Past Event

Café Society: Revitalizing U.S. Energy Policy

While recent increases in the cost of gasoline and heating oil have focused the nation’s attention on our country’s energy policy, the issue is hardly new. Since the days of the Arab oil embargo in the 1970’s, the American public, its politicians and major corporations have been entwined in a complicated debate over the implications of our nation’s increasing appetite for cheap energy, and all that sating this appetite entails.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this debate has yielded little in the form of concrete results. Torn between the desire to reduce energy consumption and the need for continued economic growth, the nation’s energy policy to date does little to outline a comprehensive approach to our growing energy needs.

How long can the status quo prevail, before we all have to pay the price for decades of inaction? There is no concrete answer to that question, but many are predicting that the day of reckoning may be approaching. Increasing demand for energy in the developing world ensures that prices will stay high for the conceivable future. Concerns about the effects of global warming on our climate are growing as well. It’s clear that doing nothing is no longer an option.

Is the dichotomy between the growth-oriented and environmental approaches to energy consumption really necessary? Is there a middle ground that will enable us to meet our energy needs without compromising the world that we live in?

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For more informaiton, please contact Kristin Millikan at 312.422.5580.