14 DAY TRIAL // Former U.S. presidency candidate Wesley Clark held a speech at the Solar Power International conference, held in San Diego on Tuesday, October 14, where he emphasized the importance of America reducing its oil imports, which currently send approximately $500 million across the borders, into countries that may be supporting terrorism. Clark also drew attention to the fact that climate change, generated by huge amounts of carbon emissions, could very soon alter the face of the United States, with heat and tornadoes already wreaking havoc throughout the country.
The fact that the U.S. imports large quantities of petroleum from other countries also means that the economy becomes more and more vulnerable to outside influences, simply because foreign interest groups could threaten with cutting the oil supply at any given time. That's why Clark highlights the necessity of new renewable fuel and energy source tests throughout the country. The sunlight, the wind, the water and the heat of the Earth are all natural resources, perhaps even more important than oil itself, he declared.
In an unusual statement by an American official, Wesley Clark said that the insertion of a carbon tax and a new trade-and-cap agreement are the only viable ways of severely reducing the power consumption of this country. The former presidential candidate, an ex-general, didn't miss the opportunity to emphasize the achievements the military made in the field of renewable energy. "There are clear national security implications from climate change, a situation that military leaders are now aware of," Clark added.
Renewable energy has been on the military agenda for quite some time now, as more and more army solar power plants are being built, with deadlines as soon as 2012. Some states also decided to fight global warming by setting 2020 as a year in which over 20 percent of their energy will come from renewable sources. The European Union also aims at 2020 for reducing an important part of its carbon emissions. The results of these projects should someday reflect a strong international desire to fight the effects of global warming.