You can tell when a president realizes his time is short and he can actually do some good with little to no fear of repercussions.

President Bush spoke at the first ever Washington International Renewable Energy Conference about how our country needs to eliminate our dependence on oil for economic, political, and environmental reasons. 

I stand by this.  Our dependence on oil has far outlasted its usefulness.  I despise that Detroit and Oil are in bed with each other and hold the nation’s political system by the short hairs. 

With gas prices soaring to four dollars in some areas and expected to raise by another dollar by summer, we need to do something about this.  The effect on our pocketbook is nothing compared to the effect on our environment however. 

Unfortunately there is a lot that we need to do to aid in this. 

First we need to realize that there is absolutely no need for a soccer mom to drive a military transport vehicle that has such a low gas mileage that it is about to hit negative numbers. 

Second of all we need to resign the way we build our towns.  Cramming all the shopping into one area creating traffic nightmares like no other and then putting housing ten miles down an eight lane highway is not the answer.  We need to intermix residential with commercial, making the everyday places like grocery stores within walking or bicycling distance.  We need to provide safe routes to get there.  I happen to live about a mile or so from three grocery stores but would never dream of walking to any of them.  They are along aforementioned highway with no sidewalks, bike lanes, or anything else. 

Third of all we need to make these things affordable to the common person as well as for larger families.  Two person electric cars are a fantastic idea except for the fact that I have three children.  And their cost is more than I can afford, though you can get some of the money back on your federal taxes.  (A small fact that I doubt many people realize.)

With the current tax incentive for renewable-energy projects set to become a thing of the past later this year, that means companies will leave this country or postponing any new projects.  This is just the sort of thing we need to promote and keep in our country.  Keeping these companies here will not only benefit our nation for the good they do, but they will provide much needed jobs to our citizens.

We need to stop encouraging companies to move out of the United States, and we need to stop encouraging lifestyles that promote a negative impact to the environment.

I give President Bush kudos for mentioning this.  For realizing that with his term coming to an end he did not need to bow to the whims of Detroit and Oil.  I only wish we had leaders with the chutzpah to do this regardless of the affect on their political career.  I do like it when our political leaders stand up for something good, I just wish they would do it more often and when they can most make a difference.

The photo gallery on C/Net has plenty of interesting items.  I love the foldable solar panels, something I recently read about in the Uglies trilogy.  Then the wind turbine for personal residencies looked good as well.  I wonder what my father-in-law, a truck driver, might think of the Mack Truck in the first picture?

I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see my utility bills lowered and this planet to remain safe for my children.

–Lady O
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The first Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) finished up on Thursday. View a guided tour of the clean technologies on display.