The former Republican governor of California lays out the case for putting large solar farms in the Mojave desert as part of a serious energy policy based on improving public health, boosting the economy, and avoiding the risks of the fossil economy.By Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mar 30 2011
I'm glad The Atlantic is spotlighting this important subject, but let's face it: asking whether large solar power plants are appropriate in the Mojave desert is like wondering whether subways make sense in New York City.
During my seven years as California's governor, we led the nation in protecting the environment at the same time that we were protecting and growing our economy. This was not just talk. We won a legal battle with the federal government that will make cars more fuel efficient in California and the rest of the nation. We enacted laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We established the 25 million-acre Sierra Nevada Conservancy and preserved hundreds of thousands of additional acres up and down our state. But as I said three years ago in a speech at Yale University, if we can't put solar power plants in the Mojave Desert, I don't know where we can put them. In other words, we need to worry less about a few dozen desert tortoises and more about the economic prosperity, security and health of our nation.
President Obama has correctly identified national goals for clean electricity and reduced dependence on foreign oil. Now we need the laws and policies to make them happen.
What we must have -- finally -- is a long-term, comprehensive energy policy that gets America off fossil fuels and makes us energy independent. A policy we stick with regardless of fluctuations in the price of oil or whatever type of energy is in favor at the moment.
But first we have to change the way we talk about and frame the issue.
For too long we have been fighting about greenhouse gases and global warming, about whether the oceans are rising and whether the science can be trusted. All that's gotten us is stuck and polarized. Let's face it, if we haven't convinced the skeptics by now, we aren't going to.
So it is time to move past areas Democrats and Republicans disagree on and focus on issues they see eye to eye on. Issues like economic prosperity, national security and the health and welfare of our people.
For most Americans, the biggest problem facing our nation right now is the economy and jobs. People are worried about the future. About whether their children will live in a nation that falls behind China and other rapidly growing economies.
From my experience in California, it is absolutely clear that a green economy is the way to keep Americans competitive abroad while providing economic growth and jobs at home.
Green jobs are the largest source of employment growth in California, with green tech jobs growing 10 times faster than other sectors over the last five years.
In California, we are building the world's biggest solar plants, the biggest wind farm. That will boost our economy with green jobs and it will protect our environment with clean energy. Democrats and Republicans can all support that kind of progress.
More than a third of the world's clean-tech venture capital flows into our state because investors know California is committed to a clean-energy future. Nations like China and Brazil are just two of the countries making big commitments to green tech. It's time America got into the game.
National security is another area where there is common ground. Democrats and Republicans agree our safety should not be compromised by oil. Turmoil in the Middle East saw a spike in oil prices. When Americans pay more at the pump, that's a tax -- weakening our economy and making our entire nation more vulnerable.
Most Americans agree it's not smart for us to send billions of dollars to hostile nations when we know some of that money winds up with terrorists plotting to attack us.
When President Eisenhower warned about too much dependence on foreign oil more than 50 years ago, our petroleum imports were at 20 percent. Every president since has voiced similar warnings, yet imports now account for more than 60 percent of our oil.
All because America has never had an energy policy or a clear vision of its energy future.
We need a firm policy that spells out our commitment to renewable energy and how to get there. We need policies like those in California that have made our state 40 percent more energy efficient than the rest of the nation. We need a strong policy to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, like California's low carbon fuel standard and our law to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
In my last year of office alone, the state of California approved applications for nearly 6,000 megawatts of solar power, the equivalent of six new coal plants. Construction began on the world's largest wind energy plant. Those projects produce thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment and renewable energy we don't have to import from hostile oil regimes or burn coal for. Democrats and Republicans can embrace results like that.
Public health is another part of the energy picture where there is common ground. You don't hear much about it in Washington, but we highlighted the issue last fall when we put together a bipartisan coalition to defeat the big oil companies trying to weaken our environmental laws. Uniting environmentalists, venture capitalists, health groups, big and small businesses, unions, farmers, Democrats and Republicans, our campaign won by 22 points.
We have about 100,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year from petroleum-related air pollution and 6.5 million annual hospital visits by people with respiratory illnesses caused by the same thing.
These deaths are far greater in number than the combined deaths from car accidents, drunk drivers, gang wars, suicides or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to talk about this when we are debating where to put clean energy plants and the transmission lines needed to move that energy to our cities, homes and businesses.
I know we must be vigilant when it comes to protecting our environment. But I also look forward to the day when our solar and wind plants in the Mojave and elsewhere are up and running, providing clean, renewable energy to a safer, stronger and more prosperous America.
Image: Associated Press.
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4.01.2011
Energy Ideas Democrats and Republicans Agree On
E-News From Citizens Against Government Waste
Porker of the Month: Sen. Harry Reid
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Porker of the Month for his absurd belief that a federally-funded Cowboy Poetry Festival in Elko, Nevada (pop. 17,000) constitutes essential government spending. The festival receives a portion of its budget from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), whose $146 million budget was defunded under H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Resolution for fiscal year 2011, that Sen. Reid helped defeat in the Senate. During a floor speech on March 8, 2011, Sen. Reid described the proposed termination as "mean-spirited," stating that were it not for NEH's federal money, the Cowboy Poetry Festival and "the tens of thousands of people who come there every year, would not exist." In response, Western Folklife Center Executive Director Charlie Seemann commented that NEH funds just 7 percent of the festival and that he and his fellow cowboys "could certainly continue if we lose that funding." For undervaluing the individual, entrepreneurial spirit that makes America great and believing that federal taxpayers should pay for everything, even those programs that can stand on their own, CAGW names Senate Majority Leader Reid the March Porker of the Month. Read more about the Porker of the Month.
CAGW Rereleases "Chinese Professor" Ad
On March 21, CAGW rereleased its critically acclaimed "Chinese Professor" ad depicting one possible future outcome of Washington's continued fiscal irresponsibility. The ad, which takes place in 2030 when America has defaulted on its massive debt to China and uses English subtitles, "presents a scenario that should be considered a real possibility," notes CAGW President Tom Schatz. "We have time to alter our destiny, but we risk insolvency if we continue on our current path." The ad originally aired for two weeks in the fall of 2010 and again on January 24 and 25, 2011. It has been airing since March 21 on CNN, FOX News Channel, CNBC, and on a number of other cable and select broadcast channels nationwide. Make a tax-deductible contribution today to help CAGW keep broadcasting the "Chinese Professor" ad's warning that Washington must get its runaway, deficit spending under control.
ObamaCare Still Unhealthy to Nation's Bottom Line
On March 23, the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), CAGW President Tom Schatz reiterated the organization's continued opposition: "President Obama has pledged to tackle the deficit and restore the budget to a sustainable path. However, his two most prominent achievements since taking office – ObamaCare and the Recovery Act – dramatically raise the present and future burden for taxpayers. CEOs and business owners at Starbucks, White Castle, IHOP, and the National Council of Chain Restaurants, have reneged on their previous support for ObamaCare and stated that it will reduce employment and profits. As the nation shakes off a recession, the 'cure' of ObamaCare is worse than the disease. Taxpayers now fully appreciate the fiscal ruse…perpetrated [by] President Obama and his allies in Congress… [This] bill does not control costs or improve healthcare outcomes. To date, 1,040 organizations have received waivers exempting 2.5 million individuals from [ObamaCare]…Clearly, these groups – many of which lobbied for ObamaCare – do not view the bill as an expansion of choice or affordability in health care." Read more of CAGW President Tom Schatz's statement on the one-year anniversary of ObamaCare.
CAGW Applauds GAO Report on Government Waste
CAGW this month applauded the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) newly released report on wasteful or duplicative federal programs, "Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue." The report identifies 34 agencies, offices, and initiatives that provide similar or identical services to the same populations, along with 47 programs that are either wasteful or inefficient. CAGW has documented much of the waste highlighted in its Prime Cuts database for many years. "We consider this report further proof that eliminating government waste can be done without a fine-tooth comb," said CAGW President Tom Schatz. "Congress cannot claim ignorance of these duplicative, bloated programs. One of the most absurd examples is the 56 programs in 20 different agencies promoting financial literacy, while the government itself is on the verge of bankruptcy." Read more about the new GAO waste report.
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Take Action!
Help Stop $2.9 Billion in Defense Waste!
Tell Treasury Secretary Geithner: Stand Up for Taxpayers!
Tell Congress to Sign the No Pork Pledge!
Commentary
"Tax Dollars Disappear into Black Hole" by CAGW Vice President of Policy & Communications
Leslie Paige,
The Daily Caller
(March 30, 2011)"Future Shock Inevitable from Foreign-Owned U.S. Debt" by CAGW President Tom Schatz, The Hill
(March 24, 2011)
Visit CAGW's Blog!
Give us your opinions and tips about government waste in your area on "The Swine Line."
State Piglet Books
Wastewatcher Read the monthly newsletter online.
This month's issue includes the articles:
Earmark Moratorium BacklashA-Maize-ing Waste: Why Ethanol Subsidies Must Be Repealed
Federal Real Property: Buried Alive!
![enews short]()
In the News...
CNBC (March 25, 2011): "U.S. Postal Post Digital Age"
Bloomberg
Businessweek
(March 24, 2011):
"The Bid to Eliminate Dollar Bills"Chicago Tribune (March 23, 2011): "NASA Still Ordered to Waste $1.4 Million a Day"
The Washington Post (March 17, 2011): "Obama Signs Short-term Spending Measure that Includes Some Easy Cuts"
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Efficiency and Weatherization: The Gateway Drug of Energy Policy
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Home Energy Efficiency Gains Eclipsed by Too Many Gadgets
gains are being canceled out by the proliferation of electronic devices now used in homes Mar 29, 2011 GreenBiz Americans are using energy more efficiently in their households with better windows, insulation and products that meet Energy Star standards, such refrigerators and clothes washers.
Yet those gains are being canceled out by the proliferation of electronic devices now used in homes, including a growing number of personal computers, DVRs and rechargeable gadgets, according to new data released Monday by the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
"You've got everything becoming more efficient, but there is just more of everything," said Bill McNary, a DOE statistician working on the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
For example, nearly 60 percent of homes had energy efficient windows in 2009, compared to 36 percent in 1993. But the number of televisions per household has soared, with 50.5 percent of households in 2009 having three or more TVs. Forty-six percent of respondents to the survey indicated that their most-used TV is 37 inches or larger. Nearly 43 percent of households use their TVs for three to six hours a day.
Meanwhile, nearly 47 percent of households have one computer; 39.4 percent have two or more. Most households (57.9 percent) have between one and three rechargeable electronic devices; 44.3 percent have four or more.
Use of digital video recorders (DVRs) has soared. According to the EIA, DVRs first entered the market in 1999, but are now used in 43 percent of U.S. households.
"For something to go from not being on our survey in 2005, to being in 43 percent of households (in 2009) is pretty impressive," McNary said.
The EIA will release data on space heating, air conditioning and water heating use in next month or so, McNary said. Next year, the agency will also release information on residential energy consumption. Previous EIA surveys have shown that overall household energy consumption decreased slightly from 10.58 quads in 1978 to 10.55 quads in 2005, while energy use per household declined by 31 percent.
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Energy efficiency-‘another fuel’ to ensure reliable OIL supplies
Energy efficiency could be the immediate solution to higher energy demand, while renewable energy sources were being considered for long-term energy sustainability, energy experts said on Wednesday.
Global energy industry players attending the Power and Electricity World Africa conference in Johannesburg said South Africa should focus on energy efficiency as "another fuel" that can be used to improve power supply reliability, particularly considering past and anticipated power interruptions in South Africa.
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, US, chairperson Eric Callisto noted that energy efficiency should become a regulatory issue from a financial point of view, as investment in energy efficiency is much more affordable than building and operating power plants.
"It also promotes local economic development and energy independence, and holds real financial and comfort benefits to residential owners. It further gives a competitive edge to business and obvious benefits to the environment," he said.
Eskom project development GM Prish Govender said the local energy system would be constrained until 2013, while the power utility is working on solutions to the country's energy deficit. Government has set the target for a new energy mix to be implemented by 2030.
"In choosing alternative energy sources, Eskom must consider the exact energy requirements, when the capacity is needed, what the appropriate mix of technology will be, linkages and dependencies on other resources, like water, the role of government and funding," he noted.
While there were many considerations to take into account in finding the appropriate solution, Govender also pointed out that the three key factors were funding, sustainable supply and the environment.
Although coal was a reliable and abundant resource for energy generation, South Africa must incorporate a more efficient and environmental-friendly mix of resources, such as gas, nuclear, wind and solar energy, to its power generation plan.
Govender noted that gas power stations were easy to construct and has proven technology to its benefit, while nuclear generation had low operating costs after the initial intensive capital requirements. Wind energy also has proven technology and holds significant potential in parts of South Africa, as does solar energy-generation.
"Eskom needs clear instructions from national government and support from local government with infrastructure to tackle the changing energy mix and energy efficiency drives," Govender said.
Talking from his experience obtained during the energy efficiency drive in Wisconsin, Callisto agreed that policy makers must be clear about what they want to accomplish, for energy efficiency programmes to be successful. The programme must be effective and consistent, and customers and trade allies should be educated about efficiency.
"Government and stakeholders should identify solutions that have proven to deliver savings, as well as energy efficiency standards. These solutions and standards should be updated regularly and enacted upon," he noted.
Earlier this month, Eskom, together with government, business and labour partners, launched a large-scale energy saving campaign, dubbed '49M'.
Phillips South Africa marketing and business development head Vasanth Philomin highlighted three trends in efficient lighting that could take pressure off energy demand.
"Energy can be saved with the large-scale transition from analogue lighting to digital lighting, intelligent networked street lighting and new business models in public lighting," he pointed out.
Callisto noted that lessons in Wisconsin taught that energy efficiency programmes must be streamlined, utilities must be on board and the politics must be sorted out as quickly as possible. When these priorities, as well as funding, were secured, energy efficiency programmes should be successful.
Mar 30, 2011 Engineering News
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Re: Chief Economist-potential fallout from high Oil prices
Apr 1, 2011 Balkans News The surge in oil prices poses a threat to the fragile global economy, the International Energy Agency's Chief Economist, Dr. Fatih Birol, has said.
A rising oil price represents a wealth transfer from oil importing to exporting countries. This will have an impact on the balance of payments for countries. (This is essentially a country's bank statement, which shows all transactions with other countries throughout the world). With importing countries spending more on oil, the balance on their accounts can be badly affected.
Rising oil prices will also drive up inflation as the cost of oil has a knock-on effect on many other products, such as transport fuels and food.
While energy-producers stand to gain, high prices will put downward pressure on global economic growth which is in nobody's interest in the longer-term, he explained at a meeting in Paris on 22 March.
"The overall impact will depend largely on the extent of the price increase, its persistence, monetary policy response, and how producers spend their windfall revenues," he added.
Oil prices began rising significantly in September 2010. By early March Brent crude was trading at around USD115 a barrel, while the WTI was around USD100 a barrel.
Global impact
On a positive note, he observed that the world on average is now using half as much oil per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – a country's annual economic output – than compared with 1971.
This shift is due to efficiency improvements in how energy is consumed, as well as changes to the structure of economic output.
The consequence of the efficiency savings as well as less economic reliance on energy means that prices of products – though affected – are not affected by a hike in oil prices as much as four decades ago.
Despite this change, Dr. Birol stressed that oil prices still affect the global economy, with countries with high import dependency the most vulnerable.
He added that "spikes in the price of oil have played a role in each global recession since the early 1970's."
Importers
If oil prices average USD100 a barrel through all of 2011, the amount spent on oil imports by OECD countries will amount to 2.3% of the region's GDP.
For each further USD10 increase in the cost of a barrel of oil, spending rises by 0.2% of GDP of OECD countries.
"If high prices remain, then the amount spent on oil by the big importing OECD nations will be more or less equal to what they spent in 2008, when the world was plunged into an awful economic crisis," Dr. Birol said.
Looking at China, if the price of oil averages USD100 a barrel this year, China will have to spend USD206 billion on oil imports in 2011 – over USD50 billion more than it did last year – which will add to inflationary pressures.
Exporters
Yet, while high oil prices are having an obviously negative impact on importing countries, exporting nations are benefiting.
IEA analysis indicates that if oil prices stay above USD100 a barrel on average for the full year, OPEC oil export revenues are set to exceed USD1 trillion in 2011 – a record high.
Similarly if prices remain high, Russia is set to earn USD355 billion in oil and gas export revenues, which exceeds 20% of its GDP.
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Citizen Lobbyists Chalk Up Conservation Successes
Conservation Lobby Day A Huge Success!
Thank you to all who attended Conservation Lobby Day on Tuesday, March 29th in Jefferson City. With over 80 concerned citizens in attendance, we educated over 115 state legislators on key environmental issues and challenges facing our state, including:
- Advancing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policies
- Protecting Water Quality
- Upgrading State Parks
- Building Green with LEED Certification
Visit our website for more information on these bills, including our Lobby Day fact sheets.
This annual event convenes citizens who represent a diversity of conservation interests, from environmentalists, scientists, students and business owners to hunters, anglers and farmers. MVC is once again co-sponsored this Lobby Day with Missouri Coalition for the Environment and Missouri Sierra Club.
Support Lobby Day and other critical MVC programs by making a one-time or recurring donation today!
Missouri Votes Conservation (MVC) is the only conservation organization in Missouri that represents all sectors of the conservation community, including environmentalists, small business owners, hunters, anglers, scientists, farmers, and students. It is also the only organization that focuses on the political arena to achieve sound conservation practices.
MVC is a non-partisan, statewide non-profit corporation affiliated with the League of Conservation Voters, a widely respected national organization that advocates for the environment through legislative channels.
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