Waiting for the Future in 2010
Posted December 31, 2009 in U.S. Law and Policy
We’re a decade into the 21st century and still living on Earth. Our earth-bound personal transport vehicles are still powered by fossil fuels, extracted from the ground. The Model T my grandfather drove in 1926 (a new car that cost $400) ran on pretty much the same stuff we’re pumping into our cars today. Futurists of the past would marvel at our lack of progress.
Change has been slow but the emergence of hybrid engine technology shows that we can develop new technology that transforms and improves our lives.
2010 is a year of enormous possibility. Obama has resolved to develop a new clean energy economy in the U.S. that will create jobs, speed the adaptation of better, cleaner technology and support smarter solutions to energy use. The United States stands ready to confront the world’s greatest contemporary challenge – global warming – after joining 188 nations in voting for the Copenhagen Accord. The Senate will soon consider a bill to curb global warming pollution and forever change American energy policy from burning chunks of coal and importing oil to smarter, more efficient, clean renewable technologies and energy use. But as we’ve seen in the auto industry, there’s enormous resistance to change and industries that were once vital emblems of American progress and ingenuity can fail if they do not continue to innovate.
Only with the support of many Americans will the Senate have the courage to do what it must. Tell your senator that 2010 is the year to make America a global leader by developing a clean energy economy at home. It’s not as hard as it sounds, we already have the technology – you can call your electricity provider today and switch to renewable energy. We just need to develop the infrastructure and incentives to bring American power into 2010. Flying cars can wait but clean energy can’t.
Tell your senators to pass a strong climate and energy bill now
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