2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumMartin O'Malley Heads to Iowa for the 4th With an Aggressive Message: 100% Renewable Energy by 2050
from O'Malley Communications Director Lis Smith:
"Today, Governor Martin O'Malley is kicking off a 3-day swing through Iowa to formally unveil his goal of making the U.S. 100% powered by renewable energy by 2050. The governor identifies the challenge of climate change as both a moral imperative for our nation and a tremendous economic opportunity to create new jobs. That's why he led on tackling climate change as governor, and why he's made this goal the center of his campaign." http://bit.ly/1Jz1R50
A JOBS AGENDA FOR IOWAs RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE
As a nation we have made great strides toward becoming energy independent. Now is the time to accelerate that progress. I believe that within 35 years, our country can and should be 100% powered by clean energy, supported by millions of new jobs. But we have to accelerate the transition right now. To support Iowas continued leadership in clean energy, as President I would:
Incentivize the production of clean energy, not fossil fuels.
End fossil fuel subsidies, and reinvest the savings in a long-term extension of the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit. These credits are critical to a healthy wind industry, and make rooftop solar installations affordable for homeowners and businesses. Yet Congress regularly lets the credits expire, leading to a boom-bust cycle of development that hurts job creation and investment.
Provide a strong market for biofuels.
Enact a long-term extension of the Biodiesel Tax Credit, including production incentives for second-generation biofuels, while investing in renewable fuel infrastructure to support biofuels and electric cars.
Maintain a strong market for biofuels by directing the EPA to set annual volume targets that comply fully with the Renewable Fuel Standard. High targets drive new investments in biofuel innovation and infrastructure, creating jobs and tearing down barriers to using renewable fuels.
Train workers to join growing clean energy industries.
Create a new Clean Energy Jobs Corps to partner with communities to build clean energy infrastructure, retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient, and expand our fields and forests so they can absorb more greenhouse gases.
Partner with industry to help meet skills and employment needs in renewable energy production, construction, and manufacturing. Launch a national initiative for career and technical education, starting in high school, to develop a pipeline of workers for the new clean energy economy.
Modernize our electric grid to support localized, renewable energy generation.
Prioritize modernizing our electric grid, to support localized, renewable energy generation and better connect existing wind generation to the consumers who need it.
Support rural clean energy finance.
Launch a Clean Energy Finance Authority, and direct it to support community wind and solar projects. This should include working with rural electric cooperatives so they can affordably install renewable energy generation from investing in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, to supporting partnerships so co-ops can take advantage of renewable energy tax credits.
Redouble USDAs Rural Energy for America Program, which provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses, to help purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements.
FSogol
(45,485 posts)bigtree
(85,996 posts)...not merely managing the disaster of fossil fuel destruction of the planet as so many politicians' rhetoric suggests.
Response to bigtree (Original post)
bigtree This message was self-deleted by its author.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)Our system isn't really set up to deal with long-term anything.
bigtree
(85,996 posts)"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
- John F. Kennedy "We choose to go to the Moon" 1962 speech affirming that Man will be on the moon before the end of the 1960's
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)The space program in addition to being a big dream really was a mechanism for developing technology desired by the military...and as we see, when the USSR collapsed taking the threat along with it, so did most of American interest in manned space flight.
The problem with all plans that run for decades is they must maintain national support. It's hard to imagine energy and water not becoming more important, but the approaches used aren't necessarily continue to be supported across many decades.
External events happen. They can cause everything to change.
bigtree
(85,996 posts)...there's such a brain block on the urgency and danger of the situation we've created for our environment that it's both fascinating and disheartening that there's even a question about the need for urgent and drastic action..
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)It's not a matter of getting on the problem urgently.
It's simply that to succeed such a project requires many presidencies carrying it forward.
bigtree
(85,996 posts)...is certainly 'all well and good.'
Someone has to "start" the ball rolling, and when it comes to climate change that time is NOW. Yes it may take several presidents to get it accomplished, but the longer we wait the hard it will be to fix the problem.
elleng
(130,908 posts)or have the nerve to face the NAY-sayers, or recognize the need, NOTHING will get done.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)People see the problems in their face more all the time, so hopefully Americans
will embrace such a plan...he will need that support in fighting for it too.
elleng
(130,908 posts)moondust
(19,981 posts)More realistic for a smaller country like Denmark that already has a strong history of renewables and not many fossil fuel interests.
JustAnotherGen
(31,823 posts)And he's so detailed!
Bravo Mr. O'Malley!
Partner with industry to help meet skills and employment needs in renewable energy production, construction, and manufacturing. Launch a national initiative for career and technical education, starting in high school, to develop a pipeline of workers for the new clean energy economy.
Modernize our electric grid to support localized, renewable energy generation.