Hypocrisy over energy policy

You may have seen Steven Chu, Department of Energy Secretary, testifying before a Congressional Committee last week on gas prices. This guy, a former Berkeley physics professor who says he doesn’t own a car, admitted that the Obama Administration wasn’t really concerned about rising gas prices, but was more focused on “developing alternative, renewal energy sources.”

Chu must have gotten his wrist slapped by the White House, because the very next day he was back in the hot seat, saying that, oh yes, he and President Obama were committed to lowering gas prices. This is the same Steven Chu who said publicly in 2008 that the U.S. needs to “somehow” get gas prices as high as they are in Europe, meaning $8 to $10 a gallon.

Not to be outdone, President Obama mocked Fox reporter Ed Henry when Henry asked a legitimate question about soaring gasoline prices. Obama’s answer: “Does anyone out there really think that a sitting president wants increased gas prices?”

Well, we don’t know, Mr. President. Why don’t you just answer the question?

(Obama is on tape, saying matter-of-factly that electricity costs would “skyrocket” under his ill-fated “cap and trade” venture that was defeated by Republicans.)

At one of his 140-plus campaign events, where he jets around the country in Air Force One and drums up campaign money, Obama poked fun at Republican plans for more oil drilling in the U.S., saying that this prospective oil and gas is “not a plan,” but merely “a bumper sticker.”

Then, almost in his next sentence he stated that, “under my administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years.”‘

Obama failed to mention a few pertinent details. Such as the fact that on federal lands, oil production declined 11 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to the Institute for Energy Research. Production on state and private lands increased 14 percent. Natural gas production on federal lands dropped 27 percent since 2009, yet increased 28 percent on state and private lands. The president ignored everything done in the energy sector by the Bush Administration, and actually took credit for it.

This is the same President Obama who, according to Rich Lowry of National Review, has decreased on-shore exploration 35 percent from the Bush Administration and 70 percent from the Clinton Administration!

He has obstructed drilling off both coasts, from the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and reduced permitting to a slow crawl in the Gulf of Mexico. He has almost single-handedly blocked construction of the XL Pipeline. Obama congratulated Brazil, however, on that country’s off-shore oil leases, promising that the U.S. is ready to buy oil from Brazil.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration throws billions in taxpayer money at companies it has chosen in its undying devotion to “green energy.” (Think Solyndra, which went broke and cost taxpayers $535 million.) Two weeks ago, Obama was touting algae as the key to the energy future. He also likes the Chevy Volt, a $40,000-plus hybrid car, subsidized to the tune of $7,500 by taxpayers, and currently so unpopular that GM temporarily halted its production. (Eric Bolling, Fox Business analyst, test drove a Volt for one week and broke down twice in the Lincoln Tunnel!)

The Volt runs partially on electricity. Now, consider that approximately 50 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. is from coal. Do you remember during Obama’s last campaign when he promised to shut down coal-fired plants? Liberals love the Volt, hate coal-fired plants but fail to see the hypocrisy.

Meanwhile, Obama and the green zealots preach their religion of alternative energy. At this point, that could mean a return to “horse-and-buggy” days.

Tags: bernie kuntz, outdoors