Siobhan McCloskey

February 9, 2007

The technology industry is currently a vital force in helping save the environment while addressing the world's need for energy. Silicon Valley has emerged as a hotbed of alternative energy. "Venture capital funding to clean technology firms increased 266 percent last year, investing about $300 million by the third quarter alone, according to one report." An exciting alternative energy is solar power. According to David Pearce, the chief executive of solar company Miasole, the United States is a leader in solar research but has not given the industry the incentives needed to increase the market. For example the solar industry's high initial costs, even taking advantage of current government incentives, make it difficult for widespread use. "Former Vice President Al Gore says the investment and innovation that built the high-tech and biotech industries are now needed for green." By contrast, governments in countries like Japan give solar installations subsidies. Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair also agrees that "The thing that will make the biggest difference is if you get the investment in the science and technology that will allow us to develop, for example, fuel cells for the motor vehicle (and) carbon capture and storage."

While respected green leaders such as Gore and Blair see technology as the magic bullet, some environmentalists believe that tech solutions are not the end all solution for environmental problems such as global warming. Such critics argue that the biggest energy users like the United States have not taken steps to increase their funding of expensive tech solutions which cannot advance on venture capital and demand alone. In addition, critics believe that no amount of alternative energy will be successful if consumers don't practice conservation by using less energy and using energy more efficiently. "[E]energy demand continues to increase. Overall, the world now uses about 13.5 terawatts of energy a year: the figure includes oil, electrical power and other sources of energy. That figure will rise to 20 terawatts per year by 2050. Thus, the demand for energy is outstripping the ability of solar, wind and other purveyors of alternative energy to displace traditional fossil fuels."

If technology is not the magic bullet, what is a tree hugger to do? The United States needs to both invest more money into developing cheaper alternative energy, while also following the lead of states like California who have also practiced energy conservation while embracing alternative energy and other innovative programs. "As one California efficiency advocate boasted, ‘if the rest of the United States got even half as aggressive as California did, we'd basically solve most of our energy problems.'"

Sources:

Feds: Defending Nuclear Plants from Airliner Attack Impractical, The Journal News, Jan. 29, 2007, available at http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/UPDATE/701290393/1284 (last visited Feb. 8, 2007).

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Frequently Asked Questions About NRC's Design Basis Threat Final Rule (Jan. 2007), available at­­­­ http://www.nrc.gov/security/faq-dbtfr.html (last visited Reb. 8, 2007).

Winston & Strawn LLP, Commission Affirms Design Basis Threat Rule (Jan. 2007), available at http://www.winston.com/siteFiles/publications/CommissionAffirmsDesignBasisThreat_NRC.pdf. (last visited Feb. 8, 2007).

Public Citizen, NRC Votes Against Requiring Reactors to Be Protected from Air Attacks or A Large Number of Attackers (Jan. 29, 2007), available at http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2369 (last visited Feb. 8, 2007).

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC Approves Final Rule Amending Security Requirements, No. 07-012 (Jan. 29, 2007), available at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2007/07-012.html (last visited Feb. 8, 2007).

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Statement from Chairman Dale Klein on Commission's Affirmation of the Final DBT Rule, No. 07-013 (Jan. 29, 2007), available at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2007/07-013.html (last visited Feb. 8, 2007).