Commentary: Hypocritical Congress Ignores Energy Efficiency

(LWN) Although more and more people are becoming concerned about the potential consequences of climate change, oil depletion, and pollution, the U.S. Congress continues to pay no more than lipservice to these issues, on the rare occasions when it is not enjoying yet another vacation. While other countries’ governments are enforcing a change-over to far more efficient fluorescent lightbulbs and taking other serious measures to promote energy efficiency, the United States is moving toward the construction of additional coal and nuclear power plants to satisfy its massively wasteful electrical demands.

According to a report by Central Florida’s channel 13 news, Florida is planning to build two new nuclear power plants, which will generate nuclear waste which remains radioactive for near-eternity. The report quoted an environmentalist as pointing out that Congress has provided “billions of dollars in incentives” to the nuclear power industry, along with the Florida legislature. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported on August 1st that several large coal power plants are to be constructed in Nevada, despite the fact that they produce more pollution than almost any other type of power generation.


While the U.S. Congress is not bothered by permanent radioactive waste, the dangers of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), wind turbines, and fuel efficiency requirements for automobiles do seem to concern them. A few Congressmen have supported or introduced a bill to eventually prohibit the sale of incandescent lightbulbs, but it has not been voted on despite being introduced many months ago. Bills to require enhanced fuel efficiency have been weakened and compromised. A column by Congressman Mark Souder in early July claimed that “isolated” liberals with “extreme policies” are promoting fuel-efficiency legislation which “threatens area jobs” and could “cripple our economy.” According to statssheet.com, Senator Ted Kennedy has called wind turbines “unsightly and a threat to birds”, and the Knoxville News Sentinel reported in June that Senator Lamar Alexander also referred to them as “unsightly” and said they were “not for Tennessee.” An online blog written by Texas Congressman Michael Burgess on August 6th made much of the danger presented by the small amount of mercury contained in CFL bulbs. Yet the Congress didn’t seem to be worried about the hazardous materials contained in televisions or the “unsightly” aspect of cell phone towers scattered across the landscape, when passing legislation to force a transition to digital television broadcasting in 2009.

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