My SUV for a leader

BY PAUL WOOD, President/CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation

I was stuck in traffic not long ago with plenty of time on my hands. As I contemplated the bumper of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) in front of me, I realized I could not see over, under or around this behemoth. How was I supposed to see brake lights on the SUV in front of it … or the next one?

Let me say at the outset that I’m the former owner of three SUVs, and, yes, they have served me well. And so, I wondered as I sat there: just how did these gas-guzzling land barges become so popular in the first place, especially when most of their owners can recall the pain imposed by that first OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) oil embargo of October 1973?

At gas stations that fall, prices rose dramatically and lines stretched as far as the eye could see in some cities as inventory dropped.

OPEC members found out just how quickly they could influence world oil prices, and Americans discovered their government had lost its ability to control the nation’s economic destiny.

So what did we do? We reduced the federal speed limit to 55, extended daylight-saving time, and created a large federal agency where bureaucrats still sit and write national energy policies.

In other words, we turned a blind eye to the root of the problem, and soon forgot about the embargoes.

As soon as prices stabilized in the ’80s, baby boomers started looking for larger vehicles to transport their families, something that did not resemble their father’s station wagon. Manufacturers responded by putting a truck frame on a new kind of car—the sport utility vehicle. Some could carry an entire soccer team!

Of course, the SUV is not solely responsible for our increased oil consumption, but it is emblematic of our refusal to come to grips with a problem that continues to threaten our economy and, indeed, our national security. Since 1973, America has doubled the amount of oil it imports to meet its daily requirements. That is unacceptable to me.

So, what is the answer?

As each new candidate for president enters the 2008 race, they’ll be asking for our support. I encourage you to join me in asking them what they plan to do about getting America on a path to energy independence. I’m not talking about just reducing consumption; I’m talking about true energy independence.

There will be political risks for such a leader at the ballot box, but we voters must allow our president and those legislators with the political fortitude to follow him or her to take those risks without fear of retribution. That last step may be the hardest.

Many Americans remember President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 pledge to land a man on the moon by the end of that decade. His dream became a reality on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man” made a “giant leap for mankind.” Let’s encourage our next president to make a similar commitment to make America energy-independent. It is not too late for this generation to make amends to future generations for using so much oil—and maybe they will thank us also for getting the gas-guzzling SUVs off the road.