Although the countdown to the first day of school may preoccupy the minds of most school-age Iowans, there are plenty of diversions to help families enjoy the final days of summer vacation and begin the first days of school.
First, Iowans can take advantage of life’s simpler pleasures. Enjoy a taste of late summer wholesome goodness offered by locally grown sweet corn, tomatoes and melons sold at roadside stands and farmers’ markets. Take pride in the produce grown close to home.
Iowans also took pride in the 11 Olympians with ties to the Hawkeye state in Beijing at the Olympic Games. The sacrifices and commitment made by these athletes to compete for their respective countries and go for the gold are inspiring, and it feels good to get swept away cheering for the red, white and blue.
If only Olympic-inspired patriotism could sweep away Washington partisanship, Congress could achieve lofty, yet achievable goals that would address the nation’s antiquated energy policy.
Every year the United States shells out $1 trillion to pay for energy. The 1973 oil shock obviously didn’t jolt consumers or policymakers enough to cure U.S. energy dependence on foreign oil and carbon-based energy, including gas and coal. As oil prices climbed to historic levels this summer, U.S. consumers feel pick-pocketed at the pump as America teeters on the edges of an economic slump.
Clearly additional steps are needed to increase conservation, develop new energy sources, explore domestic energy, embrace renewable fuels, develop energy-efficient technologies and invest in America’s energy independence.
Consider Denmark. Instead of staying victimized by foreign oil imports, the Danes for the last three decades have pursued an aggressive clean-energy policy that emphasized conservation and energy efficiency. The result? Denmark today has a thriving, job-creating wind energy industry that has helped the Danes obtain 20 percent of their electricity from wind. Plus, Denmark produces one-third of the world’s wind turbines and exports a growing percentage of clean-energy technology.
As a longtime advocate for renewable fuels and homegrown energy, I have gotten passed legislation to help put the United States on track for energy independence. For example, as the author of the first federal tax incentive in 1992 to harvest electricity from wind, I have worked to extend and make permanent the full tax credit that encourages U.S. entrepreneurs to innovate new energy technologies and investors to finance the job-creating infrastructure necessary to produce electricity from wind, biomass and solar power. Heaven knows Iowa has an inexhaustible supply of wind and God-given natural resources to grow food, feed, fiber and fuel. Responsible stewardship of our Midwestern resources can displace the transfer of our nation’s wealth to oil cartels from Iran to Venezuela.
Tax packages that I’ve authored in recent years also expanded tax incentives for ethanol, biodiesel, switchgrass and cellulosic renewables, and they created tax incentives for greater energy efficiency in homes and cars. It’s up to Congress to continue and build on these successful initiatives.
As the bell rings in the new school year for our young scholars in the classroom, I hope political leaders in Washington and on their way to Washington work to put America on track to achieve energy security that puts the public good ahead of partisan gain.