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Today’s opinion piece comes from Old Mission Peninsula resident Dave Baumann, who is visualizing a future for our country beyond the COVID-19 pandemic…
During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration to re-employ workers and help build our national infrastructure. It helped America to move beyond the Great Depression.
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We are now on the precipice of another economic calamity, and teetering toward an environmental disaster with global warming. We need a dramatic remedy to BOTH problems.
We WILL emerge from this COVID-19 disaster. And we will be faced with staggering problems. But we will also be presented with an opportunity for transformational change, as well.
As we face crippling unemployment, I suggest that we create a massive, subsidized national program to completely revamp our energy infrastructure into a sustainable, carbon-free system.
We would invest heavily in solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, algae and other technologies that would re-train and employ millions of workers and transform the manufacturing foundation of this country. All made here in the good, old USA.
It would take political acumen and backbone. It would allow science to re-emerge in its rightful place in our decision processes. It would rebuild our public educational system. And it could vault this country into a leadership role as we re-shape our planet for future generations.
One can dream, can’t one?
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It sounds like a wonderful plan, Dave. Count me in!
Thank you, Kristen!
Are you familiar with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)? NREL.gov They provide many resources and tools for such a vision!