It’s laughable that conservatives are trying to pin the blame for high gas prices on liberal environmental policies. During the oil shock of the 1970s, many Americans recognized the need to shift to clean energy. But for decades, conservatives fought every step of the way, epitomized by President Ronald Reagan’s removal of White House solar panels in 1986.
As a result, we have not made the gradual energy transition that would have prevented the current crisis. By keeping America dependent on fossil fuels, conservatives left us vulnerable to the whims of the global oil market. They shirked responsibility and dropped the tab for transition into the laps of young people. Young Americans of all political stripes will end up paying for the consequences of our delay.
That was a choice made by old conservatives. And now, after bringing us the current crisis, they are trying to pass the blame as well as the buck.
Ethan Perry
Duluth
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The Trust Project
