Advancing Sustainability through Clean, Abundant Energy Sources

The term “Sustainability” gets tossed around a lot. Generally, it refers to the movement toward an economic, political and social future that is aligned with a cleaner, more peaceful and more prosperous planet for everyone. It encompasses green business initiatives, fair trade work and social and political activism. It grows out of the belief that while humankind has made incredible progress over the course of civilization’s journey, we’ve come now to a point where we have the knowledge, skill, technology and wisdom to rectify misdeeds and harmoniously advance the human adventure.

The signs around us indicate that this is what we must do and they could not be clearer. Focused action in this area supports so many desired outcomes. Here is the first in a series of examples outlining how actively promoting sustainability yield so much benefit.

Advancing, clean abundant energy sources. Let’s for a moment extend our vision beyond our concern over the price of gas at the pump and consider from where the oil for our gasoline comes. It comes from Saudi Arabia. It comes from Russia. We hope it will come from Iraq. The necessity of maintaining false pretenses of friendship with these countries hijacks our foreign policy and puts our national security at risk. Saudi Arabia is an authoritarian regime at odds with democracy. Russia, under President Putin has rolled back democracy and instituted more authoritarian measures. Iraq is a total mess. Our government holds neither the Saudis nor the Russians accountable for their actions. There are two reasons: 1) we must have continued access to oil 2) we hope these countries will be our allies in the war on terror.

Let’s consider the war on terror. From what we know about him, the Saudi Arabian Osama Bin Laden became outraged with the United States because of the influence and military presence that the United States maintains in his country. The United States created a military presence in Saudi Arabia to keep pressure on Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule and promote stability in the Middle in order to ensure continued access to oil.

Let’s consider what happens if we no longer need oil. We no longer must coddle authoritarian regimes. We no longer must house troops in Saudi Arabia. We no longer must spend our national treasure and put American lives at risk in the Middle East. We can take the most significant action of all to increase our national security and eliminate terrorist attacks against the United States; we can leave the Middle East.

Yet, there exists a still greater long-term threat to our national security resulting from our dependence on oil. China, the largest of the Asian tigers, is now the second largest economy in the world and is projected to surpass the United States by 2030. The United States and China are on a collision course. As China hunts for oil to ensure its continued economic growth it begins to step on America’s toes. Oil supply is finite. Demand for oil is not. Continued reliance upon oil will pull the United States and China into conflict that could ignite the next world war.

If the United States eliminates its dependence upon oil, it can cede Middle Eastern oil to the Chinese. It can allow the Chinese to become embroiled with nations who are not accountable to their citizenry, a much better fit for China than for the United States. The United States and China can remain amiable trading partners and better manage what is fast becoming the most important bilateral relationship on the planet.

And still, there exists a greater long-term threat to the United States as a result of our dependence upon oil than even that posed by China. The scientific community is an agreement that human activity is causing the world to heat up which is causing the climate to change. The threat to not just the United States but all of humanity from climate change is the most dangerous threat of all. It is not a doomsday prediction to talk about oceans rising, coastlines and fisheries disappearing, croplands lying fallow, and fresh water supplies dwindling. We are witnessing these events right now.

Eliminating our dependence upon oil can ensure national and global security and stave off a series of future disasters that could bring civilization to its knees. To reply continually upon the bones of extinct dinosaurs to power the global economy is folly when better solutions are at hand.

We can eliminate the three greatest threats to our national security - terrorism, China’s economic rise and global climate change - by advancing clean, abundant energy sources like solar and wind. This cannot be dismissed as naive or utopian vision. Consider who is investing in solar and wind energy technology. Silicon Valley venture capitalists for starters. The same people who backed the companies that give birth to the information revolution are now backing the energy revolution. Venture capital firms like Draper Fisher Jurvetson have invested in next-generation solar technologies called “nanosolar.” General Electric, the company with the second largest market capitalization in the United States, ranks second globally in wind turbine manufacturing. These companies take their investments very seriously and are envisioning a future in which solar and wind energy play a major role.

So how do we create the new energy economy based on solar and wind technology? It requires a series of steps and concerted action by our politicians, businesses and citizenry. First, we must increase dramatically the required mileage per gallon of our automobiles. The automobile makers must recognize that our current mileage per gallon levels jeopardize our national security and they must take appropriate action. The President with the support of Congress must introduce new mandates, offer tax incentives to automobile companies and apply strict penalties to those who do not adhere to the new letter of the law. Americans must do their patriotic duty to purchase automobiles that get better mileage to the gallon. It no longer makes sense to line the pockets of Saudi potentates just to fill up the tank of the old Hummer, Land Rover or Envoy.

Energy subsidies that our government currently allocates to the oil, coal and nuclear industries must be redirected to the solar and wind industries. In order to minimize economic dislocation and increase the likelihood of this scenario occurring, oil, coal and nuclear companies must be offered the opportunity and economic support to transition their economic portfolios away from their outdated, twentieth century technologies to the energy technologies of the future. They must fully believe and feel that their future prosperity is possible and tied to solar and wind.

We must accelerate current initiatives to create a transportation infrastructure for clean burning hydrogen energy. We must put filling stations in place throughout the country and prepare to build new fleets of hydrogen powered cars and retrofit old fleets with hydrogen power capability. Hydrogen burns clean but it is derived from other sources of energy. Once we have built our wind and solar capacity, the energy from these abundant sources can be harnessed to create hydrogen fuel to power our automobiles.

Ultimately, our reliance upon solar and wind energy will eliminate our dependence upon oil and coal and make nuclear energy irrelevant. The twenty first century will be powered by twenty first century energy technology. Our energy security and continued economic prosperity will be ensured. The United States will be safer. The world will be cleaner.

-- Josh