Getting Serious About Use of Renewable Energy
Posted by
Kevin
There is a lot of talk in the United States about global warming, with even Republicans and some of their big business allies finally bowing to reality. But there ha snot been, so far, a lot concrete action. The Democratic controlled House did pass a bill rolling back some of the tax giveaways to extraction industries, but only 5.5 billion out of a possible 40 billion or so. Government policy does little to provide incentives for the use of alternative energies and even less to discourage the use of fossil fuels.
Compare that to the Danes:
Whether by issuing credits for energy efficiency, cutting registration fees on hydrogen-powered cars or increasing expenditures on clean fuel research, the government will make it easer for people to contribute to the national goal of 30 percent renewable energy by 2025.
The plan, presented Friday, would require a doubling of the amount of renewable energy currently used in Denmark. At the same time, fossil fuel use would be reduced by 15 percent.
Increasing the use of alternative fuels is precisely as simple as the Danes make it appear: create attractive incentives for people to use alternative energy, help providers create more efficient, less costly means of creating energy, and actively seek tro restrict usage of fossil fuels.
Global warming is real and it is largely caused by human activities. Anyone who denies these simple facts is so far from reality that they could not see it with the Hubble. The only questions that remain are how do we mitigate its extent and how do we deal with the damage it is going to cause. No matter what the complete answers to those questions are, it is clear that the sooner we start addressing them the less costly the solutions will be. the Danish government understands this. Unfortunately, neither major American party does.
The Dems are much better on this issue, but they still lack anything resembling a serious plan for moving the country away from fossil fuels, much less a serious plan for preparing the military, diplomatic corps, civil services for dealing with the consequences of the world to be created by global warming. If that is to change, then the environmental groups in this country will have to do a much better job of changing or co-opting the structural impediments to change. I’m not really hopeful, truth be told, which is one reason I am so anxious to see Gore in the race.
Both Colorado and New Hampshire have now agreed renewable energy targets. Progress is being made despite Bush and his big business allies.
Comment 4/15/2007