All the recent talk of tire gauges and energy plans had me thinking this morning about one of my greatest disappointments with the current administration. True, the list of disappointments is very long - epic, even - but one in particular has come to mind this week. In the days immediately following September 11th, our country was united in a way that we had never been in my brief lifetime, and will probably never be again. Our country, at that moment - and I can only speak for myself here - felt as if it was ready to do whatever was asked of it going forward to make sure that what had happened would never again happen, and that some measure of justice would be achieved.

That moment, particularly from the perspective of someone in my generation, was a huge inflection point in our lives. It felt like - and indeed was for many - a fork in the road. And it was the moment when the President and the leadership of our country should have stepped forward with a plan that would have allowed us all to take an active part, however small that part might have been, in placing ourselves and our country in a stronger, more secure position in the world. Instead of a plan, though, we were asked to pay fewer taxes and shop more. And here we are, almost seven years later, with $4.00+ gasoline and an unprecedented consumer debt level (not to mention the banks, the record deficit, the national debt, the cost of two wars, etc., ugh).

This has been written about recently with regards to Al Gore's spirited "Moonshot" speech on energy independence, but I also think that it is worth looking at through the lens of the current campaign. I saw in the last day or so a pundit mention that neither Obama nor McCain were really asking American voters to do anything that might cause them any pain, because it might cost them votes in November (and I apologize for not being able to relocate the video - I'll update if/when I find it or if a commenter can recall the clip to which I refer). I think the pundit is correct in her assessment of the candidates at this moment, and I think both campaigns are wrong for not being more aggressive on this issue.*

This global energy crisis is real - China, India, and the rest of the developing nations are not going to cut back on their energy demand any time soon - and it has affected and will continue to affect those in the middle and disadvantaged classes more than the privileged, simply based on the substantially higher proportion of real income needed to pay for food and fuel for those on the lower end of the income scale. This is a regressive problem to a large extent, and those most affected need to be actively engaged by the next administration in a way that will get them involved in solving it successfully.

I'm not sure that anyone is under any illusions at this point that substantially reducing our dependence on foreign oil is going to be a painless process. Americans will be much better off dealing with these difficulties actively than passively, and in a way that gives us some feeling of control over the ways in which we are affected. More importantly, active engagement gives us some tangible control over the ways in which we are affecting some positive change, however small. Maintaining a healthy morale if at all possible during this process will be crucial to our success.

Running "a Google" (heh.) of "conserve energy what you can do" brings up about 348,000 hits. It is vital that Americans are applying and promoting these measures themselves and taking initiative to act now. Also important, though, is that the next administration be involved from both a top-down, regulatory standpoint, and also a bottom-up, grassroots standpoint that is linked to our national security, our national well being, and good old fashioned American patriotism. Highlight and promote the patriotism inherent in energy conservation, and Americans will rally to the cause in even larger numbers.

Civic involvement of this type - a kind similar to the victory gardens and rationing on the Home Front during World War II - is what, to my eyes, Americans were craving for in the days following September 11th. It is a feeling that might be muted right now, but it is a feeling that should be engaged by the next administration. This problem is huge, and to compare it to the Apollo program de-emphasizes the degree to which the general public should be involved. The energy crisis affects all of us to some degree, and so we should all be taking steps, together, to help avert more serious problems down the road. The next administration can go a long way in motivating the American public to engage in this process.

I am in no way suggesting drastic action on an individual level - we can make great progress via relatively painless measures. But it should be abundantly clear that drastic consequences will affect more and more Americans as energy and food prices increase. The Joint Economic Committee** held a hearing on July 30 highlighting these stresses on the Middle Class and how increasing local efficiency standards and incentive programs might be the best way to avoid a full-blown energy crisis.

What I am suggesting is that the next administration build out a large program based on individual actions like making sure the tires on the family car(s) are properly inflated - which is a good idea, and one that works (as does McCain, apparently). Use the government to incentivize small, individual actions at the local level like home gardens, roof-top solar panels, better insulation, car pooling, shorter showers, etc. Show Americans that yes, they might have to change their behavior - even slightly - in ways we might have laughed off eight years ago. But those changes, if we stick with them, will mean rewards both to our bottom lines when bills come due and towards our greater national - and patriotic - goals of de-coupling from the petrodollar economic cycle and becoming more independent on a global level than we have been for decades.

That's something I would have been excited to hear in 2001, but am probably more excited to hear right now. We are at another fork in the road, and it is one of the most important we have ever faced as Americans (and as citizens of the world).

*I'm referring specifically to energy/environment stuff here, not Sen. Obama's proposed national service program. It should also be noted that Obama references the "go shopping" request by the Bush Administration that I mention in this column.

**Full Disclosure: I held a summer clerk position with the JEC this summer, ending on August 1. I was on staff when this efficiency hearing took place, but had no direct involvement in the preparation of materials/data, etc.