MILLBROOK – With President Obama’s belief that off-shore drilling for oil must continue to provide a source of fuel, a member of his National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill said more safeguards must be put in place.

Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, addressed the Carey Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook Thursday night.

“We made a lot of recommendations on how to put in more safeguards in the drilling program,” she said. “I think one thing that’s clear to me, and I think it’s clear from the President’s messages; off-shore drilling is not going away in this country. It’s a fundamental part of our energy picture, so insuring that it is done as safely as possible and that the marine environment is protected in the process, is very, very important.”

From the NRDC’s perspective, Beinecke said renewable energy is a key component to the country’s future energy needs.