Renewable Energy Isn’t The Answer - Let’s Go Retro

All the buzz in the media lately has been focused on alternative fuel and renewable energy sources. Wind farms have become a household phrase and Nuclear is no longer a dirty word.  The race is on to see who can devise the next major source of energy for our country and everyone from politicians to environmentalists are hopping on board.  I think that most of them are missing the “electric” boat.  It’s time that we take a closer look at going Retro.

Instead of dedicating massive amounts of money to start-up ventures that are looking to turn cooking oil into a viable source of fuel, why not look at making more of our country energy efficient.  Don’t get me wrong, I think there’s a place for research and development of renewable energy.  In fact I think that using Pond Scum To Fuel Cars is a great idea, but let’s also allocate some federal funds to the people who really need help from rising energy cost.  If the government and state’s are going to start throwing around billions of dollars we should make sure that some of this is invested in retro fitting the current system we have in place.  There’s a massive amount of energy and fuel that could be saved if we simple upgraded many of the homes, business, and transportation sources that are currently being used.  Why not give every homeowner in America a federal stimulus check to install new windows, new insulation, or a new furnace.  How about giving big business a large tax break for upgrading manufacturing processes to more efficient techniques.  Maybe it could be something as simple as creating a National Retro Fit Day where every American takes pride in upgrading the lighting in their home to low watt bulbs; think of Arbor Day and how many people plant trees.

I’m not opposed to seeing the developement of alternative fuels and renewable energy.  In fact there will be few greater days in American History then when we become primarily energy independent.  I do think that an ounce of prevention is worth more then a pound of cure and until that day comes, we could do a lot more to become energy efficient.   If you have any other ideas on ways to become more energy efficient as a country I’d love to hear them.  Please let us know below in the comment section.