EPA official offers new methods to reduce 'carbon footprints'
Sravanthi Dama
Issue date: 2/9/07 Section: News
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Daniel J. Desmond, deputy secretary for Energy and Technology Deployment in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, delivered a talk Feb. 1 entitled "Sustainable and Growing: Carbon Smart Strategies for Boosting the Economy."
A large percentage of American citizens fail to recognize the growing threat of global warming on our country. In contrast, nearly 75 percent of the population of the rest of the world fully realizes that global warming is a serious problem, one that humans are exacerbating every day.
The federal government's actions to hinder the effects of global warming are minimal, and consequently we cannot expect them to enact any sort of environment-friendly programs in the near future in order to deal with the problem of carbon-loading, Desmond said. As such, the state government of Pennsylvania has taken matters into its own hands with two purposes. Pennsylvania legislators are aiming to improve the state of the environment while simultaneously boosting the state's economy. It is hoped that this combination of environmentalism and economics provides benefits for all those involved, ultimately leaving the state with cleaner air and a thriving economy.
According to Desmond, the primary approach of the DEP is to grow the economy through the creation of "green jobs." Green jobs are any part of the myriad of occupations that are found in the environmental field. Currently, the DEP is offering to help, set up or guide any environmentally friendly company that may be looking to launch a new eco-friendly product or to develop a new renewable source of energy.
The DEP has already had many successes, Desmond said. They worked in conjunction with the German company Conergy, which is currently the largest developer of renewable resources in the United States. The second-largest wind turbine company in the world, which was originally based in Spain, has worked with the DEP to set up its own turbine plants in the state of Pennsylvania. The company is currently in the process of building its fourth manufacturing plant and has provided thousands of jobs for native Pennsylvanians.
A large percentage of American citizens fail to recognize the growing threat of global warming on our country. In contrast, nearly 75 percent of the population of the rest of the world fully realizes that global warming is a serious problem, one that humans are exacerbating every day.
The federal government's actions to hinder the effects of global warming are minimal, and consequently we cannot expect them to enact any sort of environment-friendly programs in the near future in order to deal with the problem of carbon-loading, Desmond said. As such, the state government of Pennsylvania has taken matters into its own hands with two purposes. Pennsylvania legislators are aiming to improve the state of the environment while simultaneously boosting the state's economy. It is hoped that this combination of environmentalism and economics provides benefits for all those involved, ultimately leaving the state with cleaner air and a thriving economy.
According to Desmond, the primary approach of the DEP is to grow the economy through the creation of "green jobs." Green jobs are any part of the myriad of occupations that are found in the environmental field. Currently, the DEP is offering to help, set up or guide any environmentally friendly company that may be looking to launch a new eco-friendly product or to develop a new renewable source of energy.
The DEP has already had many successes, Desmond said. They worked in conjunction with the German company Conergy, which is currently the largest developer of renewable resources in the United States. The second-largest wind turbine company in the world, which was originally based in Spain, has worked with the DEP to set up its own turbine plants in the state of Pennsylvania. The company is currently in the process of building its fourth manufacturing plant and has provided thousands of jobs for native Pennsylvanians.
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