Herr Calls for Energy Independence

With the escalating tensions in the Middle East, we are reminded, again,
how vulnerable we are as a nation because, despite warnings from many
quarters, we continue to depend on an increasingly unreliable source of
energy. It is time to reject an energy policy written by the oil industry
and throw our country's assets behind the development of alternative energy
sources within our borders, exhorted Congressional candidate Lois Herr, as
she reacted to the events in Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine.

Herr is running for the Pennsylvania 16th Congressional seat now occupied by
Joe Pitts. On her campaign website, www.loisherr.us, Herr says she will
call on Congress to enact a crash program of alternative energy development
and commercialization, including wind, biomass, solar and hydro. These
programs have proven that they work. They will help us become masters of own
destiny and create well paying jobs. She also advocates tax incentives to
encourage conservation and the development of a comprehensive national
strategy for mass transit.

During his 10-year tenure in the House, Rep. Pitts has voted for increased
oil drilling and refining capacity, and he has opposed legislation to create
incentives for development of alternative fuels.

Oil prices reached $78 per barrel on Friday, setting the stage for gasoline
prices to soar as high as $4 a gallon at the pump in the near future. The
galloping economies of energy-starved China and India will pressure prices
further, adding to the cost of imports of all goods to the US. The
benefits of expanding oil exploration are a matter for debate as consensus
grows that oil supplies are peaking worldwide.

The clock is ticking loudly, Herr says. The Republican majority in
Congress has focused their attention on pushing their conservative social,
oil corporation-friendly, agenda while ignoring the elephant in the room.
The technologies exist today to take advantage of solar, wind, geothermal,
and biofuel energies. We have the agricultural resources to provide the
foundation of a renewable energy industry that can sustain our way of life
for the near term and begin to heal the environment in the long term. Must
we wait to have the oil spigot shut off and our economy disrupted by
political instability in other parts of the world before we act in our own
self-interest It's not just a matter of prices at the pump, but of
national security and, perhaps, of survival itself.