Posts with the tag sustainbility
Bill Richardson is the only candidate talking about energy, this most likely has to do with his experience heading up the Department of Energy. Everyone loves talking about climate change and global warming but at the same time these buzzword phrases are being used more and more as scape goats by politicians which allow them to avoid taking action. How many times have you heard from the mouths of legislators and candidates "I want to fight global warming" and "I'll help reduce green house gases and carbon emissions" and "I will work to promote energy security and independence for this country"? Ok, great, but HOW?
How are we going to do all this? Talk is nice but action is what we need. Bill Richardson has already been acting at the DOE and as Governor and he is making differences and he is 10 times more focused on these issues than the rest of the field combined but it is still not enough. We don't need more rhetoric, we need solutions, big solutions, FDR style 'New Deal' kind of solutions that really make a difference and that can turn this country around. I want to hear them from Bill so that he can really stand out above and beyond the fray.
The time has never been more ripe to make environmental, energy, sustainability, climate change, greentech, green jobs, environmental education, innovation, implementation, and policy issues the biggest in the country; the people are ready and we can't wait any longer. Bill, you've already sold me and millions of others, but please tell the rest of the country about the big ideas that you have. I am not talking vague Kyoto style promises to reduce emissions 20% by 2020 or 50% by 2050, etc., again we want to hear HOW this is going to happen.
Here are some suggestions if you are stuck:
1. Let's design and build a large-scale fully sustainable city in this country.
2. Let's ramp up cellulosic ethanol implementation and turn our country's heartland into the new Middle East.
3. Let's construct 1 and then a dozen and then a hundred and then a thousand and then ten thousand all natural fully renewable power plants to support the grid.
4. Let's promote small-scale residential and business renewables; not just with subsidies but with marketing and education on how people and business get started
5. Let's build a New Detroit in the Western U.S. that focuses all research, design, testing, innovation, technology, mass production, marketing, and sales on environmentally friendly automobile technologies such as hybrids, cellulosic ethanol flex fuel vehicles, hydrogen, long range batteries, air powered, solar supplemented, and of course the best solution of all, the plug-in rapid recharging (via renewable sources) long-range (50-200 miles) lithium ion or solid oxide battery with a hybrid cellulosic ethanol or hydrogen fuel cell (or both) backup system.
6. Lets bring back the electric car like the EV-1 that GM went so out of its way to kill
7. Lets start designing and building large-scale renewable energy equipment manufacturing sites across the country that take advantage of mass production and economies of scale so that solar (PV and thermal), wind, hydro, wave, biofuel, hydrogen, and geothermal can begin evening the playing fields against fossil fuels and nuclear who have massive infrastructures and a decade and in some cases centuries long head start.
8. Let's launch a war not against people but against energy waste by encouraging energy efficiency and setting codes that ban incandescent lightbulbs, require all appliances to be energy efficient, increase fuel economy (CAFE) standards, require standards in construction and insulation, require all buildings of a certain size or occupancy to be LEED certified, mandate timer lights and smart thermostats, hand out hundreds of millions of free compact fluorescent light bulbs across the country, and award prizes and awards to the most energy efficient communities, counties, and states.
9. Make environmental and energy education mandatory in elementaries and high schools. Promote PV, solar thermal, wind, biofuels, and other renewable skills in our nation's trade schools and job training programs. Offer undergraduate and Master's liberal arts and engineering programs that focus on renewable energy.
I could go on forever, but i'll stop here. Bill, please give us the details, American voters can handle it and it will separate you from all of the politicized and generalized spewing of the other candidates. Tell us what you want to do, get America excited, get elected, and then start making it happen, there are millions of us out there ready to help.
-Matthew J Reardon
Tufts Alumni LA'03 MA'08
matthew.reardon@gmail.com
How are we going to do all this? Talk is nice but action is what we need. Bill Richardson has already been acting at the DOE and as Governor and he is making differences and he is 10 times more focused on these issues than the rest of the field combined but it is still not enough. We don't need more rhetoric, we need solutions, big solutions, FDR style 'New Deal' kind of solutions that really make a difference and that can turn this country around. I want to hear them from Bill so that he can really stand out above and beyond the fray.
The time has never been more ripe to make environmental, energy, sustainability, climate change, greentech, green jobs, environmental education, innovation, implementation, and policy issues the biggest in the country; the people are ready and we can't wait any longer. Bill, you've already sold me and millions of others, but please tell the rest of the country about the big ideas that you have. I am not talking vague Kyoto style promises to reduce emissions 20% by 2020 or 50% by 2050, etc., again we want to hear HOW this is going to happen.
Here are some suggestions if you are stuck:
1. Let's design and build a large-scale fully sustainable city in this country.
2. Let's ramp up cellulosic ethanol implementation and turn our country's heartland into the new Middle East.
3. Let's construct 1 and then a dozen and then a hundred and then a thousand and then ten thousand all natural fully renewable power plants to support the grid.
4. Let's promote small-scale residential and business renewables; not just with subsidies but with marketing and education on how people and business get started
5. Let's build a New Detroit in the Western U.S. that focuses all research, design, testing, innovation, technology, mass production, marketing, and sales on environmentally friendly automobile technologies such as hybrids, cellulosic ethanol flex fuel vehicles, hydrogen, long range batteries, air powered, solar supplemented, and of course the best solution of all, the plug-in rapid recharging (via renewable sources) long-range (50-200 miles) lithium ion or solid oxide battery with a hybrid cellulosic ethanol or hydrogen fuel cell (or both) backup system.
6. Lets bring back the electric car like the EV-1 that GM went so out of its way to kill
7. Lets start designing and building large-scale renewable energy equipment manufacturing sites across the country that take advantage of mass production and economies of scale so that solar (PV and thermal), wind, hydro, wave, biofuel, hydrogen, and geothermal can begin evening the playing fields against fossil fuels and nuclear who have massive infrastructures and a decade and in some cases centuries long head start.
8. Let's launch a war not against people but against energy waste by encouraging energy efficiency and setting codes that ban incandescent lightbulbs, require all appliances to be energy efficient, increase fuel economy (CAFE) standards, require standards in construction and insulation, require all buildings of a certain size or occupancy to be LEED certified, mandate timer lights and smart thermostats, hand out hundreds of millions of free compact fluorescent light bulbs across the country, and award prizes and awards to the most energy efficient communities, counties, and states.
9. Make environmental and energy education mandatory in elementaries and high schools. Promote PV, solar thermal, wind, biofuels, and other renewable skills in our nation's trade schools and job training programs. Offer undergraduate and Master's liberal arts and engineering programs that focus on renewable energy.
I could go on forever, but i'll stop here. Bill, please give us the details, American voters can handle it and it will separate you from all of the politicized and generalized spewing of the other candidates. Tell us what you want to do, get America excited, get elected, and then start making it happen, there are millions of us out there ready to help.
-Matthew J Reardon
Tufts Alumni LA'03 MA'08
matthew.reardon@gmail.com
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