Thu, Nov 15, 2007 (6:54 a.m.)

Congress and the White House have been struggling for most of the year to craft a national energy policy, with little to show for their efforts. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Senate and House leaders have predicted that, before Congress' Christmas break, lawmakers will agree on a modest energy package that will include some type of alternative fuel incentives and higher fuel-efficiency requirements for cars and trucks.

Nonetheless, President Bush and industry groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, would have us believe that the United States could help eliminate its dependence on foreign oil, and therefore exert control over its rising gasoline prices, by drilling in the oceans, the Arctic wilderness and the sensitive lands of the West.

But even if we started doing all of those things right now - and we shouldn't do any of those things because they create irreversible damage - it would have little or no effect on what we pay at the pump today or tomorrow.

There are no quick fixes to the complicated challenge of sating the world's ever-increasing energy demands. Oil prices are global, and the increasing number of people buying cars and gasoline in China and India, along with continued unrest in the Middle East, play roles in setting them.

Congress should continue working diligently toward a solid national energy policy that rewards conservation, aggressively supports the development of alternative fuels and demands improved efficiency for all types of motor vehicles.

The results of a comprehensive plan won't be noticeable overnight. A meaningful solution will take time. The best ways to immediately lower what we pay for gasoline are to drive less and drive smarter by carpooling, using mass transit when possible and combining our daily errands into the fewest trips.

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