Over the past year, VoteVets.org has worked hard to represent the overwhelming majority of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, who not only see our dependence on oil as a security threat, but believe that we need to pass clean energy legislation -- even going so far as to say they are in favor of "cap and trade" (and yes, they were polled using that term).
While Washington haggles and delays, California has taken the lead. California being on the cutting edge of environmental technology and tough regulation is nothing new. Very often the state has led the way for the rest of the nation. From being the first in the nation to regulate tailpipe emissions from cars, to introducing the widespread use two-way catalytic converters before the rest of the nation, to leading the way in fuel efficiency standards, very often California sets the pace for the rest of the United States.
It's no shock, then, that big oil has pushed a ballot proposition this year - Prop 23 - that would delay (with the purpose of killing) The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. That state law would unilaterally bring California into near compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, mandating that emissions of greenhouse gasses in the state return to 1990 levels by the year 2020.
The threat big oil and energy companies feel is clear - implementation of a law that would require much greater efficiency and development of new technologies would mean less dependence on oil and other fossil fuels. That, they fear, would hurt their bottom line. So, rather than think long-term about how they could capitalize on an energy revolution and increase their bottom line in the long-run, they have dumped millions into killing the law.
Valero Energy - $500,000. Occidental Petroleum - $300,000. Tesoro Companies (oil refiners) - $300,000. And hundreds of thousands from other oil and energy interests have been poured into backing Prop. 23.
On the other side is an interesting mix. It's not just environmentalists who are opposing Prop. 23. Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger was recently joined by Republican and Ronald Reagan's former Secretary of State George Schultz. Schultz, in announcing his opposition, said, "As a former Secretary of State, I see our dependence on foreign oil as one of the greatest threats to national security, and the Dirty Energy Proposition would undermine efforts to break that dependence."
Add veterans to that opposition, and on the side of Secretary Schultz. Our dependence on oil means our petro-dollars make their way to the very same extremists we're fighting. Worldwide demand for oil, driven by U.S. consumption, means that Iran makes $100 million more every single day. And, even the Pentagon has sounded the siren on security implications of global climate change.
If history is any guide, once California proves that we can be cleaner, greener, and more efficient when it comes to energy, the rest of the nation will quickly follow suit. Bringing the entire United States in line with Kyoto won't even be controversial, because California will have shown that all the fear mongering over it just doesn't hold water. That's why big oil and energy is doing everything it can to kill off the California law now, and why all of us must make sure that they don't succeed.
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Lowell Feld: High Stakes for Climate and Clean Energy in California
Prop 23 threatens a landmark law to limit the greenhouse gas pollution that is already harming California and to promote a host of related clean energy policies that would benefit the state.
People do need to be made aware of what and who are on each side of Prop 23 - what that means - what is the desired outcome, the motivation that is behind each side's position.
Big Oil will spend whatever it takes to obfuscate the facts, just as PS&G tried and luckily failed to do (they still got a lot of votes even though it was only a win for them, so . . .); therefore, people need to be informed about the truth, and the benefits of going green, clean, and sustainable.
That's our system...
Brilliant isn't it...?
Not preventing it, having it. CA became green only after the skies did :-)
I'm not sure about that - republicans never admit they were wrong. They're still pretending trickle down works and tax cuts result in higher revenues and some people getting married will destroy the institution and WMD were really there somewhere, they just got snuck out. They fear monger for political advantage - the scaredy cats line up behind them - and nothing is going to stop this unless people grow up.
southern Arizona, if covered with photovoltaic cells could produce enough energy for the U.S. If every rooftop in California was covered with such cells, there would be an area almost 3 times as large. California and Arizona could become wealthy energy exporting states.
I read a book in high school I believe was titled the Stupidity of Mankind. I think I'll revisit it.
Shifting dependence from Chevron Oil to Chevron Solar meets the definition of insanity. WE should own the solar power and it should be produced WITHIN OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT NOT IN OUR WILDERNESS. People see "solar" and they think "good." Not necessarily. Chevron and BP are invested in several of the WORST environmental offenders out there, permanently slaughtering tens upon tens of thousands of acres of healthy intact ecosystems just so they can monopolize our sunshine and all our tax dollars! WHY would we want that?
Don't be insane! Support democratically-owned renewables and efficiency upgrades and STOP the ecosystem slaughter by these mercenaries before it is too late. Big Energy, not just "foreign oil" is the biggest threat to our environment and our democracy. Do your part to starve the beast.
Using Electricity as a transportation fuel especially for commuting would put a big dent into our 19.5 million barrel a day oil addiction, which comes out to about $926,991,000 leaving the country based on todays closing price of $79.23 multiplied by 11.7 million, (19.5 mill by 60%). This is not good for our economic security not to mention our national security. The left wing label given to Vote Vets by one of the posters is dissapointing. For those who foolishly complain about subsidies for renewables, remember that the oil industry is subsidized with obscene tax breaks not to mention the backing of the world's finest military. It is imperative that we diminish Oil's economic stranglehold and the implementation of renewables is a step in the right direction as is ensuring Big Oil does not succede in California.
Second: Legalize the production of hemp that can be grown on marginal farmland, provide flooding barriers and be used to make bio-diesel. Sorry B. Pickens we don't need to convert our trucks to run on natural gas.
Third: Retrofit the country though PACE bonds explained here http://pacenow.org/documents/Recovery_Through_Retrofit_Final_Report.pdf this keep a lid on diesel prices because the difference between Home Heating #2 and diesel is the sulfur content. And also add to the grid.
Fourth: Now the PHEV's and EV's come in because through the third step we've started to put money into people's pockets again and made electricity cheap for the homeowner through solar panels.
Fifth: Although congested areas can benefit from PHEV's and EV's , rural, farming and sparsely populate areas would benefit more from bio-diesel made from hemp and in about 10 years from algae. To replace oil with hemp production would take more square miles of land than US spans, algae only an area the size of Nebraska which could also include offshore because algae likes salt water.
There is a city called Freiburg in Germany that uses solar panels on a majority of their homes and businesses. Not only is it an astounding success, but instead of having to pay for outside fossil sources, the city uses it's funds to support their local economy. Just Goggle the city. It's wonderful how they have clean air and are not beholden to energy companies.
I understand the Vets reluctance to fight wars in Iraq and Afhganistan, our men and women sign up in the military to protect our country. The only thing they are protecting over there are the oilfields.