Seven years later, on July 21 1969, America reached the moon. In less than a decade, and with less computing power than I have on my desk right now, NASA planned and built the most intricate human space flight system ever seen. The Saturn V, the workhorse of the Apollo program, was the most powerful rocket developed before or since. America set a goal and achieved it with our characteristic idealistic pragmatism.So, today in this frenzy of an election I offer my vote to whichever candidate has the political courage to set such a lofty goal and lay the groundwork to see it to fruition. I’m not talking about the moon or even mars. I’m talking about a goal more daunting;
alleviating America’s addiction to foreign oil.

I understand the near insurmountable obstacles posed by such an objective. Geopolitical pressures, infrastructure renovation in the trillions, and a fleet of light trucks that consume more oil than much of the third world combined. And that’s assuming we can coerce the energy corporations into giving up a slice of their record profits.
That’s exactly whey we need a national energy policy, with teeth.I can’t propose all the details of such a plan, but I have a few ideas:

• We need a series of modest goals, all achievable in gradual steps. I use the health care industry as an example. Modest improvements (VA hospital, Medicaid/Medicare) are achievable, loftier ones near impossible (universal health care).
• It would need to echo Carter’s much ignored conservation principles.
• Gradual increases in the CAFE standards. We could look to Europe or even China for ideas on this one.

Carter tried a lot of this and failed. Why? America wasn’t ready. After the oil crisis faded away America reverted back to business as usual. There’s mounting evidence indicating that isn’t the case anymore.

Green is fashionable.

Hybrid vehicles are beginning to turn a profit. Every company now has their own line of highly efficient hybrid cars. But even more telling is marketing. If you watched the Super Bowl this year you saw GMC’s Yukon commercial… touting their newest luxury SUV as a “fuel efficient hybrid.” GMC was willing to spend three million dollars to advertise its fuel efficiency commitment to the American public. Why?
Because America is ready.

So who’s it going to be? Democrat or Republican. Man or woman. I’ll vote for whoever will set such a goal. Whoever, over the next decade, will set a national energy objective. An objective that truly will measure the best of our energies and skills. A challenge we intend to win.