Federal Government Lags States In Support of Alternative Energy Sources

The Federal Government should be embarrassed by the progress of individual states, strongly democratic, in areas such as renewable energy sources....

Individual states have led the Federal government in making choices that are in the best interests of the people....something that the Federal government seems either unwilling or unable to comprehend...

The lesson here is clear for many of us....


Last week, I attended a local meeting presented by the local university as to the benefits of wind power. The audience was suitably impressed; then we previewed a new documentary on saving energy called Kilowatt Ours...a message neatly crafted by an average guy with an above average interest in helping America save money. He financed the film out of his own pocket and is looking to bring his message of energy sanity around the country.

He should because it is a lesson instructive for all of us who believe that this country has a future....

Our little group is planning to present the film and the arguments to the State government this coming month about a month before the government will decide how the State will expand its energy capacity. With an expanding population, and strong demands for increased energy, the State needs to explore energy options.

Right now, the coal lobby has the floor. We are promised that the new coal processing technology reduces most irritants and toxic materials. But to me and others, when that ten percent that survives contains mercury and other toxic materials, even ten percent is too much.

Plus, what they don't tell you is that carbon residue in excess of ten percent will be pumped into the waterways contributing to increased acidity of the ocean that is helping to change the ocean and impact the food chain while increasing the percentages of carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean...

However, wind power is a tremendous alternative that can produce energy cheaply, silently, without impacting air or water.

In fact, because we are a shore line State, we could produce enough energy to fuel most of America's needs with energy left over.

But politicians whose war chests are being filled by the coal lobbies are not particularly interested in doing what is right but satisfying their money sources.

We hope to change this....

But the odds are against us.

The newspapers have not picked up the cause and the media in the state is mostly run by the right wing...

We hope that we can communicate the importance of clean air and water to the people with the time allocated us to the vote.

We have had several politicians who have agreed to meet with us and see the film and then discuss the issue.

We hope that it becomes the beginning of a move to renewable resources....

But that probably won't happen until the people are informed and energized...


What was amazing and the strongest evidence for a needed switch was a projected computer map based on global warming where in twenty years our shoreline was tremendously eroded. A big blow to a resort community.

However, in 100 years, our state no longer exists if nothing else changes and we continue to use fossil fuels at the current rate.

And if that isn't a reason to do something, I don't know what is...


Les Aaron...

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