Energy & the Environment
The Obama administration has committed to investing federal dollars in emerging green technologies. With all of the rich natural resources –land, ocean, wind and agriculture- in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, we must become the new hub of innovation for earth friendly technology. Investing in sustainable energy technology doesn’t just create jobs in the short term: it makes America competitive in the long term by allowing us to achieve true energy independence while exporting our technology overseas. I will work to bring federal dollars to the district in order facilitate economic growth. More importantly, I will work to bring the green jobs of the future here by making District 24 the “Green Valley”. The next revolution in innovation and technological advancement will lie on the shoulders of the “Green and Clean” sector. Bringing together solar and alternative energy companies with the very large agricultural base that we have in this area (vintners, nursery growers, and citrus growers, etc) and converting these agricultural operations to more sustainable, efficient practices and methods is just one way we might accomplish this goal.
We must seek alternative resources that are cheaper, cleaner and more reliable. Our dependence on fossil fuels as a primary energy source damages the environment, undermines our national security, and gravely threatens our economy.
As your congressman I will:
• Never compromise my commitment to the defense of renewable resources, healthy ecosystems, wildlife, clean air and water and pristine national parks.
• Make energy independence a top priority.
• Demand stringent environmental regulation of industry by the E.P.A.
• Vote against and work to remove subsidies to oil and gas companies. Consumers will decide upon how best to use and conserve energy through the purchase of hybrid vehicles and other alternatives
• End taxpayer subsidies of projects that harm the environment for the benefit of special interests.
• Advocate for a significant development fund to sponsor wide-scale research, development, and production of energy from renewable sources. This will bring federal dollars to the Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Our district has all of the resources necessary, rich in land, agriculture and Southern California sun, in order to become the leader in this industry.
• Support measures to dramatically increase mandatory automobile fuel efficiency. We must strive to reduce our reliance on FOREIGN oil, an increasingly expensive and scarce resource. Congress should aggressively tighten efficiency standards, especially fuel standards for automobiles, and implement legislation to dramatically cut pollution.
I will work for and support legislation designed to encourage the development of alternative and sustainable energy.
This includes legislation such as:
• H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which will move the United States toward greater energy independence and security; increase the production of clean renewable fuels; protect consumers; increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles; promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options; and improve the energy performance of the Federal Government.
• H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which extends tax credits for the production of electricity from renewable resources.
• H.R. 550, the Securing America’s Energy Independence Act of 2007, which extends the investment tax credit to solar energy property and qualified fuel cell property.
• H.R. 1772, the Rural Wind Energy Development Act, provides tax credits for the installation of wind energy property.
Clean water is becoming increasingly scarce, and efforts must begin now to secure safe, clean drinking water for all Americans, today and in the future. Technologies such as water-desalinization, nano- and bacteria filters, etc. are essential investments for the future.
Coal is not a clean solution to our energy crisis. Biofuels, especially corn ethanol, divert precious agricultural produce away from food production, causing the price of staples like rice, corn, and soy to skyrocket. We must seek an acceptable bridge to an era in which clean renewables like solar, wind, and hydro are dominant. This must be the ultimate goal.
We need an EPA that respects the science of climate change and conserving our natural resources. We need representation that advocates for clean water and clean air. I want to work with organizations such as the Sierra Club in order to launch a Cool Counties plan that will reduce greenhouse gases and address the climate change threat here and across the 3066 counties in the United States.
Together we can produce the most progressive government in our country’s history; a government that works, with results that matter. As a member of Congress I will work to restore America to the forefront of environmental leadership in the world.
