A thriving domestic energy market is critical to our national security, necessary for a growing economy, and good for the global environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Poor nations cannot afford to value environmental protection more highly than such basic goods as food or health care. If poor nations are to increase environmental protection, they must first increase their wealth.
Free trade is a necessary component in catalyzing economic growth.
Therefore, free trade is critical in providing the economic means that will enable countries to adopt measures that enhance their protection of the environment. As the nation braces to deal with the national security threat of terrorism, Washington must ensure an adequate supply of oil from reliable sources at reasonably stable prices. While it is unlikely that the United States will ever be self-sufficient in meeting its oil needs, greater diversity of oil imports would reduce market instability and prices paid by consumers. President Bush's national energy plan emphasizes the importance of strengthening U.S. trade alliances with major oil producers and greater oil production in the Western Hemisphere, Africa, the Caspian Sea region, and other regions with abundant oil resources. The Bush plan sets forth a process for enhancing domestic supplies of energy, upgrading the nation's aging infrastructure, increasing energy efficiency, advancing renewable and alternative fuels, and increasing the diversity of supply.