Caught a bit of Lou Dobbs' show on CNNfn tonight. In addition to our electrical grid needing a serious overhaul, turns out our water system is similarly antiquated. Upwards of $250 billion needs to be spent in the coming years (as many as 20 years, I guess) upgrading and replacing water mains, etc. Most states expect water shortages within 10 years.
A pet peeve of mine is the lack of greater progress in moving toward alternative sources of energy. Bush's initiative is better than his predecessors have offered, but still woefully inadequate. I'd love to hear a politician/president promise to rid us of our dependence on fossil fuels in 20 years, like JFK promising to get us to the moon in 10. We need vision and a willingness to ask for sacrifices and commitments to take on these long-term challenges. We are an incredibly resilient and adaptable society here in the U.S., but these potential and real problems could prove daunting if left unaddressed.
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