Clean fuel will lead to energy independence

William Belknap, Boulder City

Monday, Aug. 4, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

In his weekly e-mail newsletter, Sen. John Ensign closes the paragraph on energy with: “All energy solutions must be on the table and all sides must come together, as Americans, to ensure our country’s energy independence.“

I submit that the true target for our energy policy should be to eliminate reliance on fossil carbon sources, whether they be oil, natural gas or coal. Stopping the burning of carbon compounds for energy will do what we can to prevent acceleration of climate change, the least we should now do for our grandchildren. Incidentally, doing so will give us back our energy independence and minimize harmful effects to land and sea.

Arguing over whether to burn their oil or ours is like trying to settle whether better navigation or a double hull should have been used on the Exxon Valdez before doing anything about the spilling oil.