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Green technology has been all over the news in the last few years. People recognize that oil and coal are dirty, dangerous forms of energy production, and are desperately looking for alternatives. Support for alternative fuels has never been higher. Scientists are looking at everything from solar power to corn-based ethanol to wind power to get Americans off of the non-renewable forms of energy that are polluting our environment. We have been on oil and coal for over a hundred years, so it should be understandable to everybody that we cannot turn our fossil fuel-based economy around on a dime. The initial costs for research, development, and implementation are very high. Because of this, the government has been invaluable in providing investment capital to get some of this technology off of the ground.
The State of California has led the nation in support of green technologies. Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger recently signed legislation aimed at promoting sustainable technologies in California. The legislation is designed to create jobs in the green technology sector, helping Californians earn a living while helping the state, and the country convert away from our current oil-based way of life. In addition to the jobs legislation, California has enacted a solar panel initiative, a low carbon fuel standard, and a renewable portfolio standard. These new laws will push California citizens and business into using green technologies to minimize the pollution and the output of carbon dioxide that comes from our use of oil and coal.
The Federal Government is also working to change people’s behavior for a greener future. The Obama administration recently unveiled a plan called the “Home Star Act” (also known as “cash for caulkers”) that would provide tax incentives to citizens who take measurable steps to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The idea behind the plan is that if more people have energy efficient homes, we will use less oil and coal, giving us time to work on the alternative technologies. The bill will also give tax breaks to people who employ existing green technologies, such as solar panels or geothermal heat.
New technologies, such as improved solar panels, high efficiency batteries, better wind turbines, and wave-powered systems cost a lot of money to implement. Sometimes the cost of entry is prohibitive, especially when compared to the cheap prices of oil and coal. The systems show promise and can help America get off of oil and coal. The government has taken the role of funding these technologies to give them a chance to be implemented. After the technologies have taken hold, manufacturing process efficiency should make them cheaper and research should make them better. The theory behind the initial government push is that once we get over the hump, inertia will cause improvements in the technology to ensure that it eventually pays for itself.
Green technology is not just a luxury, it is a necessity. Coal and oil are dangerous products. Not only do they pollute when used for energy creation, they are difficult to harvest. We often lose oil and coal workers in industrial accidents. The sooner we get away from these dirty fuels the better off we will be.