Letters for Solutions
This is the group where we can organize to write letters to the editors and help change the dialogue on the climate crisis. The group’s goal: become the grassroots media-response headquarters for the We Campaign.
We can:
Remember though –the We Campaign is a non-partisan voice within a heated political debate – we must create the space for solutions that will require the support of both major political parties. Let’s put our common goal of repowering America ahead of our political affiliations!
We can:
- Share our published opinions and letters;
- Start posting national news reports that the group can respond to (include email address). Use the group's listserve.
Remember though –the We Campaign is a non-partisan voice within a heated political debate – we must create the space for solutions that will require the support of both major political parties. Let’s put our common goal of repowering America ahead of our political affiliations!
Al, I am sorry that you still buy into a centralized electrical energy system. It is disappointing when someone with such good intentions, education, and voice still advocates for big utilities and corporations instead of a real solution. Why did you limit your comments to a 100 by 100 mile photovoltaic collection site? Especially, when you pointed out one of its fatal flaws, transmission to the sites of use. By the way. another fatal flaw is that this approach leaves us at the mercy of the utility companies.
A better solution is to promote the incorporation of photovoltaic collectors into building materials such as: siding and roofing. This technology exists today and could be substituted for conventional shingles, metal roofing, and aluminum siding. In essence, every building in the world could help to solve the energy problem. How much electricity could we generate if installed this technology on every building in and around Atlanta, New York City, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, etc? Generating electricity at the site of use in this way nearly eliminates the need for long distance transmission.
Wind can be added simply to this system using small sinusoidal wind turbines, about 6 feet in size, that can be mounted on roofs and on the sides of skyscrapers. These turbines are not susceptible to damage by high wind like the mega turbines. They look more like ornamental wind mobiles and don't have the aesthetic obstacles that large wind farms have. They are relatively cheap and can help bridge the gap during low sunlight.
Yes, we need a smart grid. We do need to transmit excess electricity to industry and areas experiencing low production. What we don't need is the means of production in a few corporate hands remotely located away from the areas of use. We need to require that the grid buy the excess electrical production at fair market price like they do from conventional generators. We need a system for powering long distance travel on our roads using electric vehicles. My suggestion for this is a system using short distance wireless electricity transmission built into the interstate highway system based on Tesla's proposal at the turn of the last century. Cars and cargo haulers would run off this system saving their batteries for local roads. A device like EasyPass could track their energy usage.
I am disappointed that Al and this site seem to be so set on centralized renewable energy instead of a small "d" democratic approach. The sun shines everywhere. The wind blows everywhere. Geothermal energy radiates out from the earths core everywhere. Why limit ourselves to isolated areas of use? Why maintain our dependence on the whims of large corporations? Why continue the insecurity of our economic stability on the good intentions of the same corporate executives that got us into the current crisis out of greed? Let's push for a real long term solution to these issues.
A better solution is to promote the incorporation of photovoltaic collectors into building materials such as: siding and roofing. This technology exists today and could be substituted for conventional shingles, metal roofing, and aluminum siding. In essence, every building in the world could help to solve the energy problem. How much electricity could we generate if installed this technology on every building in and around Atlanta, New York City, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, etc? Generating electricity at the site of use in this way nearly eliminates the need for long distance transmission.
Wind can be added simply to this system using small sinusoidal wind turbines, about 6 feet in size, that can be mounted on roofs and on the sides of skyscrapers. These turbines are not susceptible to damage by high wind like the mega turbines. They look more like ornamental wind mobiles and don't have the aesthetic obstacles that large wind farms have. They are relatively cheap and can help bridge the gap during low sunlight.
Yes, we need a smart grid. We do need to transmit excess electricity to industry and areas experiencing low production. What we don't need is the means of production in a few corporate hands remotely located away from the areas of use. We need to require that the grid buy the excess electrical production at fair market price like they do from conventional generators. We need a system for powering long distance travel on our roads using electric vehicles. My suggestion for this is a system using short distance wireless electricity transmission built into the interstate highway system based on Tesla's proposal at the turn of the last century. Cars and cargo haulers would run off this system saving their batteries for local roads. A device like EasyPass could track their energy usage.
I am disappointed that Al and this site seem to be so set on centralized renewable energy instead of a small "d" democratic approach. The sun shines everywhere. The wind blows everywhere. Geothermal energy radiates out from the earths core everywhere. Why limit ourselves to isolated areas of use? Why maintain our dependence on the whims of large corporations? Why continue the insecurity of our economic stability on the good intentions of the same corporate executives that got us into the current crisis out of greed? Let's push for a real long term solution to these issues.
I sent the following letter to the NY Times, the Daily News, the NY Post etc. today:
In the current financial meltdown it may be tempting to put plans for a clean, green energy solution on the shelf - to say, "We'll get to that later when the recession is over." Here's why that is the wrong point of view not only environmentally, but economically as well.
The fact is, a transition to a domestic source of energy - as opposed to importing 70% of our oil - would be a great way to create new jobs in an economy that is sure to see less of them in the near term. I don't know if we will get to five million jobs as Obama and Gore have promissed, but we can certainly create hundreds of thousands over the first year of the next administration. Just as importantly, these will be solid, middle-class, American jobs that can’t be outsourced and use the skills of today’s workers. Green jobs aren’t just the jobs of the future â€" they are the jobs of today. Wealth is created from labor, not from complicated ways of moving money about. After the financial meltdown that eliminated the entire recent bull market, what have we got to show for it? Nothing. Now, imagine if we had put that money into our wind and solar corridors, each of which could be enough to wean us off imported oil, together with a plan to use domestic compressed natural gas to power our cars, as well as electricity, hydrogen, and hybrids.
We should also not underestimate the positive effects of clean energy independence on our relations with those who supply us with oil from the middle east, as well as from Venezuela and Africa. All of these regions suffer from the oil curse, in which resources have become far more important than people. Those countries need to be forced to work for a living, not just live off the good fortune which lies underground. They need to focus on educating and employing their own people, so those people do not become frustrated and act out as terrorists against America. Already, we hear less from Iran, Venezuela, and even Russia, as their resource dependent economies start to collapse due to low oil prices. We need to keep that pressure on them by keeping oil prices permanently low. Being energy independent is the best way to do that.
Finally, the frustration people have with Washington - as shown by the abysmal ratings for both the president and congress - is largely due to the lack of leadership there. There was a time when America rose to the challenge of putting a man on the moon. There was a time even earlier when America willingly made sacrifices to fight a World War; now we are told to "go shopping." We need to not only empower America with electricity from new domestic sources, but to find a way to electrify America. We need not to go to the Saudis with oil can in hand, begging for a refill, but to lead. We need to rediscover our strength by putting our efforts towards a task worthy of our great nation. We can have clean, green energy in ten years if we have the leadership to push for it.
In the current financial meltdown it may be tempting to put plans for a clean, green energy solution on the shelf - to say, "We'll get to that later when the recession is over." Here's why that is the wrong point of view not only environmentally, but economically as well.
The fact is, a transition to a domestic source of energy - as opposed to importing 70% of our oil - would be a great way to create new jobs in an economy that is sure to see less of them in the near term. I don't know if we will get to five million jobs as Obama and Gore have promissed, but we can certainly create hundreds of thousands over the first year of the next administration. Just as importantly, these will be solid, middle-class, American jobs that can’t be outsourced and use the skills of today’s workers. Green jobs aren’t just the jobs of the future â€" they are the jobs of today. Wealth is created from labor, not from complicated ways of moving money about. After the financial meltdown that eliminated the entire recent bull market, what have we got to show for it? Nothing. Now, imagine if we had put that money into our wind and solar corridors, each of which could be enough to wean us off imported oil, together with a plan to use domestic compressed natural gas to power our cars, as well as electricity, hydrogen, and hybrids.
We should also not underestimate the positive effects of clean energy independence on our relations with those who supply us with oil from the middle east, as well as from Venezuela and Africa. All of these regions suffer from the oil curse, in which resources have become far more important than people. Those countries need to be forced to work for a living, not just live off the good fortune which lies underground. They need to focus on educating and employing their own people, so those people do not become frustrated and act out as terrorists against America. Already, we hear less from Iran, Venezuela, and even Russia, as their resource dependent economies start to collapse due to low oil prices. We need to keep that pressure on them by keeping oil prices permanently low. Being energy independent is the best way to do that.
Finally, the frustration people have with Washington - as shown by the abysmal ratings for both the president and congress - is largely due to the lack of leadership there. There was a time when America rose to the challenge of putting a man on the moon. There was a time even earlier when America willingly made sacrifices to fight a World War; now we are told to "go shopping." We need to not only empower America with electricity from new domestic sources, but to find a way to electrify America. We need not to go to the Saudis with oil can in hand, begging for a refill, but to lead. We need to rediscover our strength by putting our efforts towards a task worthy of our great nation. We can have clean, green energy in ten years if we have the leadership to push for it.
The Flash Steam Cell can produce pollution-free electricity for planes, trains, and automobiles and even the big Nukes. See it on You Tube.
Its true folks, free electricity for all the world. Nearly every problem we face today around the world is related to the control of energy.
Without the need for fossel fuel and pollution, we can become truely free.
Its true folks, free electricity for all the world. Nearly every problem we face today around the world is related to the control of energy.
Without the need for fossel fuel and pollution, we can become truely free.
Hi guys. I'm brand new here, but I'm really looking forward to working with you all in this most worthy of causes. I am listed as from Queensbury, N.Y. but that is only the address that I grew up in. Since then, some 35 years ago, I left the U.S. and made a home in Finland. I live 300 kms north of the Arctic Cirlce in Lapland with my wife and two boys and dog in the village of Inari on the shores of the second largest lake in Finland, Lake Inari. We can really feel the effects of things warming up here, but in an insidious way. The mean temperature for the year is warming, but the summers are becoming rainy and cold while the winters, just as long as before, are getting milder. The end result is that there are more parasites surviving the winters and getting to the vegetation compounding the difficulties that the increased humidity inflicts upon the trees: fungus, mildew, etc. I was thinking this morning that perhaps we need to appeal to people in the U.S. to take up a position of leadership but through example. The U.S. has for years and years lagged behind many other countries in environmental action to curb CO2 emissions. Now is the time, isn't it, to begin showing an example. There are encouraging signs in that various states are showing initiative. More grass roots communities are needed in towns and villages to lead the way and apply pressure on decision makers. That's all for now. Hope to see you all around!
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