| Climate change is the challenge of our time. It's not | | | | breakthroughs. Several countries and states are |
| our only global problem: terrorism, water shortages, | | | | banishing the incandescent bulb for the more efficient |
| fishery depletion, pervasive hunger and poverty all | | | | compact florescent (CFL). Looking forward, the |
| persist on the planet. Yet climate affects everything, | | | | light-emitting diode (LED) is the next generation of |
| and how we deal with this issue will make matters | | | | energy efficient lighting, using just a fraction of |
| better or worse for all the rest. Over the past | | | | today's wattage-wasting bulbs. Gas-electric hybrid |
| century, our energy investments have created a | | | | cars get 2-3 times the mileage of our current |
| wealthy, dynamic global economy. We now | | | | Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard |
| understand that continuing this path is unsustainable | | | | fleets, with the promise of plug-in hybrids getting |
| as fossil fuel resources decline and environmentally | | | | over 100 miles per gallon. Breakthroughs will double |
| destructive carbon dioxide emissions accumulate -- | | | | solar cell efficiency and windmills have grown to |
| threatening our economy and way of life. | | | | megawatt-size turbines. Each of these new |
| The only way to shift the direction of climate change | | | | technologies is a huge business opportunity, creating |
| is to shift our energy investments. The International | | | | new jobs while improving both efficiency and |
| Energy Agency projects that $9-$15 trillion will be | | | | performance. |
| invested in the next few decades to meet the | | | | The first warnings about carbon dioxide emissions |
| world's growing energy demand. To tackle climate | | | | came 50 years ago. Like cigarettes, the |
| change, it is essential that renewables, clean | | | | consequences seemed so far in the future that doing |
| technologies and energy efficiency receive the lion's | | | | nothing was easier than making any real change. |
| share of this investment. Entrepreneurs, venture | | | | Now, the leading scientists from the |
| capitalists, pension funds and individual investors will | | | | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) |
| drive this transition - and benefit handsomely. | | | | have projected a warmer world, rising sea levels, |
| Formerly known as "alternative energy," this new | | | | stronger storms, species extinction and spreading |
| sector has become mainstream, creating thousands | | | | topical diseases. Minimizing these effects would clearly |
| of new jobs in research and manufacturing. The | | | | benefit all humanity. Most everyone has now seen |
| opportunities are global, as India and China strive to | | | | the Earth at Night visual from NASA -- a beautiful |
| raise living standards of 2 billion people. | | | | nighttime mosaic of our planet from space. Presently, |
| So far, these two nations have followed the same | | | | two-thirds of all those lights come from fossil fuel |
| energy path as the west. Solving climate change will | | | | power generation. |
| require both the west and east to cooperate and | | | | Coal and natural gas remain the fuels of choice for |
| invest in the transition from fossil fuels to | | | | generating electricity, while petroleum is used |
| renewables. Growth rates for renewables are | | | | predominately for cars, trucks, trains and planes. We |
| impressive, with wind and solar industries increasing | | | | are truly addicted to fossil fuels to run our modern |
| 20% - 40% each year since 2000. The | | | | society. If we continue building and funding the |
| commercialization of these renewables has attracted | | | | world's energy needs as we did in the last century, |
| Shell, General Electric, British Petroleum and other | | | | we deserve the consequences. If we embrace the |
| energy multinationals to initiate significant financial | | | | "energy revolution" (Secretary of State Condoleezza |
| commitments. Yet solar, wind and geothermal remain | | | | Rice, September 24, 2007), investments in clean |
| less than 2% of the global energy mix, even though | | | | energy solutions will flourish and dominate the 21st |
| some experts suggest that these renewables could | | | | Century. Climate change will be solved by shifting |
| supply 50% of our energy requirements in 2050. | | | | investments from fossil fuels to renewables, clean |
| That would be a 2,500% increase from today's level, | | | | tech and energy efficiency. To track our progress, |
| offering investors strong return potential. Efficiencies | | | | follow the money. |
| are coming from government policy and technical | | | | |