Sept. 4, 2007: Iowa Could be Energy Leader

Guest opinion writer Jearld Schnoor highlight's the possibilities and advantages of clean energy.

Iowa City Press-Citizen
Iowa Could be Energy Leader
By Jerald Schnoor
Sept. 4, 2007
http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070904/OPINION...

Iowa is among the leading states in the country in wind energy, and we are No. 1 in production of ethanol and biodiesel to power motor vehicles. We can be proud of those facts. Yet, Iowans also emit more than 30 tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere in a single year -- among the top 15 states in that dubious category. Imagine, that means 60,000 pounds for every man, woman and child in the state.

Every time we fill our tank with 10 gallons of gas, we emit 190 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, where it accumulates and resides for more than century. We heat, light and air condition our buildings with such zeal (and so little insulation) that it contributes more than 40 percent to our total carbon dioxide emissions.

But we are on the threshold of a new era -- a transition out from the fossil fuel age to a new and better means of powering our economy with energy efficiency, wind power, solar photovoltaics, biofuels, geothermal and the use of "clean coal" with carbon sequestered in deep geologic repositories. The jobs and economy of the future will depend on that transition, and people who realize the opportunities will prosper.