If you’re American and you’re reading this – go vote!
They say the best time to go down to the polls is between 12:00 and 3:00 PM, when the lines will be shortest and you’re least likely to encounter problems. If you can’t get the long lunch, email me and I’ll call your boss with a lecture on civic duty.
If you’re interested in finding out about who represents solar interests, check out Vote Solar and Solar Nation. Solar Nation has a very handy voting guide by state that gives you different candidates views on solar energy, energy policy and environmental issues.
Also, here is the Associated Press’s summary of Obama and McCain’s proposed energy policies. Not really much difference, but Obama has been MUCH more ambitious about clean energy and has visited solar farms and factories that produce solar panels during his campaign, McCain is a little more pro-nuclear power (which is zero carbon and a proven technology).
Very busy as we get ready for Solar Power International 2008 next week, but a couple of things caught my eye that were worth passing on.
Possibly the most useful link I’ve stumbled across lately, How Electric Power is Measured in Watts. I’ve seen this explained before, but this explanation is simple and easy to understand, without sacrificing accuracy.
Energy, unsurprisingly, is turning into a major election issue in the US this year. With the latest round of ads with the two candidates hitting each other over energy, it seems like a good time to start talking solar politics.
Over the next few months I’ll be summarizing various legal and political issues regarding solar, including tax incentives, legal requirements for renewable energy, political platforms on energy and solar and generally trying to summarize events in solar politics.
But, to start, let’s look at the two new Energy policy ads in the US:
As it pertains to solar, Obama mentions the German national renewable energy plan that began in 2000 and which made Germany the clear world leader in energy (50% of all the world’s solar power is implemented in Germany). So it’s encouraging that it’s being talked about. It doesn’t have to just be solar (or even mostly be solar) but a real focus on renewable energy has to be the cornerstone of any realistic energy policy.
Coming soon, an analysis of Obama and McCain’s Energy and Environmental Policies, especially as they pertain to solar.
Oh, and for the record, we’re Canadian, so we don’t get to vote and so I’m really not interested in taking sides – they’re both proposing positive changes to National Energy policy, and personally I don’t think either are progressive enough or committed enough to breaking US dependence on oil and coal. (Not that Canada is much better.)
