Unity is essential: more than ever, we need an energy policy. (Editorial).(Editorial)

A full year after the attack of September 11th, the Congress is still struggling over energy policy and homeland security. A little over two years ago, I heard columnist Frank Gaffney, who specializes in foreign and defense policy matters, speak about the relationship between the two at a Johnson Controls-United States Energy Association Forum in 2000. I remember being impressed but sort of smugly thinking that he was talking about international policy or economic warfare-sanctions, for example. I never expected that the war would strike so close to home.

At the time, Gaffney, who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy during the Reagan administration, pointed out that our growing dependence on imported oil, especially from the Iraqis under Saddam Hussein, would be a problem. Today, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is making just the same point.

According to the NRDC:

* U.S. oil imports for the first six months of this year averaged 10.3 million barrels per day, accounting for 53% of our total supply

* More than 21% of total imports came from the Persian Gulf, including more than 600,000 barrels per day from Iraq

* Total imports from the Persian Gulf and Iraq were higher during the first six months of 2002 than they were during the same period in 2000

The U.S. has struggled without success to reduce its level of oil imports. The NRDC encourages fuel conservation, and in particular, seems distressed about the lack of a more aggressive Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard for cars and trucks. True energy independence will take more than stricter CAFE standards, and the NRDC, to be sure, takes a stance on many of these other energy ...