Montana should stand up for energy independence
Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester, and Rep. Matt Rosendale:
You all three have been elected to represent all residents of Montana and share in responsibility to make good decisions relating to governing the future of our country. Now is the time to stand up and let your voices, peacefully and lawfully, be heard through action not just words.
Yes, what you did in acquitting Donald Trump was important but do not let it get in your way of proceeding with the business at hand of governing our future through your actions as our representatives. This will no doubt require talking to each other on both sides of the Isle and reaching compromises that will achieve the actions you are responsible for.
First on the agenda should be putting a stop to this madness of running our country through executive orders. The madness of:
Stopping construction of our future pipe lines.
Stopping of the leasing of our public lands for the discovery and development of our petroleum resources.
Stopping of construction of the border wall security system that will enable securing our borders from illegal immigration.
Stopping the utilization of our natural resources including fossil fuels for the generation of electricity.
Granting of immunity to illegal immigrants and supporting of these illegal immigrants and supporting economically and health wise these illegal immigrants is not in the best interest of our country.
Energy independence is central to our national security so do not allow our current administration to put us back into the need for importing petroleum products for foreign sources that have the ability to gouge higher prices from us and limit supplies. Continuation of this policy must immediately come to an end as our national security is at stake here. Our sustained economic growth and our immediate energy needs are highly dependent on the use of fossil fuels. We must not allow the current administration to issue orders that will immediately put restraints on the use of these energy sources.
If you don’t believe this look at what is going on now regarding our ability to just stay warm. Our under designed and poorly maintained electrical grid system is not able to stay up with demand now and will be further tested and proved inadequate if the administration has its way in reducing the use of fossil fuels and immediately converting to renewable energy sources that cannot respond to immediate demand loads. Solar power systems stop working when the sun goes down, plain and simple. Reliance on solar power and wind generation as sole sources of power is not a workable system.
If you do not accept this truth, ask the people living in Texas and go spend a few nights without a reliable heat source. Biden’s solution of “ put another log on the fire” will not work. That log was made available to him through labor, transport, splitting, etc., all involving the use of petroleum resources. Limiting and reducing dependence on petroleum resources will require very long term planning and building of infrastructure to supplement future power systems.
The time to “Stand up and be counted” is now. Live up to the responsibilities we entrusted you with. Make the changes needed to make our democratic system work.
James Malone lives in Kalispell