Limiting pollution with solar power

Climate change is now so obvious that governments around the world are scrambling for solutions. Without adopting solar technology, our world is doomed to a painful period of unnecessary deaths and suffering. There are multiple reasons to transition to clean energy. Reducing oil dependence, strengthening energy security, creating sustainable jobs, and breathing air top the list. The world needs a complete set of intelligent energy policies to initiate this transition and maximize the benefits to our environment and economy.

Climate change statistics are sobering

In order to avoid the most momentous consequences of global warming, ranging from extreme heat, droughts, and storms to acidifying oceans and rising sea levels, the United States must play a leading role. It is critically important to cut its heat-trapping emissions today—and aim for at least an 80 percent drop from 2005 levels by 2050. The nation achieves these substantial cuts in carbon emissions while saving consumers and businesses $464 billion annually by 2030. The Blueprint also builds $1.7 trillion in net cumulative savings between 2010 and 2030. Blueprint policies stimulate significant consumer, business, and government investment in new technologies and measures by 2030. The resulting savings on energy bills from reductions in electricity and fuel use more than offset the costs of these additional investments. The result is net annual savings for households, businesses, and industries of $255 billion by 2030.
Under the Blueprint, every region of the country stands to save billions. Households and businesses—even in coal-dependent regions—will share in these savings.

Global warming poses a grave risk to our health

Scientists have reported for many years about the dangers of fossil fuel pollution. Global warming poses a grave risk to our planet and our very way of life. To avoid some of the worst consequences, we must keep the global average temperature from rising more than 2°F from today’s levels. To meet this goal, the United States will have to cut its emissions at least 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050, and keep its emissions from 2000 to 2050 at 160–265 gigatons CO2 equivalent (Luers et al. 2007). An intelligently designed economywide cap-and-trade program that sets a declining limit on heat-trapping emissions while charging polluters for their emissions is a key part of a comprehensive approach to addressing climate change. The country will also need to pursue other initiatives, including sector-based policies that promote energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, and better transportation and fuels (see Chapters 4–6). Investments in reducing emissions in other nations are also essential, such as funding for protection of tropical forests and use of clean technology in developing countries. 

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. 

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