This week, I’ve joined our partners at Nautica for Key West 2011 (i.e. Race Week) with a mission to rally sailors behind a cause I think they understand very well – wind energy. Nearly half the states in the U.S. are represented among the 136 boats competing this week, and my goal is to get crews from each of those states to sign our Wind Energy petition.
What does the petition say? It urges President Obama’s administration to develop a strategic plan to transition the U.S. from offshore oil to offshore wind and other renewable energy sources. As evidenced by Oceana’s report from September, Untapped Wealth, we think a renewable energy plan makes practical, economic sense.
For instance, according to our study, the wind energy potential along the Atlantic Coast could produce 30 percent more electricity than Atlantic Ocean offshore oil and gas resources combined. Additionally, it could produce all that energy for $36 billion less than offshore oil and gas production combined, while creating about three times as many jobs per dollar invested than fossil fuel production.
Competitive sailors, who understand the power of a gale, should find that argument appealing, but it should be a really attractive concept for just about everyone.
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