Posted on October 1, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Simplifying Renewable Energy Messages

Tune in Renewable Energy on your dial

Some things just don’t pass the smell test.  Forty years ago women smoked and drank when pregnant – now we have warnings on alcohol and cigarettes much to the chagrin of the late Marlboro Man.

Clean energy is similar, regardless if you believe this or that report on climate change, it really doesn’t matter; the smoke belching out of tailpipes and factories worldwide… it’s just not good.   Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions do not pass the smell test; just ask your asthmatic child.

Like the benefits of pregnant behavior, the benefits of renewable energy need to be simply put and widely understood because, here’s the shocker – it already is available to every consumer.  Who knew?

Here’s how it works, but first think of renewable energy transitioning like radio.

Radios had to be physically located in the broadcast area for you to pick up the frequency.  If you drove out of the broadcast area, you would likely pick up a different station on the same frequency. If you returned to the area, you’d get your station back.

Although FM and AM broadcast are alive and well, with satellite radio, you have the capability to hear a multitude of stations regardless of your location.  You pay more, but you have options previously unavailable to you.

If they’re not already, your local utility should be offering a green power program for you to be able to purchase the environmental benefits of renewable energy regardless if you live next to a wind farm or have installed solar panels. Ask your utility or review ‘Can I Buy Green Power in my State?’ from the U.S. Department of Energy.  If you want to learn simply how it works, see previous posts, Demystifying Green Power or read Overview of Green Power Markets for a more technical view.  Because knowledge is power.