Do you think this ten-year plan is doable?

[Godiva]

Would you agree with any of the following statements:

We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that's got to change.

Our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels is at the core of all three of our challenges -- the economic, environmental and national security crises.

We can produce 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.

Silicon needed for solar panels once fetched $300 per kilogram, but now only costs $50.

The nation's power grid is not sufficiently strong to deliver renewable energy to all parts of the country, but it has to be upgraded anyway.

We need something like past government efforts such as the Marshall Plan and President Kennedy's call to reach the moon.

It's a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer.

[burritos]

If we could defeat the germans, japanese, build a nuke from scratch in 4 years during world war II, and recover from a depression then we have the potential to do this. Unfortunately we're not in a war mobilization mode and most americans aren't going to volunteer for "unnecessary" pain. So we'll just be status quo when until we "have" to, which of course will be too late.

[Godiva]

Do you think we're more likely to initiate a plan like this is gas goes to say....$6.00 a gallon?

We're going to hit and stay at $5.00 a gallon sooner than I predicted. And between gas and floods, food is going to stay expensive too.

Do we have the capability of thinking, planning and acting long range anymore?

[thepolarcrew]

I agree Godiva.

You too burritos, and I really get a kick out of your last line.

The Rep's lost their chance when they they didn't focus on Afghanistan.

Hate to say it, but it's probably going to take some-thing catastrophic in nature before we can get the momentum back and go in an other direction. Hope we don't have a rookie in there when it hits the fan! The econ doesn't seem to be doing much either, both sides of the isle have there paws in it, The Dems and Countrywide and Reps with outsourcing the tanker fleet.

[thepolarcrew]

WE need to really to unite.

I got $4 gas right, ($3.79 by the 4th) I would like to disagree with $5 but I can't. Same with food.

Wife commented today about chosing between our place looking nice and green or garden space!

Have a large area but wouldn't be organic due to overspay from the fields, the rest is sheltered in the trees.

[Godiva]

The overspray would be a lot less than if you were spraying yourself.

People are already eyeing those lawns and calculating how many vegetables they could grow there. I think that's an indication of a changing of mindsets. Public transportation is up too. It will be easier to lead people to support a long range plan when they are already thinking of smaller things they can do personally. Those that don't have the means to do much will feel they are still supporting a large plan of moving us forward.

I'm taking a bucket of tomatoes to my parents today and trading for cucumbers and fruit.

But to really do something we need a much grander scale and longer term plan. Something along the lines of FDR's New Deal. Retool factories. Retrain workers, etc. I think getting electrical generation off of fossil fuels would be a big part of that.

[dogfriend]

Does the ten year plan start now or on Jan 20, 2009? Cause the guy with the bone in his nose thinks the solution is to drill for oil offshore. I heard him say it just two days ago.

I think with the right leadership we might accomplish most of the list in 10 years. With the wrong leadership, its going to be business as usual.

[dragonfly]

It's totally doable. I did it myself over just the past few months, all except for natural gas, the last thing to phase out.

But it won't happen. Even if we get the right leadership, OPEC will see the threat and lower gas prices, and the stupid public will go on another oil binge and whine at their tax money being spent on renewables what with gas being so cheap, and then the stupid Dems will cave and back off. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I've been right about this kind of thing before.

[richard schumacher]

Yes, except maybe the timetable. Americans are like mules: we need to be hit in the head with a 2x4 multiple times to get our attention, and so far most people have only felt one hit.

“But even those who reap the profits of the carbon age have to recognize the inevitability of its demise. As one OPEC oil minister observed, ‘The Stone Age didn’t end because of a shortage of stones.’ ” Now the question is, do we have the stones to end the carbon age before it ends us?

[skruse]

I retrofitted our tract home 18 years ago so the Energy Efficiency Index is ≤ 1.0. This makes our monthly utility bill less than $30 month year round (no PV panels). Time to "break even" on added features, compared to nearby homes - 2.5 years (16 years ago). How? R-100 ceiling, two Sunpipes, R-45 walls, triple pane windows, ceramic tile floors, fully insulated garage, double dual pane sliding glass doors (2 sets), quadruple wrapped water heaters (2). We have a very large organic garden that we harvest from 10 months each year. My second vehicle (that fits in the back of the Prius) is a bicycle for one-half of my daily commute (total 30 mi, bicycle for final leg). When you double your efficiency you cut your cost by one-half (or double your profit).

We need robust investment in bicycle & walking paths, electric light & high speed rail, and strong conservation standards for homes, churches, businesses & schools. This is what Germany has done. There are no excuses for the US not to move aggressively forward. We are in Peak Everything (oil, water, food, space, . . . ) and need to think and act long term.