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05/14/2008 07:53 AM
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Republican Senator Promotes Manhattan Project for Clean Energy
SustainableBusiness.com News
More proof that the tide of public opinion in the U.S. has turned in favor of a cleaner energy future:
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, speaking at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in his home state this week, called on the U.S. to launch a "5-year New Manhattan Project to put America firmly on the path to clean energy independence within a generation."
Oak Ridge played a key role in the original Manhattan Project, under which scientists secretly develop the atomic bomb during World War II.
"Instead of ending a war, the goal will be clean energy independence so that we can deal with rising gasoline prices, electricity prices, clean air, climate change and national security," Alexander said.
Republican Senator and presidential candidate John McCain also pushed for clean energy this week during a visit to an Oregon facility owned by wind power company Vestas.
While Republicans are focusing more on developing alternative energy to break dependence on foreign oil, the shift in sentiment--away from the Bush Administration's stubborn stance on climate change--should make it easier to find common ground with Democrats who are pushing for alternative energy to address global warming.
Alexander laid out seven areas where he believes U.S. scientists should focus their attention: making plug-in electric cars and trucks commonplace, making carbon capture and storage a reality for coal-burning power plants, advancing solar power technology so it is cost competitive with fossil fuels, safely reprocessing and storing nuclear waste, making advanced biofuels cost-competitive with gasoline, advancing development of green buildings, and providing energy from fusion.
