Originally published December 1 2005
Green power advocates create Energy Freedom Challenge
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Union of Concerned Scientists and the U.S. Department of Energy have created a program called the Energy Freedom Challenge, with the ultimate goal of motivating U.S. cities to race toward getting their yearly power to 50 percent green energy.
High prices for gasoline, heating oil and natural gas are making alternative sources of energy more attractive.
Monday, the state announced a huge offshore wind power project.
Tuesday, solar and bio-energy advocates challenged America to a race.
"We're here today to challenge the rest of the nation to a race to be the first city in the United State to get 50 percent of its energy through renewable resources," Tom Smith with Public Citizen said.
With that, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the U.S. Department of Energy, and green power advocates launched the Energy Freedom Challenge.
The idea is to use local government purchasing power to create greater demand for green energy.
"And that's what it's going to take is a lot of people pooling their purchases and saying 'We'd rather have green power than brown power,'" Smith said.
Solar panels at City Hall are one sign of Austin's leadership in renewable energy.
And even though the city is number one in the nation, we still only get about four percent from renewable resources.
Rising oil and gas prices are making energy alternatives more competitive.
Organizers say we can't count on the federal government to move us away from fossil fuels.
Real progress comes only when people demand it.
"Everybody's feeling it now because it's hitting our pocketbook.
When that happens, things begin to happen that are right for the country," Joni Gilton with Solar Austin said.
Next fall, organizers will award the Energy Freedom Progress Prize to the city closest to the goal.
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