However, I do think that brilliant people can figure out ways to secure our energy independence, control pollution and still be good conservatives. I think we should demand it. It does not have to be a mutually exclusive proposition IMO.
"We must become independent from foreign sources of oil. This will mean a combination of efforts related to conservation and efficiency measures, developing alternative sources of energy like biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic sources of oil such as in ANWR or the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)."~~Mitt Romney
I don’t think anyone wants to restrict technological progress, but I got news for you, it’s going to take decades before we have an even remotely acceptable alternative to burning oil.
It depends on what you are suggesting. Carbon Dioxide is NOT pollution! Conserve energy, yes. Put caps on our very existence, outlaw sensible energy options and hogtie industry and growth, we will not survive. Should businesses be encouraged to pursue alternative energy options? Absolutely. Should Government fund massive programs to do so? I don't think so. It makes absolutely no sense to me to act as if energy independence is the highest priority item while are shutting down our farmlands and allowing ourselves to become reliant on foreign imports for fundamentals--like food! We should be looking for a large degree of independence on many fronts and eliminating laws and regulations that inhibit it.
As to ethanol, it is non-sensical--yet another scam, IMO.