Energy efficiency makes sense

Energy efficiency makes sense

EDITOR:

Moving America forward with clean energy will put us back in control of our economic future and create millions of new jobs that will help get us out of this recession. That’s why news that the Senate advanced clean energy and climate legislation is so important.

People need jobs right now, and moving to clean energy is a way to create them. Recent reports show that we can create 1.7 million new American jobs with comprehensive clean energy and climate policies — good-paying jobs for working people installing wind turbines, retrofitting buildings and building fuel efficient cars. Clean energy can restore America’s manufacturing base, rebuild the U.S. economy for the long run, and create more than 850,000 manufacturing jobs in all 50 states. By using clean homegrown energy, these will be jobs that can’t be shipped overseas. Moreover, by transitioning to clean energy, we’ll tap into the unmatched innovation, ingenuity and hard work of America’s greatest resource: our workers. The American workforce is still one of the most highly trained and flexible, and that’s an asset the can help put this country and the world back on track to prosperity. Creating more sustainable wage jobs in this economy would be a good thing for everyone, by increasing the tax bases in our communities, reinvesting in our national energy infrastructure, and providing a decent future for generations to come.

While the big oil companies are spending millions trying to resist this change, it’s clear that the status quo isn’t working. Our average household energy spending increased $1,000 between 2001 and 2007. We just can’t afford more of the same. Even if someone doesn’t agree with the science behind disruptive climate change, it still makes sense to save money by increasing our efficiency. We need to act quickly because the rest of the world will not wait for us to lead the way this time. We as a nation are falling behind in yet another movement. With countries like China investing $12 million every hour of every day in things like wind turbines and solar panels, we are slipping behind the rest of the industrialized world. We cannot afford to stand idle while the rest of the world takes advantage of an emerging climate change movement.

We have the workforce, we have the training and the knowledge, and we have the need for effective climate change legislation. Now, we need to put this country back to work by supporting the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.

GEORGE CALKO

Cortland