In a commentary posted on Grist.org, uber- venture capitalist Vinod Khosla argues that clean technology needs a global leader in order to reverse the effects of climate change.
We still have a chance to reassert our leadership. Our educated workforce, top-level universities, and culture of innovation still position us to capitalize as the world moves to clean energy. We have to decide whether we’re going to lead the world — and claim the economic benefits — or follow, and send money to other countries for clean energy technology, in the same way that we now send money to the Middle East for oil.
Khosla, along with Tim Wirth and John Podesta, posit that the new competition for leadership in the global energy marketplace requires that we change the rules. Dramatically change the rules. In fact, this is what other nations have been doing with success.
Because of their rules, our competitors are farther along than the United States in the transition from old energy to new energy, and they have captured most of the growth and jobs along the way. Just 10 years ago, the United States produced 44 percent of the world’s solar cells; today its market share is less than 10 percent. Japan is now the world leader, producing 43 percent of the world’s solar-energy products. Europe, meanwhile, produces 90 percent of the world’s wind turbines. Brazil, where the government requires all gasoline to contain ethanol, has led the way on biofuels.
One major university stepping up to the challenge is Auburn University’s newly formed Natural Resources Management & Development Institute. It plans to grow switchgrass — and study new flavors of energy friendly switchgrass — that can be used to quench our thirst for gasoline while making us less dependent on corn-based ethanol. Another initiative underway at Caltech is aiming to put the sun’s energy to work in a cost effective way. Business and government would be wise to partner and fund the top-tier activities of these forward thinking universities. The consumer marketplace will not move away from inexpensive fossil-based energy sources until the clean technologies are cost competitive.
