Economic Crisis and the Environment

There is a saying that what goes up must come down. However, in regards to the state of the economy, what went down must eventually come back up. There has been talk in the Obama administration of a "green economy", and that is one of the goals for his administration. In a speech made on March 19, 2009 he said, "So we have a choice to make.  We can remain one of the world's leading importers of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that would allow us to become the world's leading exporter of renewable energy.  We can let climate change continue to go unchecked, or we can help stop it.  We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity."

It would seem it is in the best interest of our national economy to work toward the integration of all forms of renewable resources on American soil. This integration of renewable resources into our economy has been debated; with some saying the actions taken by the president have been "unconstitutional". However, the green economy is constitutional with the use of the necessary and proper clause in addition to the commerce clause to defend legislative and executive action.

The "green economy", and reshaping the economy to be such, falls under commerce. There are proposed carbon taxes in order to minimize carbon in the business sector and provide monetary incentive to move toward sustainable development. Congress is given the power to regulate commerce, and because commerce isn't defined there is room for interpretation. The green economy is comprised of commerce; the creation and selling of renewable energy, the creation of jobs, etc.

The necessary and proper clause gives Congress and the president the ability to execute any legislation that is required to dutifully carry out their obligation to the state, the nation, and their constituents.  It is necessary to maintain environmental standards in order to create a high quality environment, which is necessary to have a high standard of living. We are entitled by the Declaration to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and it is crucial that our environment remains at a standard by which we can have those rights.

Since we have justification for the economic integration of renewable energy in the United States, we must defend the idea of such integration. One of the first reasons the integration of renewable resources is so important to the economy is the promise of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. The reduced dependence on foreign oil would benefit us two-fold. If we look at our national expenditures, our dependence on foreign oil increases the amount of money in our Federal Reserve going overseas. From 2004 to 2008, oil bought overseas under the price control of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Countries (OPEC) cost us $1.9 trillion. This is a national expenditure which must be reduced in order to end our massive, and accumulating, debt.

Not only would the integration save us money in a time where we need to watch our resources, it would also benefit our national security. Many people attribute our involvement in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan to the need for their oil. If we were to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, they wouldn't have such an influential bargain chip in international affairs. The first national crisis in regards to oil occurred in 1973 when OPEC placed an oil embargo "in response to the U.S decision to resupply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. Generating and utilizing renewable resources on American soil would make us self-sufficient and therefore not as vulnerable to such tactics.

Now, the integration of renewable energy must utilize several if not all of the available technologies. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of renewable energy source. Some are specific to particular areas of the nation. For example, solar and wind farms depend on the climate of the areas they are built in. The chart presented below is biased toward marine currents; however, it does present a simple and compact representation of the possible energy sources at our fingertips.  It is easy to see fossil and nuclear isn't the answer, but the use of multiple renewable resources is. Also, if we develop and perfect these options, we will be selling the technology, instead of buying the technology from other nations, such as China.

We have the technology to create a green economy, and regain a sense of economic stability. The United States is no longer the leader of the world economy. American currency has dropped in value because of our heavy reliance on OPEC and foreign oil. If we can reduce our dependency, and utilize renewable energy from American soil, our economy will strengthen. If we, as a nation, become self-sustainable in regards to energy, then we have the opportunity to once again be the superior economy in foreign affairs.

Caitlin Poor

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