Grist Magazine: Apollo in Action (substitute enery bill)

Apollo in Action
By Jay Inslee, Grist Magazine. Posted May 23, 2005.

http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/22058/

There's no magic silver bullet to solve America's energy crisis. But if it's enacted, the New Apollo Energy bill could come pretty darn close.

On April 21, Congress stepped back in geologic time when the House of Representatives passed an energy policy of the dinosaurs, by the dinosaurs, and for the dinosaurs. This energy bill is truly a "Jurassic" piece of legislation that relies on a limited energy source derived from creatures and plants that died millions of years ago. In fact, 93 percent of the $8 billion in tax incentives in the bill go to oil, gas, and other traditional energy industries.

Shortly before the House debate, one national leader said, "I will tell you with $55 oil we don't need incentives to oil and gas companies to explore. ... What we need is to put a strategy in place that will help this country over time become less dependent." Incredibly, that leader was President George W. Bush. Even the president with the worst environmental record since Warren G. Harding cannot conceal that this energy bill is more technologically suited for the 19th century than the 21st century.

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