Texans: Sign a Petition For Change!

Texans: Sign a Petition For Change!

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Posted on behalf of EnvironmentTexas.org<br /><br />Americans are problem solvers. We&#39;ve innovated a lot of solutions in<br /> our time, from the artificial heart to those little cardboard sleeves<br /> for coffee cups so your hands don&#39;t burn. Some of those things are<br /> obviously more important than others, but I think we can all agree<br /> that America stands poised to innovate one of the most important<br /> solutions in<br /> history--clean, renewable sources of energy to power our lives.<br /><br /> We can harness this spirit of innovation by turning away from our<br /> dirty, dangerous energy past--coal, oil, and gas--and toward a new<br /> energy future of clean, renewable sources of energy such as wind and<br /> solar.<br /><br /> Our representatives in congress have the chance to take this important<br /> step by co-sponsoring a federal renewable energy standard which<br /> requires that 20% of our energy comes from renewable sources by the<br /> year 2020. Ask your representative to step away from the energy past<br /> and toward a new energy future by clicking on the link below or<br /> copying and pasting<br /> it into your web browser. Then, ask your friends and family to help<br /> out by sharing this message with them.<br /><br /> <a href="https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/energy/petition?id4=ES">https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/energy/petition?id4=ES</a><br /><br /> Background:<br /><br /> America&#39;s energy situation today is less secure than it has been in<br /> recent memory. Our domestic production of oil peaked decades ago and<br /> our production of natural gas may be peaking now. As a result, we<br /> import more of our energy than ever before, leaving our energy<br /> supplies and national security vulnerable to political instability<br /> abroad. We have ample supplies of coal. But mining coal causes severe<br /> environmental damage and burning it releases large amounts of air<br /> pollution; which contributes to global warming, acid rain, mercury<br /> contamination and unhealthy air. Nuclear power has been tried and<br /> found wanting for economic, environmental and public safety reasons.<br /> And virtually every year, Americans consume more and more energy.<br /><br /> Right now, America is failing to take advantage of our almost<br /> unlimited potential to generate electricity from renewable sources of<br /> energy like wind and solar power.<br /><br /> * The wind blowing through the Great Plains could generate enough<br /> electricity to power the entire country. Wind power installations<br /> in the United States have doubled over the last four years, and<br /> wind power is among the cheapest sources of new power generation<br /> in some parts of the country.<br /> * Solar energy could conceivably generate more than enough<br /> electricity to power the entire United States. The cost of solar<br /> panels has declined dramatically in recent years and solar power<br /> installations worldwide nearly doubled between 2002 and 2004.<br /> Continued advances in solar technology could bring solar power<br /> within reach of more Americans within the<br /> next several years.<br /> * Plant-based sources of energy, called "biomass," already provide a<br /> substantial amount of energy in America and can provide even more.<br /> A federal advisory group has set a target of having biomass<br /> account for 5 percent of industrial and electric generator energy<br /> use by 2020.<br /> * Immense amounts of energy are contained within the earth. Experts<br /> estimate that as much as 100,000 megawatts of geothermal<br /> power--equal to about 10 percent of today&#39;s electricity generation<br /> capacity--could be economically viable in the United States.<br /><br /> Thankfully, America is the most technologically and economically<br /> advanced nation in the world, blessed with vast natural and<br /> intellectual resources. Our nation has a track record of responding to<br /> major challenges and achieving unthinkable goals. If any nation in the<br /> world is capable of creating an energy system that can fuel our<br /> economy while preserving our environment and our long-term security,<br /> it is us.<br /><br /> For America to retain our economic vigor, national security and<br /> environmental health, we must build toward a New Energy Future--one<br /> based on homegrown, environmentally friendly energy sources and the<br /> sensible use of energy throughout the economy. We have the tools to<br /> achieve a better energy future--in the technological prowess of<br /> academia and industry, the cutting-edge public policies now being<br /> pioneered in states across the country, and in our vast reserves of<br /> energy from the sun, wind and crops.<br /><br /> The technology to tap those resources is advancing rapidly and is<br /> increasingly competitive in cost with fossil fuel technologies. And,<br /> momentum around renewable energy policies is building. Already, 22<br /> states have already adopted policies requiring utilities to increase<br /> their use of renewable energy. But, we need to make a national<br /> commitment to dramatically increase the amount of renewable energy we<br /> use to generate our power.<br /><br /> We&#39;re asking citizens to join us in calling on Congress to adopt a<br /> Renewable Electricity Standard that would require that utilities<br /> generate at least 20 percent of their electricity from clean,<br /> renewable sources by 2020.<br /><br /> Wind power could provide as much as 30 percent of America&#39;s<br /> electricity by 2025 and possibly more as new technologies and<br /> practices allow for us to successfully integrate more wind power into<br /> America&#39;s electricity mix.<br /><br /> Solar and geothermal power can combine to produce another 12 percent<br /> of America&#39;s electricity, while an assortment of other renewable<br /> technologies--ranging from solar hot water heaters to geothermal heat<br /> pumps--can also make an important contribution.<br /><br /> Additional renewable energy could be generated using new technologies<br /> such as wave and tidal power or by achieving technological<br /> improvements that would enable us to expand our use of other renewable<br /> energy sources.<br /><br /> Our representatives in congress have the chance to take this important<br /> step by co-sponsoring a federal renewable energy standard which<br /> requires that 20% of our energy comes from renewable sources by the<br /> year 2020. Ask your representative to step away from the energy past<br /> and toward a new energy future by clicking on the link below or<br /> copying and pasting it into your web browser. Then, ask your friends<br /> and family to help out by sharing this message with them.<br /><br /> <a href="https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/energy/petition?id4=ES">https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/energy/petition?id4=ES</a><br /><br /> Sincerely,<br /><br /> Luke Metzger<br /> Environment Texas Director<br /> <a href="http://mailto:LukeM@environmenttexas.org">LukeM@environmenttexas.org</a><br /> <a href="http://www.environmenttexas.org/">http://www.environmenttexas.org</a>

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