Sustainability and Politics: Opinion: More renewables for states - Dennis McGinn

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Opinion: More renewables for states - Dennis McGinn - POLITICO.com

"Well, according to recent polls conducted by George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communications, 77 percent of Republicans support using much more renewable energy than we use today, something policymakers and Norquist should take note of.

Renewable Portfolio Standards drive renewable energy development, but more importantly in difficult economic times, RPS policies can decrease electricity rates. For example, in Michigan, the Public Service Commission found that renewable energy plants produce electricity at a rate 30 percent cheaper than new coal. And contrary to the inaccurate studies touted by Norquist and politically charged organizations like the John Locke Foundation, North Carolinians save about a $1 per month on their electricity bills because of their RPS. The falling costs of renewable energy for consumers is a result of solar prices decreasing nearly 80 percent in the past 10 years and wind prices decreasing nearly 40 percent in the past five years."

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I've been thinking some about the Winter Solstice, the Mayan end of the 30,000-year-cycle on 12/21/12.

What if in fact the world did end? Even though this probably will not happen, to live consciously it is honest for us to take a bit of an inventory.

Am I happy with how I've lived my life? (Yesterday, I thought mostly yes, with some areas for improvement, as below.) Are there changes I would make?
Would I have tried to forgive those that were hostile or disappointing to me?
Would I spend more time with those I loved the most, telling them that, feeling that more?
Would I be happier, grateful for what I have, what I've experienced, the joy, the beauty in this world?

Maybe the answer is yes to all of the above.
So this time can serve as a point of rebirth for all of us. If we think about it.

Because somewhere along the line I realized I think maybe mankind deserves it. !
The way we are killing each other, killing the planet.
How selfish we are, and snotty to those around us. Petty, competitive. Why is this? Do we have to behave this way? (I say no, it greatly detracts and misdirects energy from the full-time celebration in which we could engage, the great multi-cultural, multi-rhythmic dance we can sustain here.)

Maybe God or the Great Universe is fed up, and will pull the rug out from under us.
Don't think I can say we could blame Him/Her/It.

But it probably won't happen. (Probably not! This time.)

Still we are finite on this ride.

It is a time to think, am I happy with how I've lived my life?
Hopefully most of us can say yes.

For the part of us that have a little worry, a little sadness....
This is the time to be present.
This is the time to be the person you want to be, that can die at peace, that can hope to every day be able to look yourself and the Universe in the eye and say, how beautiful, smiling, and thank you. Let's do that.