A National Challenge

Op-Ed

A National Challenge

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation and laid out a bold challenge to put a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth - and to do it in less than 10 years. "Unreasonable" Americans called it, and "absurd." To put a man where no human had stepped before, using technology that was not developed, and to do it in less than ten years was impossible. But what we saw come out of that decade was a nation that continued to defy the odds and achieve the seemingly impossible, who rose to the challenge once again and changed the course of history.

I still remember listening to the radio in my car as a young teenager when on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong opened the door of Apollo 11 and set his foot where no man in history had stepped before. In that one step, he embodied the very essence of America -combining dreams with hard work and dedication to achieve the seemingly impossible.

With gas prices soaring and no end in sight, I have thought a lot about that lunar challenge in relation to the way we are approaching our energy problem here in the United States. We hear a lot of rhetoric, but as families and individuals across the nation can attest, rhetoric does not offer valid hope for a solution to a problem that is having such a personal impact on Americans.

There are only really three ways that we can change the price at the pump. 1) We increase our oil supply; 2) We decrease our oil usage through conservation; or 3) We develop alternative fuels to replace oil. Perhaps the most frustrating thing to Americans about these three options is that consumers really only have control over option number two - conserving. While this is a fine option and it is readily available right now, consumers lack control over the other two major options that have the most direct impact on the price of gas.

The federal government is the only entity that can do anything about options one or three. I support increasing our supply through drilling for domestic oil, offshore drilling, and increasing refinery capacity. Just in the past two years, I have voted to increase supply 14 times. Unfortunately, the current Congressional leadership has repeatedly voted against increasing supply, resulting in the $4-per-gallon price you see at the pump today.

The third option is to increase our use of alternative energy, which requires a major investment in research and development. America is lacking direction in this area, but it holds the most promise for our future energy security as a nation. Our American characteristics of imagination and hard work are still there. We just need a unified, national challenge and a goal to work toward to get there.

Just this week I introduced a bold initiative that will undoubtedly challenge the United States in a significant way. If the goals of this initiative are met, it will get at the very core of our energy problem and we will be an energy independent nation. The "New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence" challenges the United States to achieve 50% energy independence in ten years and 100% energy independence in 20 years. To achieve this goal, the New Manhattan Project will bring together the best and brightest scientists in our nation in a competitive format to effectively research one of seven established energy goals and will award significant prizes to any group, school, team, or company who reaches the goal. Any American citizen can participate, and the first person to meet the goals as determined by a New Manhattan Project commission of scientists will receive the respective prize. These goals are not easy. The processes to reach them are not simple. And many Americans may think them impossible. But if we do reach them, we will move closer to energy independence and begin a new way of life in the United States.

Why the "New Manhattan Project"? First, because it will inspire a new generation of math, science, and engineering students, scientists, and researchers to overcome a common national challenge. Second, because it was the original Manhattan Project in the midst of World War II that brought together the best scientists and researchers to solve one of the most challenging scientific missions to face our nation - and by pure hard work and dedication to a unified mission, they succeeded. We can do it again.

Some may call it "unreasonable" and "absurd." Some may say the task is too great and find themselves more comfortable pointing fingers and simply complaining. But I believe in the greatness of America and the American people, and I know that greatness finds its birth in our values and our refusal to quit. Perhaps the New Manhattan Project will write a new page in our history books reflecting once again that the size of our accomplishments is only limited by the size of our doors.

Protect Your Property

Major disasters can occur at anytime and sometimes without any warning. Whether it be an earthquake, fire, flood, or thunderstorm, you and your family, along with your home and property can be in danger. To protect yourself and your property, follow these tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross on how to prepare and care for yourself during emergencies.

Get Informed
You can obtain hazard information that is specific for where you live. You should be aware of community, school and workforce plans for warnings and evacuation.

Be Prepared
Install smoke detectors to warn of an apartment or home fire. Have your house inspected by a building inspector or architect to find out what structural improvements could prevent or reduce major damage from disasters. Contact your local fire department to have them evaluate your property and make suggestions on how to improve safety. Also, have the local utility come to your location and show you how and where to shut off gas lines or how to elevate utilities to get them above a possible flood.

Determine your Risk
It is important to fully understand your home and property's risk to flood and other natural disasters. Identify possible hazards and emergencies in your area. Check out flood maps to see if your property is at risk.

Make Sure Your Property is Fully Covered
It is important to know what coverage you may need and what coverage is available to protect your property against all natural hazards. Find out what is the standard home owners insurance policy and if there are different types of policies and which policy is best for you and your home. Make sure you know exactly what disasters are covered and which ones aren't.

Buy Flood Insurance
Flood insurance is the best protection that home and business owners have against the devastating financial losses that floods cause.

Prepare Financially for Disasters
Set aside money in an emergency fund. Keep your emergency funds in a safe, easily accessible account, such as a passbook savings account or a money market account. Keep all of your important financial and family documents in a safe place; you'll need accessible records for tax and insurance purposes.

Obtain "How-to" Guides
If you aren't sure whether your business is at risk from disasters caused by natural hazards, check with your local building official, city engineer, or planning and zoning administrator. They can tell you whether you are in an area where hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, or tornadoes are likely to occur. Also, they usually can tell you how to protect yourself, your house, business and property from the different hazards.

For more information on protecting your property, visit:
 The Disaster Services page on the American Red Cross Web site at: http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_605_,00.html#keepingcash.
 Visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site at http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm.
 The Insurance Information Institute Web site at: http://www.iii.org/.

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