Policy debate heats up Kane

Kayla Webley
2004-10-05
The Daily

A panel of environmental experts gathered in Kane Hall last night to hear the people speak.

About 300 people packed the lecture hall, filling every seat, with many finding places in the aisles, to participate in "The People Speak: A Discussion of America's Role in the World."

The event, sponsored by the United Nations Foundation in conjunction with numerous other organizations, is part of a national discussion series. The series is designed to give Americans the opportunity to discuss issues raised at events (such as the presidential debate) with experts, said Jennifer Lindenauer of the United Nations Foundation.

The series features more than 4,000 discussions on a wide range of topics. The discussion takes place in all venues, including coffee shops, high schools, universities and community groups across the nation. Last night's discussion was one of the 24 keynote events in the series moderated by ABC News.

Last night's topic, "How Our Energy Choices Affect Our Environment," featured a panel of three ecological experts who shared their views on how to protect the environment as well as fielding concerns from the eager audience.

Panelists included Sandra Archibald, UW Dean of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, Ernest Moniz, former undersecretary of the Department of Energy, and Bill Ruckelshaus, the first administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency when it was formed in 1970.

The panel argued the necessity for the United States to take the lead when it comes to improving energy problems across the world.

"We are the most powerful nation on Earth, and if we don't do something about this problem nothing is going to happen," said Ruckelshaus.

Ruckelshaus pointed a finger at the failure of recent presidential administrations to fulfill promises when it came to an energy policy.

"The last seven presidents, when they ran, said they would devise a national energy strategy, and they haven't," he said.

Ruckelshaus, said the Bush Administration's attempt at devising an energy policy have been non-transparent and because of this, will never work.

"They have gone all the way to the Supreme Court to keep it secret," he said. "That will not work. You've got to open these things up. You can't do this behind closed doors."

The panel advocated combining energy issues with security as part of the same plan.

"We've got to start drawing the links between security issues, environmental issues and energy issues," said Archibald. "We have to point out these long term issues and how they connect to security, not separate them."

Moniz agreed, saying the energy bill of 2005 should encompass oil and climate issues into one bill, effectively titled the "Energy and Security Bill of 2005."

The panel closed with the emphasis on the need for a dramatic change in energy policy, under whoever fills the office of the president after the election.

"We need an energy technology program which is much more aggressive than what we have now," said Ruckelshaus.