Posted by Jamie in Green Leaders | 0 Comments
Former New York Sen. Al D’Amato urges green practices
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On his Park Strategies website, former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato urged everyone go green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Citing the renewable energy funding in the economic stimulus package, Alfonse D’Amato is very encouraged that wind, geothermal, and solar power projects might stand a chance to “get off the ground.”
Alphonse D’Amato stresses the fact we should not forget the all-too recent days of $4/gallon gasoline. “Make no mistake about it,” Mr. D’Amato writes, “We will once again face soaring energy prices if we fail to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But if we can aggressively pursue alternative energy sources, we can not only cut energy use, but take the pressure off our overloaded electrical grids.”
Al D’Amato was particularly impressed with the March cover story of National Geographic. He says that it’s not cars, but buildings that contribute the most to global warming. Al D’Amato hopes that geothermal energy will soon be the major power source for homeowners. “Geothermal energy can help reduce our use of foreign oil and eliminate carbon emissions that contribute to global warming,” he notes. “The only people it might disappoint are the oil moguls, but they’ve had their way long enough!”
Al D’Amato urges tax incentives for homeowners for both building owners and homeowners to encourage green energy practices. He provides a link to a pdf ( www.nyserda.org/programs/geothermal/ResidentialContacts0108.pdf) so you can get more information on powering your home through geothermal means.
Al D’Amato urges home energy audits, and he practices what he preaches. “The D’Amatos plan to undergo an energy audit, and we urge you to do the same,” he writes. “LIPA has helpful efficiency tools on its Web site, www.lipower.org/residential/efficiency/center.html, and companies like LI Green and the Suffolk County Energy Alliance (www.ligreen.com/energy_audit.htm) will send auditors to your home to do a thorough analysis.”
Al D’Amato also suggests people should start driving hybrids, or at least smaller cars. He bemoans the fact the US auto industry has lagged behind in the production of energy efficient, renewable energy cars. He also prescribes some tough medicine with regards to automobiles and the environment. “Congress must continue to push automakers to raise fuel economy standards and regulate greenhouse gas emissions. I understand that these are hard times for the auto industry, and reaching higher standards might be difficult,” Al D’Amato concedes. “But as long as automakers are being forced to reorganize under comprehensive bankruptcy plans, now is as good a time as any to become a leader in energy efficiency.”
Mr. Alfonse D’Amato continues to write a series of lively articles for his website, pulling no punches while he expresses his view. Al D’Amato is still a proud, old-fashioned conservative, but it’s clear he holds some fairly progressive views. You can find all his articles on the Park Strategies Staff Blog.
More information on Alfonse D’Amato:
- Forbes profile of Alfonse D’Amato
- The Charlie Rose interview of Alfonse D’Amato
- The NNDB profile of Al D’Amato.
