Look at the sun

(Adam Browning is cofounder of the Vote Solar, a non-profit organization working to bring solar energy into the mainstream. He previously served for eight years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.)

America's energy problems will only be solved by a national transition to renewable energy.

This country generates 71 percent of its electricity using fossil fuels, and in the course of doing so, emits 10.3 million tons of sulfur dioxide, 3.9 million tons of nitrogen oxides, 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide and more than 50 tons of mercury a year. These emissions are toxic to human health and constitute a serious public health problem.

A recent report by Abt Associates concluded that fine particle emissions from fossil fuel electricity generation kill around 30,000 Americans a year, a rate higher than those killed by drunk driving or homicide.

In addition to the serious human health effects, emissions from fossil fuel electricity generation are the single largest contributor to global warming, responsible for 36 percent of the country's emissions of carbon dioxide.

Global warming is the most significant environmental threat facing the world today, with predicted effects ranging from a dramatic rise in sea levels, inundating many heavily populated parts of the world; habitat changes that could wipe out entire ecosystems; and increasingly severe weather patterns that are anticipated to cost billions.

Solar energy is a mature technology with the potential to play a large part of the solution.

With current technology, solar energy can supply much of the electricity that our country needs. The benefi ts of solar are clear:

It's clean. Really clean, as in zero emissions. In the U.S., emissions from electricity generation are the single largest contributor to global warming, as well as toxic to human health and the environment.

It's reliable. With no moving parts, solar panels need little maintenance and come with 25-year warranties standard.

It's home-grown. The fuel is delivered every day, to every corner of the globe, free of charge, until the end of time. Energy independence is a critical priority for our country.

The question is not should we transition to renewable energy - fossil fuels, after all, are a finite resource and will run out eventually. The more accurate question is: when?

We believe that it's better to make the transition now, before releasing all the carbon currently trapped in fossil fuels into the atmosphere, rather than after.

We believe that our country could benefit now from greater energy independence, and the sooner we begin the transition, the sooner we can reap the benefits.

We believe that it is better to invest in technologies of the future rather than technologies of the past.

We are working to jumpstart the solar revolution. Join us.

Shaun Chapman is leading our efforts on the East Coast. She is available at shaun@votesolar.org or by phone at 646-330-4606.

I can be reached at adam@votesolar.org, or 415-817-5062.

Our mailing address is: Vote Solar Initiative, 300 Brannan Street, Suite 609, San Francisco CA 94107. What is 'My Side?'

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