Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
tem for the White House roof. To promote the plan, Brian Somers had created a website
( www.solaronthewhitehouse.com ) , but after the president's statement at the Earth Day
reception, we were prepared to make a more public call to put solar back on the world's
best-known residence.
As we said in the letter to Mrs. Obama, “We need a bold statement from the first fam-
ily, saying that clean energy works, saves money, creates jobs, and is something that 'I
want for my home.'” In particular, we wanted to shine a light on the economic benefits
of going solar—the jobs and the savings on energy costs in the household budget, even
if it is an unusual home—and to see the power of the office used to make these benefits
plain to people across America.
Will Obama make good on the “Let's do that” proclamation he gave me and every
solar advocate within earshot? We're hoping he will, but we're not holding our breath;
instead we're taking steps to ensure that he does. (You can help; see “What You Can Do
as a Rooftop Revolutionary” at the end of this chapter.)
A Political Football
Why do we in the clean-energy field have to doubt the intentions of our elected leaders,
who should already know how our nation would benefit if we were to make a real com-
mitment to widespread use of solar power? We've been relentlessly beating them over
theheadwithfactsandfigures—themassivejobcreationthatsolaradoptionwouldbring
about,thesignificant savingsonourenergybills,thehugereduction inpollution, andul-
timately theincreasedindependence fromforeignoilaswemoveourmobilitytoelectric
vehicles. And why has there been so much resistance from many of our leaders in taking
solid next steps? The answer, in short, is politics.
Perhaps this is best shown in a potted tour of the United States' flirtations with a real
solar-energy strategy. Let's start with the energy crisis of the 1970s, when Jimmy Carter
was in office, just 15 years after photovoltaic cells were invented. Back then our conflict
with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) caused a shortage
of gas and an alarming surge in gas prices. Carter led a campaign for energy conserva-
tion and efficiency—bundled up in his sweater while encouraging America to turn down
the thermostat—and held up a fist as he declared that the energy struggle was “the moral
equivalent of war.” In today's energy struggle, we hear an eerie echo of his concerns as
weriskactual warduetothe continued crisis ofouroil dependency inthe Straits ofHor-
muz, our supply line of Middle Eastern oil. To combat fuel shortages and their devast-
ating costs to the public, Carter created the Department of Energy and a national energy
policy, which was quite positive, including direction on price control and development
of new technologies, especially wind and solar power.
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