Energy insecurity

In recent years, a parade of business and military leaders has tried to rally support for a more responsible national energy policy. Perhaps the Bush administration, with a nudge from a new Congress chosen by voters last month, will finally take notice in 2007.

Among the most vocal advocates for change is the Energy Security Leadership Council, which is stepping up its campaign to focus attention on America’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

The council is led by FedEx Chairman Frederick W. Smith and retired Marine Corps Commandant P.X. Kelley. Other members include the chief executive officers of Dow Chemical, United Parcel Service and Waste Management, as well as quite a few former high-ranking military officers.

In a letter to Congress and the president, Smith and Kelley stress how vulnerable our nation has become because of its continued reliance on oil, particularly imports.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune