Newly elected United States Representatives received a crash course on energy policies yesterday as part of a traditional event hosted by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The week-long seminar, intended to educate freshman Representatives about issues they will address in Congress, featured a presentation by U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers (D-MI) that was open to the press yesterday. Ehlers briefed 36 Representatives, who will start their terms in January, about energy policies.
Ehlers, while advocating alternative energy sources, said the new Representatives must work hard to explain the energy crisis to their constituents because energy issues are vague to most people.
“The only tangible measure of energy for the U.S. public shows up at the gas pump and in the utility bill,” he said.
Ehlers suggested Representatives explain the energy crisis to the public in terms of monetary savings, describing renewable resources like solar, wind and water power as “income” and nonrenewable resources like wood, coal and oil as “savings.”
“We are not living within our income,” he said. “We’re running out of savings, and that’s a terrible thing to do to our kids.”
Ehlers said experts estimate the world will reach its peak in oil production by 2010.
“That doesn’t mean it will be gone,” he said, “but it means we will have used up the cheap half.
“That is the issue you’re going to have to deal with the next 10 years in Congress,” he told the group, adding that Representatives will have to be proactive in finding alternatives to fossil fuel.
Kevin Gallagher, Associate Professor of International Relations at Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences, he agrees with Ehlers’ prognosis, arguing that capitalizing on solar and wind power, as well as biofuels, is vital to reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels.
“The United States could be a leader on all these fronts with some vision and a small fraction of the support that goes to fossil fuels,” he said in an email.
Ehlers said corn farmers would pressure the House to promote ethanol, but warned that it would not be “the best idea” to submit to those requests. He added, however, that the nation would have to find other ways to reduce consumption of nonrenewable resources.
“The cost of action today is no excuse for the cost of inaction,” he said.
Gallagher echoed Ehler’s sentiments and said, “not doing anything will eventually cost our economy serious money.”
This week marks the 17th time the JFK School of Government has hosted the event, coinciding with elections once every two years and educating Congressional newcomers.
“We bring them up for instructional briefings on a lot of subjects that are important to helping them do their job down [in Washington],” Institute spokesman Esten Perez said.
Perez said meeting to discuss issues like energy policy helps Representatives from all party affiliations interact for the first time.
“It’s a great chance for them to develop relationships with each other that hopefully will continue once they’re down [in Washington],” he said.
Throughout the conference, Representatives also attended briefings on issues ranging from the federal budget and the appropriations process to balancing family and work responsibilities, Perez said.
“They see the value in it,” he said.
Perez said Harvard invites all newly elected Congressmen.
“We don’t get perfect attendance, but we get a strong turnout,” he said.
Thursday’s session, which was the only part of the conference open to the media, attracted about a dozen current Harvard undergraduate students as well. The conference invited Harvard students because the Institute of Politics aims to encourage young people to consider careers in politics, Perez said.
“Putting them in the same room with these new lawmakers who are so excited” inspires the students, Perez said.
Perez said the sessions’ success may be judged by how active the new Representatives are at the conference, and said the Representatives this year were “really engaged.”
“You were the best class I’ve ever had,” Ehlers told the attendees.
73-year-old Ehlers, who joked about leaving Congress soon, said the new Representatives would be challenged by energy issues.
“I wish you all better luck than I’ve had in solving this problem,” he said.