California: an ecological model?
- A potential economic and ecological importance
- A possible flexibility of the treaty for a future operation?
- Climatic upheaval with multiple outcomes
- Towards recognition of indigenous peoples
- The Arctic: a military zone that is highly strategic
The United States has been the biggest polluter on the planet accounting for 23% of the total CO2 emissions although the country constitutes only 4% of the world population. With a narrow view of only the immediate benefit and comfort of living, Americans have always projected dismal figures in terms of ecology.
Electricity consumption and automobiles, which have emerged as the ecological scourge of the twentieth century, are the main reasons for this massive pollution. Yet the state of California's management of energy has been nothing short of exemplary. The region of luxury and glitz, this "Golden State" is now the nation's most proactive state in the fight against pollution. Indeed, it holds all records in renewable energy.
No matter the size of the entity, small and large businesses, mega-villages, individuals and local communities, rich and poor, north and south, all of California is going the green way. But despite the growing awareness of population, California has a long way to go as it is still one of the most polluting zones in the nation. In addition, California suffered a severe financial crisis, which could halt the progress in environmental terms. By focusing on the ecology and "green jobs", this region can become the hotbed for the rise of green technologies thus ensuring the new American dream of a sustainable society.
In the 1980s, Daggett had emerged as the precursor of solar power in the Mojave Desert. The facility has continued to grow and thousands of large parabolic mirrors capture substantial amounts of solar energy, powering a turbine that runs day and night.
Today the facility is one of the largest energy resorts in the world as it provides solar electricity for 500,000 homes.In addition, a budget of $ 2.9 billion has been allocated by the Public Utilities Commission of California to make their state one of the largest producers in the world in solar energy.
The electricity provided by photovoltaic panels, is intended to increase from 500 to 3,500 megawatts within a decade through the installation of one million solar panels on the roofs of private and public buildings (houses, schools firms, etc). If the plan succeeds, it will produce an amount of electricity able to produce six power plants. And by 2016, the market for solar energy will represent 69 billion dollars.
Another alternative energy is the electricity generated from wind turbines. The United States again have been pioneers in this field since the 1980s, with large wind farms in California (Tehachapi Pass, Altamont Pass) that can now provide electricity to over half a million people.
These large fans produce the same amount of electricity as conventional energy producing plants except that it does not emit any polluting gases. The United States accounts for 80% of global wind energy, 45% of this output is from California. Until 2006, it was therefore the most developed state in terms of wind energy, but has since been overtaken by Texas.
Tags: Wind energy, solar energy, green living, Daggett