Mike Splinter's blog

One of the most hotly contested items on this year's California ballot is Proposition 23, an initiative aimed at suspending the State’s landmark AB 32 law (the Global Warming Solutions Act). Prop 23 is being touted as a "jobs initiative," but the real thrust of the proposition is to suspend AB 32 until unemployment reaches a level of 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, a mark that has been hit only a few times in the last 30 years. As a consequence, Prop 23 is effectively a repeal of the law. At a time when the U.S. and California need to redouble its leadership in mitigating climate change and its investment in building a low-carbon economy, Prop 23 would be a major step backwards.Read more

Coming on the heels of the State of the Union address, in which the President made the indisputable link between job creation and clean energy, the White House’s announcement on Friday that the Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent by 2020 is another encouraging step in the right direction. Read more

This year’s Davos Forum has an unmistakably more sober feel compared to years past. Overshadowed by the tragic events in Haiti, the theme of this year’s five-day event is appropriately titled: “Improving the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign and Rebuild.” As representatives from business, government and civil society convene here in Switzerland to respond to this challenge, it is important to keep in mind that fixing the global economic system requires more than simply repairing a few roads and bridges; instead we need to think bigger about how to establish the groundwork for tomorrow’s world economy. Read more

As Americans we don’t shrink from challenges, we embrace them. In the 19th century, we united the nation’s economy with the first transcontinental railroad. In the 20th century, we powered the Southwest with the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. We recognized that these challenges were not merely about laying track or building a dam, but about securing the future of our nation.

The question of how we will create, store and use energy is the great challenge of the 21st century. It threatens our economy, our security and our planet.Read more

This has been a very bright week indeed for solar. Not only did I witness the opening of Applied Materials’ Solar Technology Center—the world’s largest non-governmental solar energy research facility in Xi’an, China—but I was heartened to learn that halfway around the world, in the United States, solar energy was given quite the spotlight as well.

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