Energy is power, and it is connected to everything in our lives: our jobs, our health, the food we eat, the places we live, the weather we experience and the wars we fight. Over the past few hundred years, our energy has primarily come from fossil fuels - oil, coal, and gas. But these are causing global climate chaos - and are running out.
Until now, energy has been controlled by a small number of large corporations. And governments have been giving about US$300 billion of subsidies to these corporations to these corporations every year. Thanks to this arrangement, some people have become very rich. But most people are simply dependent on these companies for the power they need - and two billion people, or one third of the world's population, are still without access to reliable energy.
We need to make a switch. We have to move quickly from our destructive, wasteful, and unfair use of fossil fuels to a new model where the production, distribution, and control of energy is clean, efficient, and affordable for everyone.
With existing technology, we can capture enough renewable energy from the sun, wind, water, and the earth to power the world six times over. This technology can bring clean energy to everyone, everywhere. All we need is the political will and determined action to make it happen.
Connect with your own Power!
Citizens: Demand an innovative solution that gives everyone a chance to make a profit by producing, using, and selling renewable energy.
Business leaders: Call for long-term incentives that secure investment in energy innovation and support a vibrant green energy market.
Legislators: Encourage energy entrepreneurship with a policy that has been proven to be the most successful renewable-energy legislation.
How? Use the materials we prepared for the US!
FIT Policy Guide - World Future Council brochure on Feed-in Tariffs and their success.
Let's Switch - seven crucial arguments for a renewable energy system.
Briefing Paper - the structure of our energy systems and what should change.
Action Alert - call on your US decision-makers to take action! You can
- send it to members of your organization, friends and colleagues.
- distribute it at meetings, at conferences, in classrooms.
- e-mail it to your members, friends, or colleagues.
- post it on your website.
- print and send a special Legislative Alert to your legislators.
- inform the editor of newspapers or magazines, radio or tv stations, adding a copy of our Journalist Letter.
Let us know what ACTION you have taken or plan to take as part of this campaign. PLease fill out and submit the Response Form.
You can learn more by visiting Power-to-the-People.net, which is part of the World Future Council website. EarthAction collaborated with the World Future Council to develop the materials for this campaign.
UNEPS: United Nations Emergency Peace Service
EarthAction is part of an international group of organizations dedicated to preventing the massive loss of civilian lives. This includes instances of genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale natural disasters. It has become apparent that while international institutions such as the United Nations have the desire to assist in such situations, they often do not have a reliable way of doing so quickly enough to prevent violence from spiraling out of control. In order to fill this gap between commitment and capacity, these organizations have come together to develop and support a proposal for a United Nations Emergency Peace Service (UNEPS). Read More.