However, I remain frustrated by last week’s Republican obstructionism in the Senate. I agree with Sen. Reid that their actions are clearly counter to the will of the American people. In short, Americans hate the oil industry. They know that the oil industry is making record profits from their pain at the pump. A recent Gallup polls shows that a majority of Americans blame high gas prices on oil industry greed http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=27709. The Republican obstruction of the $32 billion tax package to shift subsides from oil to renewable energy is an indication of who has been “subsidizing” their campaigns.

The grand irony with this Republican position is their blind faith in “technology” as the panacea to the climate crisis. If you truly believe in technology and private sector innovation then it is time to offer up the proper economic incentives. How are small renewable energy companies going to stay afloat when pitted against the Goliath forces of the coal/gas/oil industries? Industries who make staggering profits AND are subsidized with our tax dollars!

To be fair the senate Republicans are partially right. Technology is a big part of the answer to the climate crisis, though not the only one. We have the technology RIGHT NOW to make significant cuts in our carbon output. It’s a matter of political will that prevents us from the implementation.

I trust that with the growing national consciousness of global climate change that Americans will demand more from their elected officials. We must let them know that we don’t want our tax dollars to fund our own demise. We want our money to promote small business, green jobs, smart innovation, and a sustainable future.