of this disaster on energy policy, and yesterday's remarks in Pennsylvania were a strong start.
Full transcript below the fold.
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