Clean Energy Revolution?

I read a great article from TIME this week. It detailed how, although we have been a recent world leader in energy advances in some areas (wind-power), as a country we are just not doing enough when it comes to the fight for green energy. The science is not where it needs to be at this point in many areas. According to the experts, that means we need to aggressively invest in new research. The article compares our $125 billion (in today's dollar) investment in the 60's to get us to the moon, to President Obama's pledge for $150 billion for energy related research moneys over the next ten years.

The pledge is a step in the right direction; however, countries like China and South Korea seem far more committed to the battle for green energy than the United States. China is reportedly spending over $600 billion over the next decade, and South Korea is investing cost to 2% of its GDP - $85 billion over 5 years. Both of these countries appear to have stepped up to the plate with greater fervor than the United States. Apparently, they recognize the environmental need and more likely the economic benefit that such an approach will yield.

Unfortunately, missing from this article were focus on energy efficiency and curbing consumption. While producing cleaner electricity is a goal we as a country MUST take seriously, if we continue our current consumption levels of over 11,000 kilowatt hours per household per year, we will be in trouble. We need an overhaul of our green energy policy, and in addition to investment in new technologies, it should be solidly founded with energy efficiency & consumption curbing programs.