Barack Obama was elected in the hope that he would bring fundamental change to our nation’s policies. The most important change we need is to shift the basic structure of our economy away from burning fossil fuels, to renewable energies. This would solve a number of problems at the same time: climate change, dependence on foreign oil, the trade and payments deficits, economic renewal, unemployment, infrastructure maintenance. Unfortunately, President Obama has decided – or been coerced – to be a “centrist,” which basically means defending the status quo. That was all too evident in this week’s conference in Boston on mass transit, "Next Stop: A Summit on the Future of Transit."
Ya know how new, emerging technologies were supposed to rebuild the U.S. Economy? Instead we find the DOE has awarded billions to foreign companies and created jobs in foreign countries under the hype of green jobs? Remember those, the hyped out and touted jobs of the future, even promoted as something to boost U.S. domestic minorities job opportunities?
Well, we're at it again. This time it's High Speed Rail. Even worse, the Obama administration is claiming to cooperate with China. There are currently $8 billion dollars in grants up for bid.
One of the most troublesome aspects of Obama’s stimulus plan is the lack of attention to rail transport. Just look at this graph to see why.
So, I consider this article by Phillip Longman one of the most important articles of the new year, because it clearly points to the one of the most effective means for moving the economy off the basis of “oil-for-paper.” There are enough references to other studies, going back to a 1970s National Academy of Science project that identified the specific lines most suitable to electrification (electrified railroads, which are common in Europe, are twenty times more fuel efficient than trucks).
Recent comments