Area Residents want a cleaner, brighter energy future

[irishbobcat]

Area Residents want a cleaner, brighter energy future
October 13, 2008


This is a letter I received last week from an area voter who wants to see a cleaner, brighter energy future:

October 9, 2008

Dennis Spisak
548 Poland Avenue
Struthers, OH 44471


Dear Mr. Spisak:

I am writing to ask your support for an energy policy that will provide a
cleaner, greener, and more competitive economy for our children's future. 
Climate change is a serious concern for me and I urge you to support an
energy policy that will:

INVEST IN CLEAN ENERGY.  Critical to any serious energy policy, wind and
solar energy represent homegrown sources of electricity that can do the
job now.  We need to extend tax credits for wind and solar project for ten
years and build the infrastructure to get power from where it is produced
to our population centers.

MAKE CARS CLEANER.  We need to increase the corporate average fuel economy
to 60 MPG and create strong incentives for consumers to buy plug-in
hybrids. 

BUILD EFFICIENT BUILDINGS.  Invest in making existing buildings use half
of the energy they use now and move to zero-emissions for new buildings. A
2007 report by the US Department of Energy found that energy efficiency
measures can reduce our nation's energy demand growth by 50 percent by
2025.  More ambitious studies by the Rocky Mountain Institute report we
can achieve 75 percent by 2020.

CREATE GREEN JOBS.  Implementing these recommendations will create
thousands of good jobs in the United States which cannot be outsourced. 
Buildings can't be made efficient by workers overseas, solar energy can't
be outsourced, and all Americans benefit when a clean energy policy
delivers jobs, energy security, and a clean environment all at once.

LEAD LARGE-SCALE, RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY.  States,
businesses and homeowners need a rapid expansion of renewable energy and
energy efficiency projects.   This will not be possible unless the federal
government leads the way, providing infrastructure and investment
opportunities commensurate with the scale needed to stop the climate
crises.

STOP DRILLING OFF THE COAST.  America's coastlines and protected areas
should remain pristine and accessible to all.  Subsidies should be
transitioned from the oil and gas industry to renewable energy and the
green jobs it brings.

NO NEW COAL PLANTS.  From carbon dioxide to mercury emissions, coal is the
number one polluter in this country.  It is time to confront the climate
crises, scrap our plans for new coal plants, and instead invest in energy
efficiency and renewable energy.

NO LOAN GUARANTEES FOR NUCLEAR PLANTS.  Nuclear power has not proven
itself to be a sound investment without government-backed loan guarantees.
Now is not the time a new generation of risky nuclear power plants.  We
can get our energy from cleaner sources which do not produce radioactive
waste and threaten our communities.

Now is the time to support energy legislation that will solve the climate
crises, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, revitalize our economy, and
create good jobs in America.  I hope I can count on your support.


As Green Party Candidate for Congress, you can count on my support.


Dennis Spisak