Well, it’s been a while … just think: we have a new President. A President whose ideas - at least in theory - are rooted in creating a sustainable America. From healthcare to energy policy, Barack Obama’s future visions have the potential to revitalize the American economy by investing in technology and creating jobs that are dedicated to the wellbeing of Americans.

Just what is a sustainable economy? A few posts ago, I cited the EPA’s definition of sustainability that we can also examine with respect to economic models: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” A sustainable economy is one in which jobs, goods, profits and natural resources address demand and public welfare in a manner that will not cause future economic collapse due to short-term profit-seeking at the expense of the environment, investors, and consumers alike; waste is minimized and efficiency is prioritized in production and manufacturing.

With respect to energy policy, this means investing in research programs and implementation for harvesting and converting alternative energy for everyday tasks like cooking, turning on the lights, and hot water among others. Making the practices that deplete natural resources such as coal and oil more efficient is only one part of the puzzle. Diversification of our energy sources, with an emphasis on zero-waste practices is key to making not only the U.S., but every country in the world energy-independent and sustainable.

When people think of alternative energy sources, most think of solar panels and wind turbines. However, there are numerous other alternative technologies out there such as:

• Green roofs reduce rainwater runoff, reduce surface temperatures up to 70%, and increase energy savings by up to 25%.
• Hydroelectric turbines harness the power of waves underwater.
• Geothermal energy uses heat, steam or hot water from geothermal reservoirs to power turbines.

Presidential campaign promises are all too often empty promises. Hopefully Obama makes good on his promises of hope for a better tomorrow. In the meantime, many of these alternative technologies are available to implement within your own home or municipality. The key is research and awareness, and activism if you’re concerned about your municipality’s involvement in a sustainable future. I can’t help but to wonder as Mayor Michael Nutter makes more budget cuts and announces the closing of libraries what he’s doing to recoup the budget shortfalls to ensure that some of the more critical losses can be restored? Namely, I wonder as I read about other municipalities like New York City and Chicago investing in energy-saving green technology what Nutter is doing to improve our own city’s energy programs? You can bet my next letter will be to him.

If there’s one thing you take from this past election, let it be that your personal involvement at the local level can bring about change. Don’t idly stand by on the issues when you disagree with your local leaders. Write a letter, start a petition, talk to your neighbors. Change starts with you.

Links:

Nine Cities, Nine Ideas: Local governments around the globe are coming up with some of the most innovative ways to cut energy use.

Alternative Energy News and information resources about renewable energy technologies.

New York City’s Plan for a sustainable future.

Tags: energy

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 11:05 pm and is filed under Sustainability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.