Clearly, the 2006 elections sounded a call for change, and the new
Congress should waste no time in responding by changing the direction
of our nation's energy policy.
In spite of strong public support for
clean, renewable energy and conservation measures, Congress and the
Bush administration have consistently rejected rational policies to put
America's energy policy on the right track, while they protect Big Oil
and other energy interests. Our nation's leaders have done almost
nothing to reduce oil dependency, promote renewable energy, advance
energy conservation and increase investments in energy-saving and
renewable energy technologies.
To ensure that America employs its
tools and technological expertise to move us toward a cleaner and more
secure energy future, we are calling on Rep. John Mica to support the
four-point New Energy Future platform.
The four points: Reduce
U.S. oil dependency by at least 7 million barrels per day by 2025. By
building cars that go farther on a gallon of gas, giving Americans
better transportation choices and using clean, renewable fuels, not
only will we slash our use of oil, but also improve our environment,
safeguard our energy security and save consumers money. Harness clean
home-grown energy sources by getting 25 percent of our nation's energy
from renewable energy sources by 2025. America has virtually limitless
potential to take advantage of renewable energy sources like solar and
wind power. Solar panels placed on just 7 percent of the area currently
covered by cities and residences could generate all of America's
electricity, and the Great Plains is called the 'Saudi Arabia of wind'
for its vast, high quality wind resource.
Replacing nearly 25
percent of our energy with renewable sources by 2025 would save more
than half of the natural gas per year by 2025 that is currently used in
American homes, and 40 percent of all the coal America used in 2005.
Save energy with high-performance homes, appliances and businesses so
that we use 10 percent less energy in 2025 than today. Virtually every
part of our nation's economy has the potential to use energy more
efficiently, from the appliances in our kitchens to the windows in our
office buildings to the motors in our factories.
We can get most
of the way to this goal with cost-effective technologies that exist
today. We can get the rest of the way by investing in technologies such
as 'zero-energy' homes, which virtually eliminate the need for fossil
fuels, and 'green' commercial buildings, which slice demand for energy
by 25 to 40 percent or more. Invest in a new energy future by tripling
research and development funding for energy-saving and renewable
technologies. Committing $30 billion over the next 10 years to the New
Energy for America Initiative would help us develop the next generation
of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Projects could
include improvements in vehicle technology, investigating ways to store
the energy created by wind and solar power and finding the best ways to
effectively use bio-fuels.
We need leaders who are up to the
challenge of the New Energy Future. By supporting these goals, Mica
will send a clear message to voters that he is committed to putting
American innovation to work in order to break our dependence on oil and
put our nation on a course toward more economically and environmentally
security.
Rivera is a field organizer for Environment Florida (www.environmentflorida.org), a Tallahassee-based, non-profit group.
