Take it from the "defense" budget and subsidies for corporate energy.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/1/31/103635/592/#comment6
Take away
Take away a mere 5 percent of military spending and put it into incentives supporting energy policy that would make foreign oil unecessary to the US economy.
I bet cancelling the Iraq-tastrophe would save 30% of the military budget.
No more oil use, no more funding terrorist coffers and regional resentment. The war on terror would be rendered obsolete. Security enhanced, money saved, GHG canceled.
All we have to do is drive plugin hybrids, recharged by the solar panels on the garage, is that too much to ask? I think it's a sacrifice that patriotic security conscious americans would be happy to make.
Even motorhead hotrodders can have their thunderbeasts, just run them most of the time on plugin hybrid power. Rev up the old ICE ocasionally to impress.
50 billion
I propose that 25 billion from defense and 25 billion from subsidies for coal,oil, nuclear, and fuel farming corporations be diverted to a fund to incentivize renewable energy and conservation.
Put a third of this into direct incentives for distributed wind, solar, and biogas generated power. Every power company could then pay 23 cents per kwh to the producers of solar, wind, or biogas generated power. Like Wisconsin electric does now, voluntarily, for solar power.
Put a third of it into buying plugin hybrids for government service, the best deal for taxpayers negotiated with mass production contracts with US auto manufacturers. For vehicles to be manufactured or converted in the US.
Put the other third into conservation. Geo heat exchange heating/cooling, cogeneration and waste heat recovery, mass renewable electric transportation, light rail and buses. And bike lanes and trails. And smart grid projects that match supply and demand without burning more fuel in a power plant.
