Last week, the conservative Fox News talk-show host Glenn Beck chose the Apollo Alliance as the target for his ongoing rants against the Obama administration. In the attack, Apollo, part of a "vast left-wing conspiracy," was accused of orchestrating a "centrally planned, organized massive mobilization to reorder society and take control of energy."
Beck's tirade would have been amusing if it weren't part of a larger pattern of increasing right-wing attacks aimed at derailing America's transition to a clean energy, good jobs economy. President Obama's green jobs advisor (and former Apollo Board member), Van Jones, has become the subject of right-wing blog frenzy, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has decided to take on cap and trade as her first post-gubernatorial mission. The right has also mercilessly targeted U.S. Reps. John Boccieri and Zachary Space, both Ohio Democrats, for fighting for provisions that were included in the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act that would boost domestic clean energy manufacturing and keep new green jobs in America.
So why all the right-wing hoopla? First, because putting our nation on the road to economic prosperity and climate stability is going to rock a few big ships. Yes, polluters are going to have to do business differently.
Second, because when we talk about green jobs, we are getting it right. The Apollo Alliance is calling for investment in the technological know-how, skilled workforce, and domestic manufacture of renewable energy systems and components that will make America a world-leader in the clean energy economy. We want to become energy independent and to create good jobs here at home. For some, that's a frightening proposition.
But for most Americans, this is the kind of challenge -- like that of putting a man on the moon -- that represents the best of who we are as a people -- a nation capable of coming together, committing itself to a common goal, and achieving it. Today we face economic and climate crises that we can solve in a uniquely American way.
This week, the Apollo Alliance, working with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), announced the names of more than 150 U.S. businesses and manufacturers who have joined our diverse and unlikely coalition of business, labor, environmental and community leaders to support investment in the domestic manufacture of clean energy technologies. These businesses include light-emitting diode (LED) companies in Michigan, solar installation and distribution companies in Indiana, and wind turbine manufacturers in Nevada, among many others. These firms are taking arguments that new energy and climate policies will stall economic progress and turning them on their heads!
Today, despite some notable success stories, over 70 percent of renewable energy systems and components used in the U.S. are manufactured overseas, placing Sen. Brown's bill front and center in the climate and energy debate. The legislation -- which the Apollo Alliance believes must be passed along with climate and energy policies that increase demand for clean technologies -- establishes a $30 billion revolving loan fund targeted to small and mid-sized manufacturers for retooling their factories to produce clean technologies and to make their operations more energy efficient. The bill also increases support for Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP's) that link smaller manufacturers to supply chains and markets for their goods.
This "Make it in America" legislation will create and retain more than a million jobs and help reverse declines in U.S. clean technology manufacture that began decades ago, as countries like Spain, Denmark, Germany, and most recently China, drew these jobs to their shores.
No, Glenn, it's not a vast left-wing conspiracy. We want to make clean energy as American as apple pie.
SLDT Magazine - August, 2009
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sldt/0809/#/18
Located in the headwaters of the Port Orford Community Stewardship Area in Southern Oregon, Ocean Mountain Ranch (OMR) overlooks the newly-designated Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve and the largest remaining old growth forest on the southern coast in Humbug Mountain State Park. OMR is planned to be developed pursuant to a forest stewardship management plan which has been approved by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Northwest Certified Forestry under the high standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). OMR is also serving as a pilot program and is expected to achieve carbon negative status through the utilization of low impact development practices, energy efficient buildings, renewable/clean energy systems, distributed waste management systems, biochar production, and other practices.
The land development industry is uniquely positioned to utilize best management practices to take advantage of emerging ancient and new biochar technologies to help address a multitude of pressing environmental, social and economic concerns by balancing the needs of people, planet and profit – for today and future generations.
Sustainable Land Development International - www.SLDI.org
KISS:
1$ per ton net carbon emitted.
Plow that money into rooftop solar and biochar/biofuels of WASTE.
3 cent per KWH rooftop solar and close the resource cycle by converting all organic waste into fuels energy and carbon negative fertilizer using BioChar can supply all the world energy needs forever.
Cheaper, safe, closes the waste loop,
That's a plan.
see my profile for proof and links.
Instead, if we were to attack the problem for the crisis it's supposed to be, we would put all our effort into the immediate conversion of all cars, trucks and buses to natural gas. There's an immediate 20-25% reduction in CO2, 99% reduction in particulates. The technology is here and available, and we have so much NG we can't even store it. We would create jobs in this country doing the coversions, building the conversion kits, building refueling stations. Nearly every home is already connected to NG, so refueling at home would require a very modest conversion. We would become energy independent. The money we're not sending to other countries for oil, that stays here, could then be diverted to R&D and infractructure development of alternative fuels, creating even more jobs, and preparing us for that moment 100 years from now when we run out of domestic natural gas.
Why not try that first? We get immediate benefits on CO2 instead of 10 years out with Waxman.... This seems to be common sense to me.
GE also has plans on the drawing board to increase manufacturing operations here in the US, and is expected to dominate the market. http://greenairradio.com/?tag=suzlon
Native Sun Energy, out of Austin, Texas has developed a hydrogen/oxygen steam-driven turbine technology for co-generation of wind power that will revolutionize the industry. The company plans to manufacture all of its OEM systems right here in America as well. http://whigsntories.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-recent-marriage-of-steam-turbine.html
Thanks to Cathy Calfo, and the Apollo Alliance for their continued efforts to move America towards energy independence, and a clean energy future.
U.S. Businesses Can Shrink Energy Bills and Grow the Economy:
New Study Shows That Proposed Climate Change Legislation Can Cut Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gasses in Half
http://www.livinggreenmag.com/energy.html
Carbon dioxide sequestration schemes make me laugh; I read a claim of one technology manufacturer that is actually deploying its technology (having found sufficient investors) that it is "zero-emissions" technology. On reading their plan, they make plenty of CO2 alright, they're just "hiding" it, pumping it underground.
Hiding the emissions, or in this case the carbon residue in the ground does not make it green. Just because my cat hides its poo under the kitty litter, doesn't mean he never goes to the bathroom!
With all due respect, sir, I offer you a new technology for you to research: http://whigsntories.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-recent-marriage-of-steam-turbine.html
This is a truly zero-emissions technology that promises great things for our clean energy future, particularly in the field of wind energy deployment.
Try $40,000 to $50,000 for starters.