Embrace Clean Energy

In Obama's address to the nation last night regarding the Gulf Oil Spill he stated:

We cannot consign our children to this future.  The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.  Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash America’s innovation and seize control of our own destiny.

That's funny, because I've been saying the same thing for the past 5 years (largely inspired by the writings of Thomas Friedman).  I wrote a blog back in January of 2010 reflecting the same sentiments, this time in response to Obama's comments after fielding a question by a W.V. congresswoman where she essentially said that she is worried that a clean energy future is going to hurt the coal industry in her state.  Obama went on to say that embracing clean energy strengthens our economy, national security, and environment.

I thought it was a good speech, but of course Obama always has good speeches. What I really want to see is follow up.  I want to see action.  I'm tired of unsustainable dunces in Government and Corporate sectors leading this nation on a futile game of "follow me so I can increase my own wealth and power - a.k.a. screw you America, I'm only out for my own personal gain".

We need to put policies in place that advance clean energy.  Period.  Germany embraced a clean energy policy years ago, and now there's a German solar company, Mage Solar, building a facility in my home state of Georgia.  Do you think German companies would be strong in the solar industry if Germany didn't embrace clean energy long ago?  And Germany isn't the only nation who is benefiting from clean energy policy.  It looks like China is also embracing clean energy.  From Thomas Friedman's post back in January titled "Who's Sleeping Now?"

Being in China right now I am more convinced than ever that when historians look back at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, they will say that the most important thing to happen was not the Great Recession, but China’s Green Leap Forward. The Beijing leadership clearly understands that the E.T. — Energy Technology — revolution is both a necessity and an opportunity, and they do not intend to miss it.

Face it folks, the world is moving to a clean energy economy.  We can either be leaders or followers.  What's it going to be?

Now the "free market" zealots out there will cry shenanigans anytime government intervenes with the market and imposes more regulation.  To them I say, "Wake up and smell the oil!"

• Wasn't it a lack of policy and regulation that resulted in the BP Oil Spill (see corruption and scandal in the Minerals Management Service - the federal organization that is responsible for overseeing offshore drilling)?
• Wasn't it a lack of policy and regulation that resulted in the goons on Wall Street steering America to an economic meltdown as they gambled on sub-prime mortgages (not to mention the Madoff)?
• Wasn't it a lack of regulation that resulted in the children's Tylenol scare or the salmonella peanut butter scare?
• I could go on, and on, and on....

I'm not saying we need Government to take over and run everything.  That would be a disaster.  I'm not a communist,  I'm a capitalist.  What I am saying it that when you have a truly free market with little policy and regulation, you get greedy selfish pieces of $#!% who figure out how they can make the most money no matter the expense to society, the economy and the environment. A lack of the right policy and regulation creates an abundance of greed. This is a fact that has been proven over and over again.

A free market economy only works when you have moral, honest, good individuals running it.  Unfortunately we don't have this.  We have short-termed, pea-brained individuals who only want to cut costs and corners. You can still become wealthy and operate under sustainable principles.  Somehow our society has seemed to lose sight of this fact.

We need to embrace a Clean Energy policy and the strength to regulate and ensure that policy is implemented.  Doing anything else is only going to hurt America and the world in the long run.