President Obama has made historic investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation, but it's just a start and we're now far behind the rest of the world. The latest polls show that climate change is the #1 concern for people all over the world EXCEPT the United States.
We have all the technology we need to transition to a clean economy that gives us the energy we need without destroying biodiversity, ecosystems, human life and the economy. Studies show that a full 50% of our energy demand can be eliminated through energy efficiency and another 25% can be fulfilled by renewable energy right now. The only thing lacking is the resistance and lack of will among the American people to make this change.
The first electric cars are being introduced this year - how many people will buy them? How many people are still driving gas guzzling SUVs? How many people are making energy efficiency improvements to their homes and businesses?
According to the latest Monthly Energy Review from the US Energy Information Administration, renewable sources (biomass, biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) accounted for 10.94% of domestic U.S. energy production in January 2010, up 3.7% from January 2009.
The renewable energy industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, and that's with just spotty government support. Climate and Energy legislation, which would provide long term strong support, has been postponed once again, this time because of immigration legislation, but mostly because Americans aren't demanding it.
Governor Schwarzenegger announced he would no longer support offshore drilling and some Democrats are threatening to vote against climate legislation if it includes offshore drilling.
Interesting how the relentless television ads promoting oil drilling have suddenly disappeared. While the legions of oil lobbyists are quiet during this catastrophe, there's an opening to exclude drilling from the climate change bill, which was included to get some Republicans' votes.
Instead of pushing a Climate Change bill that forces President Obama's base to swallow the inappropriate emphasis on fossil fuels (oil drilling, "clean" coal and new nukes), he should use this disaster as an opportunity to demonstrate to America that we do indeed need to get off the oil addiction.
The President should announce he's shelving plans to allow Shell to drill in the Arctic this summer - where the Coast Guard says a spill would be a ‘nightmare scenario' - and instead require all new cars to be manufactured with existing plug-in technologies that get 100 miles per gallon by 2015. And he should make a major speech to the American public educating them about the facts and urgency of addressing climate change and their responsibility to participate.
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Rona Fried, Ph.D. is CEO of SustainableBusiness.com. Another version of this piece appears on my blog on Reuter's.
