The need for fundamental change
Greens support a rapid increase in renewable, clean energy production featuring wind, solar and hydrogen fuel cell technology.

In the United States and many other countries, power plants, power lines, and gasoline-powered vehicles are ubiquitous. Our culture demands electricity and oil to power our way of life; our information-based society and global commercial structure require it. Even food production is linked inextricably to energy.

But fossil fuels, which provide the overwhelming majority of our energy, will not last forever. Within the lifetime of many living people, crude oil production will peak, then gradually fall. Without precise long- and short-term plans, put into action now, America and the world face an unprecedented energy crisis.

According to the Energy Information Administration, a statistical arm of the Department of Energy, 86% of energy used in the United States in 2003 came from fossil fuels, and 8% came from nuclear power. Only the remaining 6% came from alternative or renewable energy sources. Of that 6%, only 1% came from solar energy, and only 2% from wind. Hy-droelectric and biomass energy sources accounted for the vast majority of alternative energy produced in the U.S. Alternative energy sources must be promoted, developed and implemented to balance, and eventu-ally reverse, these troubling numbers.

Goals and Principles of Action

1. Greens understand the importance of maintaining the delicate ecological balance of our planet. Though scientists debate the ultimate effects of emissions from oil refineries, coal-fired power plants and cars, environmental changes are already occurring that could have drastic consequences for future generations. We must utilize cleaner energy sources and promote more efficient use of energy to prevent known and unknown damage to our Earth.

2. Public as well as private action should be motivated by long-term goals, rather than short-term fixes. Alternative energy sources like wind and solar power not only provide freedom from the pollution of fossil fuels, but they are free and unlimited. The technology exists to harness the wind and convert sunlight into electricity, and to create vehicle engines that use far less gasoline. We must integrate this technology into our daily lives, and fund initiatives to further develop it for uses beyond our current capabilities.

3. We can also save energy, lighten the load on transmission lines, and reduce our need for inefficient and polluting power plants if we increase the energy efficiency of both power sources and users. Energy producers must utilize known ways of storing electricity for peak dem-and periods and employ materials that greatly reduce the energy lost during transmission to consumers. Consumers must be encouraged to moderate their use of energy, purchase energy-efficient products, and ensure proper insulation of their homes. Commuters should consider hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, carpooling, and regional transit systems. Benefits of Using Alternative and Renewable Energy

4. Wind and solar energy is readily accessible. Americans and others would no longer be dependent on oil resources in other countries. The prevention of “resource wars” would promote social stability, predict-able and steady energy production costs would drive economic stabili-ty, and new jobs would result from the development of these new tech-nologies as we create a new energy paradigm.

5. Alternative energy sources are clean and become increasingly efficient with advances in technology. Heating a home or powering a business could be done on-site or through current distribution net-works linked to wind turbines or solar collectors. Energy efficiencies can even be achieved through alternative building designs and from certain building materials.

6. For us and for future generations, it is important that we move to an energy efficient economy, and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems. Alternative energy sources allow us to harness the natural and virtually unlimited energy of the sun, moving us away from environmentally damaging practices like mining and oil pumping.

Plan of Action:

A fundamental shift toward the primary use of alternative and renew-able energy sources must begin immediately. Though a complete change to a new energy economy will take many years, policies must be put in place now to make it happen. These are some of the changes that must be made:

• Governmental energy policies must change to emphasize the development and implementation of alternative energy sources. Only a tiny fraction of the federal budget is spent on developing new energy sources and promoting energy conservation and efficiency, while much more money is diverted to programs and policies in conflict with this goal. Much more can be done here.

• New power generation stations utilizing solar and wind energy must be constructed. As opposed to traditional power plants, these alternative energy sources allow concurrent use of the land for farming and other purposes.

• More homes with solar collectors and other design features that use the sun’s energy must be built. Local energy grids that use wind and solar power must be created, not only as a long-term solution but also to reduce the strain on the current national network. Fueling stations for alternative fuel vehicles must be built to aid consumers wishing to purchase such vehicles.

• The nation’s power grid must be updated to minimize power loss from older, less efficient conducting materials, and allow for ever-increasing demand.