I can't work in this field, but I can do my part as a citizen of the world community to heal our earth. Whatever I can do in my home and work place I am willing to do. Even if it means donating the to organizations that focuses on 'Green'.

Please see the Ideas for "Energy: 40% of energy usage is tied to the Home- we need to address the problem in each home". which is a very easy way to accomplish this mission.

Tax credits for putting panels on the roofs of houses and schools and hooking them up to the grid -- I saw that this can cost as little as 6-8K and if everyone did this . . .

(businesses should pay or get a smaller credit).

A National Water Grid similar to the Electric Grid, connecting lakes, rivers, reservoirs, using pumping stations, could be the answer to balance flooding, control drought, produce electricity, help frmers and create jobs.
Francis Wehbe

I know that the average American home is responsible for about 40% of energy usage in the USA. Federal and State governments should grant tax credits, low interest federally insured loans, or any other program that would encourage the general homeowner, and all new construction, to have their homes become more energy efficient, and even partially self-subsistent with regard to power usage. I know that by using Geo-Thermal (holes drilled in the ground, pipes containing a glycol mixture, and recirculated through heat pumps and cooling coils), natural gas and electrical usage could be lowered significantly. By using wind generation (Windmills) and solar panels for the home, centralized electrical generation needs over the aggregate could be lowered significantly thus lowering consumers' bills. The increased demand for these green technologies would boost the economy through employment and manufacture of heat pump, solar, and insulation components. The decreased use of natural gas could be redirected to be used in our transportation needs, thus reducing the carbon emissions and acting as a bridge to newer electrical and hydrogen cell transportation technologies (which themselves offer a huge employment and manufacturing potential). The subsequent decrease in demand for fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel and coal offer huge monetary savings as well as reduction of carbon footprints. The cost savings for federal, state, local government offices, as well as schools could also be enormous.

This "idea" does not deserve to be a candidate at all, much less the leading one. "Make the grid green in 10 years" is just a generalization, a blanket term, a concept - not a REAL idea for change. You may as well say "Make us energy independent in 10 years" or some similarly vacuous ephemera. This "idea" should be disqualified or re-submitted with an actual IDEA or IDEAS about how to achieve the admittedly-wonderful goal of making our energy grid green within 10 years.

Companies like Pratt&Whitney, that sell billions per year to the government, should be forced to roll out green technologies instead of hiding them: one of their subsidiaries (Rocketdyne) has decades of experience with concentrated solar power - but they choose not to commercialize it at a large scale!
I guess its more profitable to focus on fighter aircraft engines and use solar power on for greenwashing...
Sad.

Exactly right! The Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway (HyRail) is the American-made technology which enables us to do just that.

Details at

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/build_the_cleanest_and_fastest_moving_economy_in_the_world_with_the_interstate_traveler_hyrail

This is the perfect opportunity for the US to lead the way in alternative energy transformation. If every house in the US had alternative systems of power it's citizens would realize savings in future projects such as coal;nuclear which would not be needed.

We will not be slaves to oil gas and energy suppliers again put them in their place plastic and asphalt Say Never again to High oil prices and energy dependence . 90% Oil, Coal, & Gas free Electricity and heat in every state in 2 yearsCold Geothermal see how it works hereSource http://www.chenahotsprings.com/index.php?id=90 Closed loop geothermal will work with temperature as low as 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.7777778 degree Celsius. This means every state can use it for at least 4 thousand years. See the geothermal map here http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/geomap.html It is cheep energy. How do we pay for it. Start every state will receive grants to cover the full cost of 50 percent of its energy needs worth of geothermal plants. The state will own the plants and can sell the energy to the electricity to electric companies. The profits from the plants will be used to build the remaining 40 % of the plants. The federal government will provide long term loans with no zero interest rates for the remaining 40% of the plants. The states then will set up a Permanent fund, from 20 percent of the profit’s the 10 % will go to health care 10 % to secondary education the remainder to go to the state to help provide government services and off set taxes. This will provide Jobs, it will end our dependence on foreign oil. It will provide each state with an additional source of income, It will provide funding for healthcare and education, It will make the home heating and electric bills cheaper leaving more money in your pocket, and its good for the environment. How cold Geo worksBecause the geothermal water at Chena Hot Springs never reaches the boiling point of water we cannot use a traditional steam driven turbine. Instead a secondary (hence, "binary") fluid, R-134a, which has a lower boiling point than water passes through a heat exchanger with 165°F water from our geothermal wells. Heat from the geothermal water causes the R-134a to flash to vapor which then drives the turbine. Because this is a closed loop system virtually nothing is emitted to the atmosphere. Moderate temperature is by far the most common geothermal resource and most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary cycle plants. Here are the steps in the cycle:STEP 1: Hot water enters the evaporator at 165ºF (480gpm). After the hot water runs through the evaporator, it is returned to the geothermal reservoir via our injection pump and injection well system. Some of the water is also used to heat buildings on site before it is reinjected. STEP 2: The evaporator shell is filled with R-134a, a common refrigerant found in many air conditioning systems. The 165ºF water entering the evaporator is not hot enough to boil water, but it is hot enough to boil the R-134a refrigerant. The evaporator is a giant heat exchanger, with the hot water never actually coming in contact with the refrigerant, but transferring heat energy to it. The R134a begins to boil and vaporize. STEP 3: On initial system startup, the vapor bypasses the turbine and returns directly to the condenser via a bypass valve. Once there is adequate boiling/evaporation of the refrigerant, the bypass valve closes and the vapor is routed to the turbine. STEP 4: The vapor is expanded supersonically through the turbine nozzle, causing the turbine blades to turn at 13,500rpm. The turbine is connected to a generator, which it spins at 3600rpm, producing electricity. STEP 5: Cooling Water enters from our cooling water well which is located 3000ft distant and 33ft higher elevation than the power plant. Cold water (40ºF-45ºF) is siphoned out of this well and supplied to the power plant condenser at a rate of 1500gpm. STEP 6: The cooling water entering the condenser and recondenses the vapor refrigerant back into a liquid. As in the evaporator, the condenser only allows heat transfer to occur between the refrigerant (in the shell) and the cold water (in the tubes within the condenser). The two liquids never actually come in contact. STEP 7: The pump pushes the liquid refrigerant back over to the evaporator, so the cycle can start again. By doing so, it also generates the pressure which drives the entire cycle.Source http://www.chenahotsprings.com/index.php?id=90

see my idea under "hydroelectric" espousing the advantage of water power over feeble winds.

Take a look at Energy, Jobs and Environment.
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/energy_jobs_and_environment

Al Gore seems like a more of an oppurtunist than an environmetnalist, but i agree with the green movement. Cleaner is better.

The We Campaign has done an excellent job to put the Climate Crisis out there, but we can't expect CHANGE unless We DEMAND it! Get your voices heard, write to Congress, and try to go Green n your own homes! :)

I like some of the other ideas I have read. For instance, "Make the grid green in 10 years," which is a goal to shoot for. However, a goal or mandate leaves us with the same question, How do we get there? It is my opinion that Ideas that are goals still need sub ideas to reach that goal. The meat and Potatoes ideas. There are several of both types of ideas being posted and the criteria for which the ideas are chosen should categorized to reflect that. In other words, choose your "goal" ideas and then choose "functional" ideas to reach those goals.

I like this idea but I think its to basic to go to the president elect, the "Power? Come on now!" post to me should be the one to be sent because it gives a list of ways that could help the Energy and even the Economy problem.

I think the goverment could fix the problem easy if they just funded it more haha.

But this is a great idea!

Here is the link to check out the other post I like:

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/power_come_on_now

Here are some more ideas on how to make the grid green with distributed renewable energy and base load concentrated solar power combined with smart grid technology. http://www.change.org/ideas/view/electric_transport_powered_by_distributed_renewable_energy_and_base_load_concentrating_solar_power

Very simple wording, yet so powerful! This is key to not just preventing global warming, but for those that still don't believe this is happening (they have stock in Big Oil ) they're missing two HUGE concerns:
>>WE'RE USING TOO MUCH PETROLEUM/COAL! It's not a bottom-less barrel. We will run out, when?
>>WE'RE POLLUTING OUR ENVIRONMENT TO EXTREME LEVELS! We're breathing in all this CO, CO2, other nasty emissions.
Other countries are following our poor lead.  Let's shift directions and be the example of efficient energy use and build our renewable energy network!

Mr Levy,

Care to modify your important post with the addition of possible solutions? e.g. To get off the grid, we need to invest in a variety of Renewable energies, like
Wind (subsidize this, not corn! Imagine paying people in windy areas especially to maintain their windmills, not spray pesticides) Water hydroelectric used appropriately
and perhaps the best of all--Solar! Promote this technology through tax-rebates and other ways, to help reduce the cost and increase access to panels. This market surge will help to promote better efficiency especially in areas that haev much cloud cover.

I am disappointed to see that this suggestion is receiving so many votes and is number one.  It proposes no specific action plan, contains no costs or proposals on how it would be paid for.
While I support the concept and feel as a nation if we do not get going to change the energy culture of the last 100 years, we are in trouble when up against countries like China and India.
   
I am afraid that it is indicative of what this country has become, many to talk in generalities, but few to do anything concrete to make it things better.  Therefore I will not be giving it my vote.

I am sorry if this is a harsh criticism or is uncalled for, but I would prefer that the suggestions that are more concrete and doable be getting a little more play.  And yes, I have submitted some ideas and they are not receiving that many votes, but I make my comments not because of that fact, only want to see the talking end and the doing begin.

Thank you.

Joesph makes a good point. While making the grid green is a great idea in itself,  we need more specifics on how to do this.   And, making the grid green is only a part of the solution...we also need to wean ourselves off of transportation oil which represents by far the largest share of our oil imports. 

Several other energy related posts discuss options to accomplish these things including low temperature geothermal, smart grid technology, Concentrating Solar Power with thermal storage, Feed-in tariffs that promote the development of distributed renewable energy projects, etc. 

Transitioning to electric vehicles and grid connected vehicles such as electric railways, buses, and automobiles will also need to be an important part of the plan or we will never get off of oil

Yes i agree to make the grid green, for energy, automotive, etc... We need to act now and shape a good future for our kids and the enviorment, there is only one earth, this is somthing we can not destroy!

Well this idea "Make the grid green in 10 years" is such a retarded idea. What most of you people dont understand is polotics, economy, congress, government, etc. etc. If you have not figured out by now is that the past election was not on any of the things i just listed. It was about race, and thats just it. You have the frekin black people voting for him because he is black. The mexicans voting for him because he wants to drop the borders. And reatarded white people that are poor and want the robin hood theory and think that GWB is bad. Obama may help some people keep there jobs but its not going to happen if he drops the borders! Obama would not be able to control gas prices why? because its the oil companies not drilling!! So Dear America thank you for your time for reading this....this is your all time favorite WR Wes Welker for the NE Patriots. And to you OBAMA fans....go screw yourself maybe one day you will find out one day that race is not a factor in life.

THIS WORD ESTA PERDIDO FOR SERO VALORES CRISTIANOS EN NINGUN AREA EMPIEZENPOR TENER UNA CULTURA MAS SANA DARLE EL VALOR A LA MUJER QUE SE MERECE, SERO RACISMO,SERO GUERRAS,UN TOQUE DE DIOS EN TODO AUNQUE NO SEAN CRISTIANOS NOSOTROS AGUANTAMOS LO DEL MUNDO PO QUE NO AGUANTAN UN POCO DEL QUE LOS TIENE CONVIDA VERA QUE TODO MEJORARA. SUGERENCIA NOOBLIGATORIO JA,JA,JA. 

I think this is a good idea. Not just cause of Global Warming, but because it will literally let us all breath easier. It is a much need plan.

Alternative energy even with tax cuts and insensitive are priced out of reach for the average Joe. Those that rent are out of luck for any kind of structural changes. That price doesn’t have to stop us from using green energy, collectively we can build green power plants sound to big for 1 person or even 10 it is. But by asking the environmental groups to come together they can. They can do it by setting up donation fund for the actual building of green power plants. Asking for legislation to help with this is great but they are two slow, and we need energy independence now. Please sign this petition to bring them together to start bringing us green energyhttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/651803881

Watch the ALTERNATIVE ENERGY VIDEO which has all different types of currently used applications.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmGp2O4G62k 

Watch the ALTERNATIVE ENERGY VIDEO which has all different types of currently used applications.
This video is featured at Change.org here--> 
http://globalwarming.change.org/videos/view/alternative_energy_environmental_science_money

Do you realize how much human waste could be turned into methane? 
Six members of my family have been driving cars that run on methane (CNG) for years! and we love it.

  Please consider voting for " Capture methane from sewage treatment plants; heat homes, fuel vehicles, make electricity.  "

Energy from methane is wonderful, we stop dependence on foreign oil, clean the air, and the best part is, we can make methane in every city if we want to... we just need to change the way we look at sewage.

The Earth Policy Institute, led by Lester Brown, have come up with a concrete plan to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2020.  Following this plan, we can get very close to making the grid green in the next 10 years, and help prevent most of the other carbon emissions worldwide.  Read the 8-page plan online at: http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/80by2020.htm.  I also encourage you to read the full version of his latest book Plan B 3.0, which addresses many of the other global issues we are facing.

Why is everyone voting for this statement?  This is not an idea, and must have been early to post.  Just giving us some recognizable slogan does not add anything to the discussion. 

It has been a few days since you first posted this statement.  Could you please fill in how you will green the grid

Not everyone has a liberal arts background.  There fore, some of us expect details, plans, something tangible.  Dude give us something.

My thoughts go with you

10 years is very ambitious, but I think we should go for it as fast as we can.  I have described how we can enable local government to take charge of a local green infrastructure (with help from fed and state gov):  Please see

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/renewable_model_communities_rmc

Yes, we certainly MUST change the way we are destroying our home (earth) via fossil fuel usage/carbon emissions; but PLEASE let's not take a frantic, smug leap from the frying pan (fossil fuel) to the fire (alternative energy).

Historical every time humankind is on the brink of 'running out of' one source of energy they scramble for a time-bomb alternative.

Wave/current, wind, gargantuan crop production (land clearing and grain emissions), and others are all interfering with the earth's delicate balancing act, and human well-being. Unbalance (on a large enough scale ... just as we have with fossil fuel usage) and it doesn't take much to imagine what will happen over a period of time!

Also, energy-guzzling, high waste options are a band-aid, knee-jerk effort.

Humankind COULD implement excellent solutions, if only we would.

We need to eliminate dependance on oil.

Nuclear is the way to go. Yes I support most forms of clean energy "Alternative energy" expect for the stuff they cut down the rain forest/food supply to grow. But all those combined are not enough to power everything. Nuclear is safe and the waste can be reycled but the goveement made that illegal to protect thier oil interest and scare you. Good job FOX and Homer Simpson.

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/nuclear_power

Here's a design idea that might help accomplish this as an fyi: http://www.change.org/ideas/view/electrify_the_rails

 No other reform in America can do more for the environment than ending our corrupt and disingenious ban on Hemp crops. Hemp crops for instance are the best crop for feedstocks in the production of Bio fuels, far surpassing corn. Fiber and paper products made of Hemp are of high quality and more environmentally sound to produce than our cotton fabrics (softer and more absorbant, and stronger too, Hemp crops need no pesticides, cotton crops use 50% of all pesticides in America), tree paper and petrolium based products.
 By any and all means we should pool our efforts and support each and every Hemp reform idea on this site. 
 Hemp (criminality) issues cloud, corrupt, interfere, and / or prevent progress, research, and innovation throughout many of America's medical, scientific, criminal justice, agricultural and industrial economic sectors. Banning Hemp is detrimental to the health and well being of all Americans, and legalization of Hemp and cannabis crops in America can contribute greatly to economic prosperity (so important in the current economic situation and vital to prevent a total American economic collapse). 

We can do it in less than 10 years, strong investment and research can do it in 5.

Please see my CONCRETE recommendation Mandatory Energy Ratings on all Buildings.  Already the law of the land in Europe.  Just submitted.  This incentivizes the Marketplace to solve the energy problem.  Want more details?
Please change your vote.

Gore's proposal are doable through a combination of technological improvements in energy use efficiency, reduction in consumption (behavior modification by the US population) and displacement of fossil fuel generation facilities with renewable energy and nuclear power.  Even if we don't hit 100% in ten years there are so many upsides (environmental, national security, balance of trade, domestic employment, climate change) to adopting Gore's proposal as a national goal, the "idea" to take fossil fuel out of our electric generation systems merits being one of the top ten to hit Obama's desk.

There are new technologies that allow a larger load to be transported along existing transmission towers (e.g aluminum type wires, superconducting wires, other alloys).  Wind energy and other forms of solar based renewable need more capacity in the transmission systems to grow rapidly.  The transformation will last generations and the investments will allow us to reduce coal and global warming pollutants that hurt the environment, our economy and our health. In the process of rolling out these infrastructural improvements, we create jobs,  reduce importation of gas and oil, allow more wind to be built and create a more stable, long term lower cost of energy. 

What happened to the Category: The Economy?  Something is wrong with Change.Org.
Many good ideas here but it's difficult to believe this category just dissapeared - what's up? 
Biggest concern to our national financial survival (if that fails - all the other 'ideas' will also fail due to lack of funding) is Fiat money - and the corrupt FED.  Greenspan, BEfore he became head of the FED is quoted:  "In the absence of the gold standard, there is NO way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation.  There is no safe store of value...  "
I only add this comment here because there is NO other place in this site to place these opinions!

Please help The Family Union Foundation for Obama to raise 1000s of votes by voting today, then forwarding this message to your friends, so they'll vote too. You can help millions of American (African-American, Native American and etc) families reunite today just by clicking the URL BELOW the click VOTE NOW today, so families will be reunited Tomorrow.. Thank you..

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/the_family_union_foundation_for_obama

Why get behind AL Gore he owns a company that makes money off of tax credits.  Not saying we shouldn't use other things but i don't like to line pockets of greedy people who gain popularity then turn around a make a profit..

Yes Al Gore, YOU KILLED THE CLEANEST, GREENEST, NO-POLUTING FORM OF ENERGY  N U C L E A R  P O W E R  E L E C T R I C  G E R A T I O N.

YOU PROMOTED COAL AND NATURAL GAS PLANTS THAT SPREW CONTAMINATION, HARMFUL METALS, GASES, AND RADIATION BY THOUSANDS OF TONS EACH YEARLY, CAUSING HORRIBLE POULUTION, AND GREEN HOUSE GASES.

Nuclear plants can cleanly charge tens of millions of hybrid electric vehicles, generate hydrogen, and de-saltinate water from the ocean.

20+ % of USA power is already generated by 104 plants and have safely for 40 years+

Europe, asia, and mideast countries some 85% nuclear power generation, and they are recycling spent fuel rods.
 
Quit lying about your global warming, causes, and pyrimid schemes to make you rich, well killing off tens of thousands from coal and natural gas power generation and the millions of tons polution, and green house gases.

Gary Bartlett
N. California USA

Nuclear power is NOT zero-emissions. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy reports "millions of gallons of radioactive waste" and "thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel and material" in the U.S., not to mention "huge quantities of contaminated soil and water". 

This is NUCLEAR WASTE. It DOESN'T GO AWAY. It's radioactive for up to 17 MILLION YEARS! Recycling spent fuel doesn't get rid of the ultimate waste, granted it makes the fuel rods more efficient, and storing the nuclear waste that would result from producing our electricity via nuclear fission would become even more of a problem than it is today. Talk about killing our children with carbon emissions, we would be putting our decendants at risk for MILLIONS (does that not affect even the slightest caution?) AND MILLIONS OF YEARS! 

So please, DO NOT SPREAD THE MISCONCEPTION THAT NUCLEAR POWER IS "CLEAN", BECAUSE IT ISN'T! I certainly don't advocate the use of fossil fuels for energy--as we all know of the suffocating emmissions that they produce--but nuclear power is NOT the answer.

You may want to believe that there is some way of producing energy out there that is completely clean and can satisfy our bottomless thirst for energy without the slightest effort, but there isn't. There is no free ride to endless energy. 

The bottom line is that we need to cut back on our energy consumption, realize that we can't keep living the life we've previously enjoyed, sacrifice luxury for a future and find TRULY clean, zero-emissions technology to implement en-masse and meet our energy NEEDS, not our outlandish energy desires.

We need to invest in SOLAR POWER, WIND POWER, HYDROELECTRICITY and good ol' fashion HUMAN ENERGY!!! Ride a bike for humanity's sake! Take the stairs! Use public transit! Turn out the lights if you don't need them, and turn that god forsaken T.V. off!

Truly,
M.J.

I am astonished that addressing the Climate Crisis as a whole isn't among the top ideas for changing America.  It is the greatest threat to the world's future, short of thermonuclear war.

While green energy is itself an important goal, it is not the complete answer to the Climate Crisis.  If you are young, this is likely to be the phenonomenon that will come to dominate your life. 

Don't discount hydroelectric. Thousands of pre-fab floating units could be moored midstream in current, dual paddle wheel, dual turbine, direct drive, 2 to 5 Kw each.  could be clustered and maintained by localities. Sort of reverse steamboat concept, eco-friendly and mobile. Water flows more than wind blows or sun shines! 607-604-4073. 
.

Greening the planet needs to be front and center in local, national and international goverments. We are at a great turning in our civilization and we are the ones who have a choice in whether to save the planet and life as we know it or not.