Obama, Japan find two sides to energy issue

Derided from the right for his supposed unwillingness to promote oil exploration, President Obama is now being blasted from the left for his decision to fast-track construction of the southern section of the Keystone XL, from Oklahoma to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.

Pipeline opponents hijacked a legitimate concern in Nebraska -- water quality in the Ogallala Aquifer -- in an attempt to stop the pipeline altogether, but succeeded in only delaying it, forcing the administration to deny approval under an artificial deadline imposed by his political opponents. A process is under way in Nebraska to find a new route, which is likely to eventually connect the Canadian tar sands source of oil with the pipeline boosted this week by Obama and southern refineries.

In another example of "green" proponents finding themselves on the "wrong" side of broad issues they support, owners of electric cars are finding themselves under fire in Japan.

That's because the electricity to power those cars has to come from somewhere.

In Japan's case, much of it comes from nuclear reactors -- or did, until they were shut down following the earthquake and tsunami that crippled a Fukushima reactor March 11, 2011, leaving the area radioactive for decades to come.

The Japanese government had planned on increasing the country's dependence on nuclear power to 50 percent, but following the tsunami, may have to be content with 30 percent as it restarts existing reactors.

Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto is a longtime opponent of nuclear power, is being attacked as a hypocrite because he appears in advertising promoting Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf electric car.

Critics also point to the high price of electric and hybrid cars, even with a federal tax credit, but the conflict points out the need for a balanced view of the whole energy question.

There's no free lunch. That electricity that powers everything from electric cars to iPads has to come from somewhere, and every source has its advantages and disadvantages -- coal, nuclear, wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal -- they all have economic and environmental costs when they are put into real-world use.

The truth is, we need a wide variety of energy sources and each must be allowed to rise and fall on its own merits, free from artificial constraints and political pressures.