Bush Falls Short on Energy

In his Feb. 6 column, “At least Bush didn't push wind power,” Eric Peters didn't address the nation's top security and economic priority: rapidly approaching oil-energy shortages. Instead, Peters denigrated conservation and environmentalism, while congratulating President Bush for his State of the Union “plan” to reduce U.S. dependence on oil produced by unstable Middle Eastern regimes. “We also should be thankful that (Bush) didn't seek to buy green votes by overhyping the benefits of inefficient wind power,” Peters said.Wind is free. Thus wind power is a highly efficient alternative energy, which today produces 1 percent of the nation's electricity (2.4 million homes) and is approaching 60,000 megawatts worldwide. Alternative energies, such as wind power, increasingly compare favorably to oil, a commodity that is being depleted over the entire planet. But Bush's $2.77 trillion budget does not plan an Apollo-type energy program to reduce U.S. dependence on oil or to conserve remaining oil.

CHARLES A. ANDRADE

Galloway

Letter published in Press of Atlantic City, February 17, 2006