Set America Free Notes&Comments

Gal Luft co-founder of the Set America Free Coalition was nominated by Esquire magazine as one of America’s “best and brightest” for 2007. Luft who is also executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security was one of six honorees for 2007 who were invited by Esquire to speak in New York at its 2007 Best and Brightest Forum.

For more than a year, Esquire editors researched and interviewed scores of experts for its annual list showcasing the top minds in the worlds of science, culture, education and the arts. Luft was described by the magazine’s editors as “one of America’s most dogged advocates of energy independence.”

A key victory in the battle to break America’s dependence on foreign oil. By a vote of 63-30, the Senate approved an amendment to H.R. 6, The CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, sponsored by a bi-partisan group of Senators.

The language of the amendment is part of the Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy (DRIVE) Act, which is based on the Set America Free Blueprint and is aimed to reduce U.S. oil use by seven million barrels per day in 20 years – more than twice what we import from the Middle East today.

“The passage of this amendment is a key victory in the battle to break America’s dependence on foreign oil and strengthen our national security,” said Senator Joe Lieberman. “The United States of America today holds only 1.5 percent of the world’s oil reserves. A large portion of the world oil reserves are held by nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, Russia and Libya. We cannot leave our national and economic security dependent on a resource that lies largely in the hands of others – including other nations that are either volatile or undemocratic or aligned against the United States.”

The amendment would direct the Executive Branch to identify within 9 months, and to announce within 18 months, federal requirements in order to achieve a 2.5 million barrel-per-day reduction in U.S. oil consumption by 2016, a 7 million barrel-per-day reduction by 2026, and a 10 million barrel-per-day reduction by 2031; and direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to publish an analysis identifying the oil savings projected to be achieved by each measure to be announced, and demonstrating that the listed measures will achieve the overall specified oil-savings. It also includes specific requirements for the Executive Branch to evaluate, review, and update the action plan.

Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane experts Philip Klotzbach and Dr. William Gray issued their updated forecast for the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season. In their report released on the Tropical Meteorology Project website, the CSU forecasters continue to forecast an active hurricane season across the Atlantic and Caribbean basins. Klotzbach and Gray cite expected cool neutral or weak-tomoderate La Niña conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and above average Tropical and North Atlantic sea surface temperatures as the main factors in their above average forecast for the Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season, which starts on June 1st and continues through November 30th.

In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their prediction for the upcoming hurricane season on May 22nd in correlation with Hurricane Preparedness Week. Their forecast also calls for above average tropical system activity across the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans, with the governmental division expecting 13 to 17 named storms, 7 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes. NOAA cites above average Atlantic sea surface temperatures and the possible development of a La Niña episode in the equatorial Pacific Ocean as the main factors for the expected heightened activity for the season.

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel was the only Democratic candidate in last week’s presidential debate who did not sympathize with complaints about high gas prices. He said that as president, he would not to anything to reduce prices at the pump but instead would confront the issue of U.S. dependency on foreign oil.

In a refreshingly candid response Gravel said, “We Americans have to grow up. If we want to get off the dependency in the Middle East, we have to own up to the problem, these things cost money.”