In this time of wide partisan divides, I think there is something that everyone -whether they're Democrat, Republican, or Independent - agree on! I think we agree that the economic and environmental future of this nation depends on our development of clean, new, domestic energy technologies.
What does this mean in practice? To me, it means encouraging the best and brightest minds in the private sector to focus on developing these new technologies. It means public-private partnerships, where the government participates by giving green technology developers and entrepreneurs access to information and tax incentives to come up with new ideas and get them into the marketplace.
It means moving towards carbon neutral technologies for our energy like nuclear, solar and wind power. It means looking at new ideas like algae-based fuel, an incredibly promising technology that is clean, renewable and can fit seamlessly with our current petroleum-based infrastructure. It also means ending our reliance on foreign dictators for oil, and to this end, I passed a new law to help bring better and cheaper electric vehicles to market.
Additionally, working to improve our environment means fighting against shams designed as "good environmental practices" such as ethanol which is the equivalent of environmental snake oil and so-called "clean coal" which is as realistic as safe cigarettes.
Finally, I strongly believe that we must match this commitment to green energy with a commitment to protect our environment. During my time in Congress, I have spearheaded efforts to protect our local shorelines from erosion and to reduce water pollution across the nation, and I will continue to strongly supported other efforts to protect our environment and preserve it's clean and natural beauty for the next generation.