 "Photo: MCT Campus")
Global warming and climate change have been buzzwords for years. Al Gore made the subject glamorous and sustainability was a contentious issue during last year’s presidential election.
Now comes the hard part: actually doing something about it.
California has always been at the forefront of environmental policy making. It is in this state where the federal government, for the first time, set aside land specifically for preservation and public use, which allowed for the creation of Yosemite National Park. Since then, California has had a constant armada of environmental activists who are aware of the challenges of population growth and resource management that besiege the state.
Currently, dozens of companies are waiting to install solar panels in more than a million acres of California’s deserts. Existing environmental laws are the reason for the delay. Laws that, when first enacted, were meant to protect the lands, its plants and animals, especially endangered species. Now the projects remain idle while they wait for their permits, which will allow them to qualify for the $15 billion in federal stimulus funds set aside for renewable energy projects.
Once these solar panel projects break ground, they have the potential to create 48,000 jobs and enough power for almost 1.8 million homes. Considering California has more than 36 million people, it’s certainly a good start.
The problem at the forefront is trying to move the state forward into a sustainable future while retaining the environmental milestones of the past. Species of cacti, tortoise and lizards, among others on the endangered species lists, are at odds with the solar panel projects in the permit process. The permits are held in a legal limbo as they work their ways through the red tape holding back any hope of progress. To truly move forward, concessions must be made by both sides to secure an energy-independent future.
One company, Stirling Energy Systems, has offered to buy 6,500 acres of flat-tailed horned lizard habitat in Imperial County to help conserve the species. This would enable the company to move forward on their plan to install a 750-megawatt project, and is the kind of compromise needed to actually get renewable energy projects moving. We can’t make progress unless we accede to existing environmental efforts.
Surely we will not let our future hinge on cacti or lizards. Securing a sustainable future is just as important as protecting animal species. A future without dependence on fossil fuels requires bold action and some risk.
Not only is California the Golden State, but it is a windy state, too. California ranks third highest in wind capacity of all states. In addition to installing millions of acres of solar panels in the coming years, we can simultaneously invest in millions of acres of windmills. The potential is enormous and California is the only state that can lead the effort.
Sacramento needs to fast-track renewable energy projects. Environmental reviews should take no longer take two years. Federal land managers must earmark land now for future projects.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger just vetoed an assortment of bills that would have required the state to rely on renewable resources for at least one-third of its electricity by 2020. In a time when trust between government and citizens is at an all-time low, it’s such short-sighted political actions that continue to impede advancement. By vetoing the bills, he has rejected California’s preeminent role in sustainability. The state legislature obviously has the vision for a sustainable California, but unfortunately, our governor does not.
Even if people continue to deny climate change and global warming, sustainability is a real possibility that could help us. We have the opportunity to be energy-independent, to maximize efficiency, reduce water waste and save money on renewable sources of energy.
California must be proactive in securing a sustainable future free from fossil fuel dependence. Our leaders must make this happen through swift action and proactive steps. We have led the way before; we can do it again.
—Andrew Lewandowski is a media studies senior.
—This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to opinion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed . Include your full name, major and year in school.
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