Be Careful What you Wish For Because It Might Not Come True

With this election looming on the minds of many Americans, it is becoming more and more apparent that environmental policy is on the top of the list of hot issues to tackle. Both McCain and Obama have laid out ambitious energy plans to wean Americans off of our addiction to foreign oil as well as ideas of curbing the effects of global warming. However, are their plans really enough?

Although these energy initiatives seem fine and dandy, I want to remind you all that there is always an expectation gap between what is proposed and what actually happens. I don't mean to sound skeptical, and I do appreciate that McCain has finally acknowledged that global warming is an issue, despite the sentiments of the Republican party, but some how I can't shake the feeling that the policies and actions that are executed won't live up to what's been promised.

Regarding escalating carbon emissions, Obama has discussed his plan to reduce them by 80% by the year 2050 through enacting a cap and trade plan. McCain, on the other hand, proposes a market based system to fund the research of innovative technologies. And as for the issue of American dependency on foreign oil, Obama wants to raise gas mileage standard on new hybrid cars while McCain is advocating off-shore drilling in environmentally sensitive areas. Both these proposals briefly address the funding of innovative technologies but neither really delve into how the government is going to fund these research and development initiatives.

Before we completely trust all that is promised by either candidate we should ask these questions in order to understand and critique the nuts and bolts of their plans:

• Will the proposed energy plans have the stamina to withstand the constant gnawing of the legislative/bureaucratic system?
• How large is the expectation gap?
  
• Who will benefit from it and who will be harmed both domestically and abroad?
• What can we do to make sure our president fullfills his promises?

Let's keep in mind our civil responsibilities and try think of what we can do to help out with the right energy plan (one that does not involve building an imaginary pipeline).