Below is a link to a good video showing how the US is moving forward with renewable energy. Here are some of the highlights.
A combination of federal and state rebates and tax incentives are providing strong incentives to adopt renewable energy. In Washington State, for example, home owners who install solar panels can expect a payback period of between 5 and 7 years.
Jobs in the US solar industry increased 13% last year, compared to just 2% for the overall economy.
In Texas, 1/4 of all electricity produced comes from wind farms.
The US outspends Canada 18 to 1 on per capita spending on clean tech.
The video also features Itek, a US solar manufacturer run by a Canadian.
Why is it unpatriotic in Canada to not line up shoulder to shoulder in defence of the traditional energy sector --ostensibly oil and gas-- and then to be branded an impractical tree hugger when one promotes renewables? All industries get a helping hand in the form of subsidies; it isn't left simply to the vagaries of the so-called market forces. Canada has a long way to go and the unconvincing shield of 'ethical oil' won't put us on the path of resource sustainability.
ReplyDelete