The environmental movement is the most successful social movement in American history. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent cleaning up the air, water and land. Scores of federal and state laws have fundamentally changed the ground rules of modern life.
Millions of people choose to recycle, conserve water and energy, eat lower on the food chain and limit their family size for environmental reasons. Upwards of 80 percent of all Americans view themselves as "environmentalists," desiring strong laws and green products.
In 1992, the nation's best-selling environmental author was elected Vice President. The President of the League of Conservation Voters was chosen to be Secretary of Interior. The former President of the Wilderness Society was placed in charge of the nation's parks, fish, and wildlife.
It is hard to think of another cause that has enjoyed such astonishing success in this polarized land. For two decades, the environmental movement was the political equivalent of apple pie. Even those who disagreed with its specific actions gave lip service to its general values.
The huge success of the first Earth Day lay in the way it reached out to everyone with a simple, clear message. It was inclusive, not exclusive. And it helped to fashion a majoritarian consensus around environmental values that still endures.
The goals of the Earth Day 2000 Agenda are ambitious but possible. Every goal is considered too high by some and too low by others. But these are within people's comfort zone - with a little stretching in some cases.
The energy future contains huge uncertainties over prices, rates of technological innovation, and economic growth. Assumptions of 20 years ago missed today's price of oil by a factor of four and the likely fuel efficiency of cars by a factor of two. No one thought fuel cells would be a hot ticket before photovoltaics. Even fuel cells' biggest fans did not think their initial applications would be in cars.
The Earth Day Clean Energy goals assume that the US is going to get serious about energy and climate change. The Earth Day 2000 campaign is intended to help make that happen.
Reliance on coal, oil, and nuclear power imperils the world's climate, harms human health, fouls the environment, and results in the proliferation of nuclear materials. A rapid transition to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources will combat global warming, safeguard human health, create new jobs, and increase energy security.
Clean Power Goals: In the next decade, the US should increase four-fold the energy obtained from non-hydro renewable sources such as the sun and wind. By 2020, the US should produce at least one-third of the nation's energy from renewable sources, and double the efficiency of energy use in homes, buildings, transportation, and industry.
Clean Air Goals: We must clean up powerplants by setting progressively tighter limits on pollution - including carbon dioxide, the major cause of global warming. We must close the loophole that allows old coal-fired power plants to pollute much more than newer plants.
Clean Car Goals: The US must hold sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks and mini-vans to the same air pollution standards as cars. Automakers must improve the fuel efficiency of all vehicles to a combined average of 45 MPG by 2010 and at least 65 MPG by 2020. Washington must offer incentives that build strong markets for renewable fuels and for clean vehicles powered by hybrid motors and fuel cells.
Clean Investment Goals: The federal government should quadruple investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency within five years and continue this momentum over the long-term. Washington must stop spending taxpayer dollars to subsidize the coal, oil, and nuclear industries.
Denis Hayes was Executive Director of the first Earth Day in 1970. He is Chair of Earth Day Northwest
Earth Day 2000: It's time for a power shift