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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Apollo Energy Alliance continued...
Tuesday 27 January @ 21:34:41 |
 An Interview with Scott Elkins, State Director of the Sierra Club
by Joel Haskard
Right now there is an Energy Bill stalled in Congress. Both Senators Coleman and Dayton voted for this bill, in part because of ethanol subsidies and Iron Range jobs. Was this a good bill?
No. The foundations of this bill were drafted in 2001 in secret meetings between Vice President Dick Cheney and CEOs of giant energy companies like Enron, Haliburton and others. It’s no surprise that the final bill looks like a giant present for oil, gas and coal companies. The ethanol subsidies were put in there specifically to make this a ‘must support’ bill for Midwestern senators, but the bill is first and foremost a bill for huge oil, gas and coal companies.
In what ways does that energy bill compare with the proposed Apollo Project?
The Apollo Alliance is about choosing a better path for our country. It’s about focusing on homegrown renewable energy sources, common sense conservation measures, and building America’s economy. This is a bitter pill for big oil, gas and coal companies, who are committed to fossil fuels.
The Apollo Project has huge support from labor unions and environmentalists. It seems like a win-win for both, creating jobs and upgrading our energy infrastructure towards nonpolluting and renewable resources. What do you think the nay-sayers of the Apollo Alliance are opposed to?
I think the problem for both the White House and for big energy companies is that they are oriented to the short term. When you’re thinking about quarterly profit margins and next week’s polling numbers, you are looking for quick fixes. That’s a squandered opportunity. Now more than ever, the opportunity is there to inspire Americans toward a sustainable energy future. It’s true that creating that future means investing substantial sums now, but the difference is that with the Apollo Project we’re investing directly in America, instead of spending billions overseas to secure Mideast oil supplies.
A wind farm in western Minnesota
What would the Apollo Project do for Minnesota specifically?
Minnesota has even more to gain from a focus on renewable energy sources than most other states. We have a huge potential for wind energy development. Developing those resources means that Minnesota could be an energy exporter. That means money and jobs coming into Minnesota, instead of us shipping money and jobs out of state to support imported energy sources.
What drawbacks do you see with the proposed Apollo Project?
I think the biggest drawback is that shifting our energy sources takes real time and investment. It takes political leadership to make that sort of change, and our current political leadership is more interested in distracting Americans with foreign wars than with real solutions here at home.
With the huge deficit that this administration has created, it is hard to imagine anything close to this kind of investment being made (not to mention that they are deeply in the pockets of the major oil and coal companies as well). If you had to cherry pick just a few of the programs outlined in the Apollo Project to implement, which would they be?
A lot of the investments the Apollo Project call for don’t necessarily mean increased government funding.
In some cases it’s a matter of priorities. The current energy bill promises billions of dollars to subsidize the construction of new nuclear power plants. We haven’t built new nuclear power plants in this country in decades, so why make that investment? Let’s invest those dollars in wind energy instead. The same thing goes for investment in cities. Right now our state and federal policies focus a huge amount of resources to support new suburban development. Investing those same dollars to improve transit options and clean up brownfields in the core cities would be a better option.
These days the Federal government lags behind the states in forming intelligent environmental policy. Do you see the Apollo Project as a feasible program for the federal government to enact?
The Apollo Project is about making changes at all levels of government. I think that will is more visible at the state and local level. Frankly, the Bush Administration has indicated zero interest in these sorts of approaches. If the federal government is going to make changes, there needs to be a change in the White House.
Does the Apollo Project make economic sense?
It makes imminent sense. The bottom line is this: Are we going to invest our tax dollars in foreign wars that deepen our dependence on foreign sources of energy, or are we going to invest in clean, renewable, local energy resources that build the American economy? I think that’s a no-brainer.
If you had to sum up the Apollo Project to someone who didn’t know anything about it, what would you say?
I’d say that it’s about the sort of future we want to build for our children. Do you want to invest in a future that is built on the energy sources of the 1950s, oil, gas and coal, or do you want to invest in a future of clean, renewable, local energy sources that create jobs while protecting the environment? The first choice is the easy one—it’s always easier to stick to the same path. The members of the Apollo Alliance are asking Americans to consider making a big change, but it’s a change I think our children will thank us for making.
Finally, on a local level, how can a person get involved with promoting sustainable, clean energy? What organizations are at the forefront of this movement?
Each of us can ask ourselves, what are the impacts of my choices? We’re all consumers, but we have a choice of being thoughtful consumers or mindless consumers. Ask questions of your energy company, and ask them for options. Xcel Energy has a Windsource program, where consumers can pay a few extra dollars a month, and know that their money will go to develop clean, locally-produced wind power.
But just as important, hold your elected leaders responsible for THEIR choices. We’re fortunate to live in a democracy, but that democracy is only as strong as the citizens who participate in it.
Wind energy is a powerful resource
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