Energy: A Shrinking Supply of Information

Re “Probe of Energy Task Force Ends,” Aug. 26: It is an outrage that Vice President Dick Cheney has successfully stonewalled the General Accounting Office by refusing it information on the energy task force he headed. And where does The Times put this information? On Page A17. It should be on the front page.

In fact, Cheney’s underhanded, willful manipulation of the energy crisis is the root cause of California’s present financial disaster. We should have a special prosecutor to force Cheney to comply. Why are the media not pursuing this story? Where are the Democrats? Are we going to stand idly by while our country goes down the tubes?

Metche F. Franke

Laguna Woods

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The Bush-Cheney administration has only one tune on its jukebox: Hand over the natural resources of the U.S. to the oil companies that put them in office (Aug. 21). Pesky little problems like a California electorate that prefers not to stand ankle-deep in oil spills on its beaches can be solved by shutting down the state’s right to have any say. Wow, that’s some audacious statesmanship, Mr. Bush -- environmental policy by sledgehammer.

Gloria J. Richards

Simi Valley

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The Carter administration over 25 years ago called for energy independence. It’s time to face the facts that oil reserves worldwide are depleting quickly. The U.S. probably has 20 years left, and the Middle East 35 to 40 years. In reality we can discount oil from the Middle East as a stable source of energy. The one guarantee we have is that oil prices will continue to climb based simply on supply and demand. Disposable income for normal goods and services will drop with every increase in oil prices. Unemployment will skyrocket along with our national debt.

The answer is a quick transition to renewable energy resources. An energy transition to renewable solar-hydrogen resources would resolve the problem. It would also resolve the problem of greenhouse gases, acid rain, etc. The transition would rival the automobile industry when production was in full swing. There is very little time left to act.

Patrick L. Paulsen

Arroyo Grande