Green plan saves money and cuts emissions with ease

Green dreams are here. Or at least they promise to be here by 2030. All this talk of renewable energy and sustainability could culminate with one gigantic plan that could change the natural world as we see it today and offer a win-win, cost effective solution that would halt even the biggest pessimists of global warming and climate change.

Since the green revolution began, individuals, organizations, and businesses have attempted to solve the potential problem of global warming and climate change by proposing solutions and offering products and services that cut down on harmful greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. Well, now there is an even bigger solution being pitched and this time it is making its way to Capital Hill.

So what is the plan?

By creating carbon cap policies and transportation standards and adding them to the already impressive technological advancements in renewable technology, the Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) believes the nation can achieve the optimistic statistics that they spouted out from their two year analysis of the climate.

The plan, according to a recent press release, would save consumers and businesses more than $465 billion in 2030. The average consumer could expect to be paying an average of $900 dollars less than normal in the areas of transportation, electricity, gas and heating by implementing a few efficiencies in the home and obeying the carbon policies.

Businesses could see savings of about $130 billion by creating more efficient industrial processes and buildings. Additionally, a carbon cap would lower energy demand which would therefore lower energy costs—a plan the UCS hopes will offset the efficiency investments.

The press release also breaks down sectors and shows how the nation might see improvements in the electric generation and transportation sectors. For example, the USC proposes that cleaner cars combined with more efficient transportation systems would have a short term cost of about $35 billion in 2030, but would save a whopping $120 billion in gas costs at the pump—a relatively small investment for a very big payout.

On paper, the findings sound like a true cost-cutting, environment-saving solution, but until we see the details (which will be released shortly), it will be difficult to discern the truth from the fabrications. Not to mention, the plan attempts to anticipate the future, something not even the smartest scientists have been able to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled that people are beginning to look at the future with optimism for our future generations instead of dumping our mistakes on them, but we need to make these statistics a reality. If this plan even offers the potential of a 56 percent reduction of emission levels from 2005, like it says it will, it is worth lobbying to get these policies passed in Congress and hearing them out.