MEGAN LEE Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Saturday, March 8, 2008 12:00 am
America needs an "Apollo Project" to create a mix of energy sources that would include coal along with solar, wind and biodiesel, Sen. Barack Obama said in Casper Friday.
In an interview focusing mainly on Wyoming economic and environmental issues, the Democratic presidential hopeful said he is committed to federal funding for clean coal technology development.
Obama supports a cap-and-trade system in which the rights to emit greenhouse gases can be bought and sold, and he said he hopes to fund clean-coal technology with some of the resulting revenue.
"I think that a lot of those jobs and a lot of that work should go into those states that are most familiar with these energy resources," Obama said. "If we do that, then not only do I think that we can create good jobs here in Wyoming, but I also think we could end up creating economic opportunities for export to countries like China that are gonna need ways of dealing with the side effects of carbon as well."
Obama admitted lacking details about legislation to make 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range off-limits to energy development. But he said the federal government must recognize the range of interests in public lands and "strike the right balance" among them.
"I will say this - that the natural beauty of Wyoming is a national treasure, and I would not want to see economic development strategies that over the long term would diminish it," Obama said. "It's that part of Wyoming that makes it so special."
The candidate said Wyomingites shouldn't be nervous about losing gun rights under an Obama administration.
"I think that if you are a legal, responsible gun owner, you have nothing to fear," he said.
Obama was noncommittal, however, about whether the National Park Service should end its ban on loaded guns in national parks.
"In wilderness areas where you know there's hunting, people take precautions," he said. "In national parks, people aren't expecting to have to take those same precautions. There are kids running around. I think there are a whole set of issues that I'd want to examine."
While Wyoming is a heavily Republican state, Obama said his campaign should appeal to the Cowboy State's conservative voters, especially on issues concerning fiscal responsibility.
"George Bush has increased our national debt by $4 trillion," Obama said. "That's not being good stewards of the economy and I think we can do a lot better."
Obama said he hopes the Democratic Party will gain influence in the state by focusing on issues important to Wyomingites.
"I think that the West is changing and I certainly want to make sure that the Democratic Party is attentive to the issues of the West," he said, "because I think we can do very well as long as we're listening to local people and not trying just to impose cookie-cutter solutions from Washington all the time."
Earlier, at a town hall meeting, Obama said he would review all of President Bush's executive orders in an effort to restore the rule of law in the White House.
"We are going to overturn those that were unconstitutional," he said, including orders authorizing warrantless wiretaps. "We are going to overturn those that are unnecessary."
Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com