— by Hope McKenzie —
One action we can take that is really meaningful–and if many of us do it, really powerful–is to investigate available incentives for clean energy; make it a point to use one if possible, and let others in your community or network know about these options.
Local energy companies around the country are implementing incentives to wean people away from coal-fired power. With the simple click of a mouse, customers can choose to get a percentage of their power from a clean energy source. The Department of Energy also offers numerous tax credits, rebates and clean energy loans designed to encourage and support the switch to renewable energy (www.energy.gov/eere/femp/energy-incentive-programs). DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org) is the most comprehensive source of information on renewables, incentives and policies in the US, and a great resource for researching programs, credits and incentives that might be available in any given area.
Being part of the movement toward clean, renewable energy is easier than we might think. The more we seek out these incentives and utilize them, the larger the demand for them will become, encouraging power companies to invest in, sustain, and ultimately engineer new clean energy technology. To harness the wind and make electric current; to use the heat of the earth to warm us. To let the sun fuel our homes as it fuels our souls…What could possibly be better?
Please let us know if this is helpful, and share some ideas of your own for actions we can take – thanks!
Hope McKenzie is a writer and an advocate for the preservation of wildlife and wild lands. She is working with Earthfire Institute to help create a sustainable future for all living beings.
