As you may have noticed, my posting has become somewhat sparse over the past few months. I have been delving deeply into my work (and I intend to continue doing so...). I am working at a fast growing "solar integration" company - MainLine Solar - that does everything possible to get solar photovoltaic installations up and running (from connecting clients and financiers to meeting with local permitting officials to overseeing the installation). I joined up with this company for two reasons. The first was to help my brother (one of the founders of the company) maintain the company during his year-long military leave of absence with the Pennsylvania National Guard to receive training as a helicopter pilot. The second is that for a long time I have relished the thought of promoting the expansion of renewable energy in America and throughout the world as a means of moving away from the use of fossil fuels, and now I am being afforded the opportunity to take an active part (perhaps the most active part possible) in ensuring that occurs.
However, as I have had ample opportunity to focus on solar, I have not taken as much time as I would have liked to look at the bigger picture. To remedy this I have decided to take a deeper look at solving two issues that I believe are of primary importance to the sustainability of America as a country, as a society, and as a world leader. These two issues touch upon the financial, social, and environmental viability of the United States. These two issues are problems that I would like to help solve by 2030 - by the time I am 45 and my as of yet unconceived children are out of high school. These two issues are issues that have been growing since my grandparents' generation was my age, and I would like these two issues to be solidly in the realm of 'American History' when my grandchildren are my age. These two issues are actually two things I would like to see eliminated - or rather that need to be eliminated in the next twenty years if America is to hold any sort of grasp on the power it has held since World War II. These two issues are climate change and the national debt.
In order to tackle these two issues, I understand that I will need to stand fully upon the third rail of contemporary politics. However, so long as I am able to hold my balance, I shall hopefully remain unharmed. I have chosen these two issues - climate change and the national debt - not purely out of passion, though some of that is to blame, but out of necessity. If the United States fails to address either of these issues adequately over the next two decades, I firmly believe that my grandchildren will not be able to understand - even remotely - the type of country in which I became an adult.
Rather than blindly lash out at any particular political party's role in either of these issues, I am going to put forward some simple ideas on how to fix the problems presented. Then, I am going to do my best to evaluate the potential impacts such 'fixes' will have. I certainly hope that any of my readers that are interested in this endeavor will help me out by pointing me in the direction of related data, articles, and experts.
So far my list of potential fixes includes:
- Ameliorating the growing need for social security entitlements by adjusting the retirement age
- Reducing or eliminating farm subsidies that result in overproduction of unhealthy foods
- Reducing or eliminating reliance on fossil fuel powered cars
- Promoting renewable sources of electricity
- Removing loop holes in the federal tax codes
- Upgrading the electric grid infrastructure with energy storage and smart metering
- Mandating a balanced federal budget
Please let me know what you think about this endeavor, and keep an eye out for related posts over the next several months.
Thanks,
Sean Diamond
No comments:
Post a Comment