They're buying more cars, more gas-guzzlers, and driving more miles, spewing C0₂ into the atmosphere at the rate of 20 lbs. per gallon. They're turning on a multitude of electrical appliances whose operation adds to the load of greenhouse gases going skyward, and they continue to purchase products without asking what climatic payload is involved in their manufacture and use.

This is obviously not the something that needs to be done about the weather. And the fact is that many positive things can be done about it. They have been well described in an excellent report, How the Northwest Can Lead a Clean Energy Revolution, written by Patrick Mazza for the Atmospheric Alliance in Olympia, WA, an organization dedicated to finding practical and profitable solutions to global warming.

Central to this report is the assertion made by Amory and Hunter Lovins that "The Earth's climate can be protected not at a cost, but at a profit." The Lovinses, founders and directors of the Rocky Mountain Institute, and leading experts on renewable energy and energy efficiency, report that "Energy savings since 1973 have cut America's energy bill by $15-200 billion a year and carbon emissions by one-quarter. We did that quietly, easily, efficiently, and now we know how to do far better ... [we] could save upwards of $300 billion a year."

Clean energy in the 21st century is projected to be what the computer and electronic industries were 20 years ago, and the Pacific Northwest is well-positioned to be at the forefront of this development, one which has the capacity to achieve both environmental and economic goals.

Oregon could become a leader in the clean energy field. The Oregon Office of Energy and EWEB are considered tops in that arena. EWEB is nationally known for its clean energy program and is currently involved in a solar power project in eastern Oregon and a photovoltaic project with Aprovecho Institute in Cottage Grove. Oregon's Climate Trust is developing carbon mitigation projects, and the state was the first in the nation to mandate control of CO₂ emissions from power plants.

The Portland area is home to several budding electric and hybrid auto manufacturers, while Northwest Power Systems in Bend is developing methods to power fuel cells. The next generation hybrid auto will soon appear, powered by fuel cells and other alternatives, and its lightweight body can be easily assembled in light industrial settings. Oregon and Washington already have aircraft, truck, rail car, ship and ferry manufacturing facilities.

Oregon also has more workers with the necessary technical competence than most states and an additional advantage as one of the leading states in exports to Asia, with its huge energy market. It is essential for both the health of the atmosphere and global economic well-being that developing countries leapfrog over fossil fuel energy and go straight to renewable clean energy.

Another Oregon advantage is its tax credit for residential solar installations and for the purchase of alternative-fuel cars. It also offers business write-offs for renewable and efficiency investments, and Lane County offers additional support for the purchase of solar hot water heaters.

However, utility deregulation and restructuring pose a great danger, "a race to the bottom, the cheapest price and nothing more," warns Pete West, of the Renewable Northwest Project. The cost of renewables is currently higher in dollars for fossil fuels and does not include the far greater costs of extreme climate events. Furthermore, rate payers must not be forced to pay "stranded costs" for the bad deals of yesteryear, which would create a bail-out debacle similar to the savings and loan fiasco.

National policies are necessary to jump-start these industries, but states and regions will be the essential proving grounds, and it will take concerted public/private efforts at state and regional levels to take advantage of the possibilities. The need and technology are there, but innovative companies face short-term problems in raising capital for mass-scale, competitive, and cost-effective production. The fossil fuel industry gets 69% of the available energy subsidies; renewables, only 14%. Tax breaks, direct assistance and subsidies, garner the fossil fuel industry about $20 billion annually, and U.S. protection of Persian Gulf oil supplies adds another $50 billion to the American taxpayers' tab.

In the 1960s, integrated circuits were far too expensive for general use; only massive government expenditures made them cost-effective, putting the electronic industry where it is today. The need for the same strategy for renewable energy is critical -- $5 billion over 4 years on solar cells could do it. Halting global warming is critical. We must demand that all levels of government develop policies to support renewable and energy efficient options.

To join the Atmospheric Alliance and receive a copy of How the Northwest Can Lead a Clean Energy Revolution, send $25 to 2103 Harrison Ave. NW, #2615, Olympia, WA 98502; 360-352-1763; fax 360-943-4977; atmosphere@olywa.net.

Hen Cackles

©Wanda Ballentine, 1998