Op-Ed in Tennessean 11-19-10

It came as no surprise to read the article in Wednesday’s Tennessean regarding the risk posed by newly minted Republican-dominated government at both state and federal levels to continued progress in developing “green jobs” and a stronger economy based on clean, renewable energy.. For those like Rep. Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, who are unwilling or unable to accept the consensus of the international scientific community on the nature and reality of climate change as a cause for concern, let’s just take that right off the table and reframe the discussion on why this country needs clean, renewable energy right now.
Let’s talk about dramatically increased asthma rates in children, as a result of the huge quantities of toxic waste dumped into our air every day from the burning of coal. Let’s talk about “mountain-top removal” mining, and the destruction of our American heritage of mountains, wildlife and biodiversity for the short-term profits of coal companies, or the loss of thousands of streams and waterways from the massive dumping of toxic waste and debris into valleys below these mining sites, or the ash and sludge created at the utility plants in the burning of coal, such as that which escaped it’s containment in Harriman, TN last December to wreak havoc on hundreds of acres of land, houses, property and portions of the Emory and Clinch Rivers.
Let’s talk about the myth of “clean coal”, dependent upon a technology called carbon-sequestration, which is still probably decades from being proven safe and therefore does NOT currently exist as a viable mainstream option, despite artificial claims to the contrary.
Then there’s the continued, serious risk to our national security posed by the importation of large quantities of oil from the middle east, or the fact that global oil production is already at or beyond the peak from which a gap between decreasing supply and increasing demand will create an unstable market and ever-increasing costs for energy, gasoline and other products or services derived from these sources (like most of our industrialized food supply, for one).
But, even more importantly, let’s discuss the enormous potential of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and “second generation” biofuels to completely reinvigorate our economy, creating many thousands of new jobs in Tennessee and throughout the country while ensuring that the United States can remain competitive in the global marketplace for these technologies of the future.
If we even took a small fraction of the subsidies our government continues to grant to coal and oil companies in maintaining the status quo, and reinvested it in renewable energy incentives, research and development, the sky is the limit on what we might achieve. On the other hand, if we allow our senators and congressman to attempt to repeal environmental protections, to undo progress already achieved, to stall and delay on supporting a national renewable energy standard or to reject increased funding and development of these clean energy technologies that are already defining the global marketplace and will continue to do so at a steadily accelerating pace, we will ultimately be the greatest losers of all.
Pay attention, America – your future is at stake.