WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON - Charts at the ready, notes spread out before him, Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett begins another address in the House of Representatives on the dangers of America's dependence on oil.
The Western Maryland Republican has given nearly 50 such speeches at the Capitol in the past three years, most of them variations on a theme: that a coming decline in petroleum production, coupled with growing demand for energy, will have a calamitous impact on the global economy.
"The world as a whole, and our country included, has appeared to behave as if these fossil fuels were inexhaustible," the former university professor lectures. "What we'll see shortly is that - as everyone will know, if you stop and think about it - that oil is finite."
This should be Bartlett's moment. With concerns growing about the impact of the use of fossil fuels on climate change, officials warning about the national security implications of relying on foreign oil, and the price of gasoline surpassing $4 a gallon, energy has become the nation's leading domestic political issue.
The 16-year House veteran has long prepared for the debate. A research scientist and inventor - he has a doctorate in human physiology and holds patents on breathing equipment used by astronauts, pilots and firefighters - he has spent years talking about, and getting ready for, a looming crisis.
As a developer, he has been building houses with passive solar energy since the 1980s. His farmhouse in Frederick is warmed by a combination of solar energy and a wood stove; a second home in West Virginia is off the grid entirely.
He became the first member of Congress to drive a hybrid when he bought a Toyota Prius in 2000. He founded the Congressional Peak Oil Caucus five years later to promote conservation and investment in alternative energy sources.
But on this afternoon, the House chamber is virtually empty. The legislative week is over, and Congress has left town. C-SPAN will record his presentation, but few, if any, of his colleagues will ever see it.
As the discussion around rising energy costs degenerates into a partisan debate over where to drill next, Bartlett is having trouble getting a hearing.
"It is a little disappointing to see the lack of interest in Roscoe's depth of knowledge on this issue," says Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, a fellow Maryland Republican. "He tries to educate the leadership on both sides, Democrats and Republicans. Unfortunately, they don't listen closely enough."
