The following was written in reply to a request for petition support. A petition forwarded in Bernie Sanders Name.
Yes - America needs to rebuild it's infrastructure and along the way replace dirty fossil fuel technology with clean technology.
And 1 or 2 trillion would not be amiss in being put towards a 50 state effort.
But.
GET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON BOARD.
Educate on how this money would be spent.
We need to replace all fossil fuel powered Power Plants.
OK - no argument - NOW - with what?
Solar farms and Wind farms are OK - but are not enough.
How about also using Thorium Power plants.
How about adding electrical storage to the power grid = making the power grid more flexible as well as efficient = LIQUID METAL BATTERIES.
Look - it's nice to have proper grand ideas - BUT SPELL THEM OUT TO THE PUBLIC - so that the public can see what they are getting and support the program.
Show the manufacturing jobs needed to build the components - show the jobs created supplying raw material - show the jobs created by building clean manufacturing centers - show the jobs created in installation - show the jobs created in the running of installations - show the jobs created in maintaining systems.
Look it is all well and good to announce a program - BUT SPELL IT OUT - get the public on board by showing them what is in it for them.
Yes and that includes the portion of the public which is currently dependent on fossil fuel jobs. SHOW THEM THEIR JOB TRANSITION OPPORTUNITIES - let em know that there is a tomorrow for them in alternative energy. Whole states are based on fossil fuel - show them a way out.
Do you want to run for President on the BEST MOST WORTHY PLATFORM TO THIS POINT IN RECORDED HISTORY? This IS that platform. Not just to be president but to reform government and make it what it should have always been = BENEFICIAL!
BENEFICIAL not just to the public or to the USA - but - BENEFICIAL to the environment and THE WHOLE WORLD as well.
Anyone can throw away a couple of trillion dollars - and have basically NOTHING to show for it. Look at Wall street and the bailout and the fossil fuel subsidies ( how many billion a year of public money for an Industry already making billions in profits without the subsidies).
BUT MAKE YOUR PROPOSITION REAL - MAKE IT LIVE AND SPEAK FOR ITSELF - FLESH-OUT YOUR PETITION/PROPOSAL!
Look into Liquid Metal Batteries ( a TED talk)
Look into Thorium Power Plants ( end the dangers of uranium reactors and pollution = waste storage and leaks - as well as end fossil fuel use/dependence and it's pollution and toxic waste storage and leaching into the water table).