The Energy Bill – Part 1: An Introduction
America has entered a new era in history. For the past one hundred plus years you could say we were partaking in the Industrial Revolution. This was a time of great economic growth and urban development. For the past couple decades and coinciding with the Industrial Revolution was (and quite arguably still is) the Technology era. We have experienced the greatest advancements in technology all the way from transportation down to MP3 players and phones. Well, it seems we are now entering what could be considered the Green Revolution.
I guess it could be argued we have been in this revolution since the late 60’s early 70’s when hippies were all for saving the environment, but I believe the greatest turning point would be the amount of influence the government is now having on the environment. The House just passed a bill on June 26th called the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) that is the first of its kind. It is the first lawful step that has ever been taken to stop greenhouse emissions.
The bill will put a price on greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. This means that many sectors of American industry will have to develop alternative ways of producing their energy. This will include solar and wind power. It also calls to have 15 percent of the nation’s electricity be produced by alternative sources by 2020. This bill will affect just about everyone in the United States. It will force many to rethink technology and force some industries to design and implement completely new ideas. This would include the car industry needing to make more energy efficient vehicles and the housing industry to design LEED certified homes. These are just two examples as to what this bill will bring to America.
What are your thoughts on the bill? Do you see it as a good thing for our economy during the recession, or is this going to be a suppressor? In my next post I will detail the bill more and discuss what it means for Americans more specifically.