There is simply one major issue: Clean energy independence.
We have to reduce the use of fossil fuels, pure and simple. If we don’t we are going to continue to foul this beautiful planet we all must share.
The Obama administration should begin a nationwide effort similar to getting a a man to the moon to develop solar, wind, tide, everything. There are already ambitions but achievable plans to develop huge solar arrays in the southwest US to use solar during the day to generate electricity. In addition some of the electricity would be used to pump caves full of high pressure air, which at night would be used to drive turbines to generate electricity. Why not?
Right now we are poisoning our planet at a rate that we dare not sustain. Fossil fuels are a major contributor.
not to mention the balance of trade problems, the funding of terrorism problems, supporting questionable regimes problem, ...
We need a full bore, balls to the wall effort to get out from under oil and all the environmental and geopolitical problems it brings.