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BOULDER, Colorado, US, August 31, 2005
(Refocus Weekly)
The United States should launch a national public
education campaign to promote renewable energies, states a
recommendation from the American Solar Energy Society.
“Public education represents the ultimate in voluntary action,”
it explains in the final version of ‘Common Sense: Making the
Transition to a Sustainable Energy Economy.’ The policy statement
was prepared to “provide a better understanding of the need to
exchange the nation’s current fossil and nuclear fuel standards for
an energy economy based upon clean, available, renewable domestic
energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal.”
“Consumer choice is as powerful as any mandate, regulation or
government program,” it says in one recommendation. “Without
adequate and objective information, however, consumer demand will
remain an under-utilized resource.”
“Although consumer awareness about the pratfalls of continued
reliance on fossil and nuclear fuels is growing, a public education
campaign that outlines for people what they can do as individuals to
improve the health, welfare and security of the nation would
expedite the transition to a sustainable energy economy,” it
explains. “Too little credit is given to the individual when it
comes to helping the nation make the needed transition to a
sustainable energy economy.”
“Polls consistently show that consumers are aware of the deleterious
impact of fossil and nuclear fuels on the health, safety, economy,
environment and security of the nation and support efforts to employ
domestically available clean energy sources,” and it argues that
public education efforts at the local, state and national level
would “harness the desire of most Americans to help the nation and
provide the information needed for informed individual action.”
The need to transition to renewables is based on the emergence of
two global trends: the “precipitous decline” of oil supplies and the
estimated depletion of all reserves within the current century, and
the “destabilization of the rarth’s climate principally as the
consequence of the increasing amount of GHG” from human action,
primarily the burning of fossil fuels. “The occurrence of global
climate change and depletion of available petroleum reserves are
matters of science - not conjecture,” it notes.
“Common sense suggests that something constructive needs to be done
now to respond to the rapidly decreasing reserves and eventual
effective loss of oil and the threat of catastrophic climate change
largely caused by burning fossil fuels,” it explains. “Neither
ignoring the problem nor delaying substantive action for another 20
years is sound policy. If not arrogant, it is at least questionable
to dismiss the overwhelming opinion of the scientific community.”
“ASES believes the nation and world are fortunate to have available
a portfolio of renewable energy technologies like solar, wind,
biomass and geothermal that have shown themselves reliable and
capable,” and emerging renewables already generate billions of
dollars of economic activity and power, with world production of
solar photovoltaics growing to US$4.7 billion in 2003 and wind at $9
billion.
“Unfortunately, U.S. manufacturers are losing market share to
foreign competitors,” and the group makes 16 recommendations which
address “the enormity of the task and political realities” and which
focus on a first few steps that must be taken. It is “imprudent to
propose a massive new array of policies and programs,” and ASES says
its recommendations are “possible and could be implemented” by the
current Congress over the next two years.
In tax policies, it recommends the removal of selected federal
subsidies for fossil and nuclear energy sources; stabilization and
expansion of the federal production tax credits for renewable energy
sources; and state and local tax credits for sustainable energy
systems and products. A national Building Code Task Force should be
established to work with state and local jurisdictions to
incorporate energy efficiency standards in buildings as well as the
use of technologies such as solar water heating into the design and
construction of new buildings, while state governments should amend
local laws to accommodate encourage construction of
renewable energy projects.
For electricity, it calls for national and state renewable energy
standards, expansion of generating options to include distributed
renewable energy systems, national and state net metering laws,
non-discriminatory interconnection standards, and expansion of
government purchases of green power and renewable energy systems.
“Throughout history, scientific and technological discoveries have
provided answers to problems once thought unsolvable,” the document
explains. “Over the past several decades, substantial public and
private research of clean energy alternatives like solar, wind,
biomass and geothermal has produced a portfolio of proven
technologies that bring with them a wide range of economic, security
and environmental benefits.”
“Renewable energy offers more than the solution to oil depletion and
climate change,” it continues. “Its full benefits include reduced
health consequences resulting from fossil fuel emissions; rural
economic development in terms of new cash crops; new jobs; improved
balance of payments as a result of sending fewer dollars overseas,
reduced terrorist opportunities; and an improved national image
abroad.”
“The benefits of clean energy alternatives are numerous and well
documented,” it adds. “To be realized, however, these technologies
must be widely deployed on a large enough scale. Recognizing that
change of such magnitude cannot occur overnight without disruptive
consequences, ASES is putting forth a series of first steps that can
sensibly and sustainably begin the transition to a clean energy
economy and that are based on well recognized and reliable
scientific and technological data.”
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