U. S. Energy Tsunami Coming, 27 Elder Statesmen Warn In Letter
A bipartisan group of 27 elder statesmen is sending an open letter to both presidential candidates and every member of Congress saying the country faces “a long-term energy crisis” that threatens the security and prosperity of future generations if swift action isn’t taken.
Thomas “Mack” McLarty, former White House chief of staff to President Clinton, said the letter emphasizes that “the next president is going to have to put energy right at the top of his agenda” and do it quickly.
“There will be a window there to build bipartisan consensus to move forward,” McLarty said in an interview.
The letter includes 13 broad recommendations. They include aggressively promoting energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, increased commitments to both nuclear energy and renewable energy sources, making coal more environmentally acceptable and moving transportation away from oil as a fuel.
Other senders of the letter include former Secretaries of State James A. Baker and George Shultz, former Defense Secretaries Frank Carlucci, William Cohen, William Perry and James Schlesinger; former senior White House advisers Howard Baker, Robert “Bud” McFarlane, Kenneth Duberstein and Brent Scowcroft; former Energy Secretaries James Watkins and Spencer Abraham; former CIA Director James Woolsey; former Commerce Secretary Donald Evans; former Democratic Sens. J. Bennett Johnston, Sam Nunn and Charles Robb; and former Republican Sen. George Allen.
Stumble It!