The top environmental issue of our time is the very future of our planet. No issue crosses borders like climate change. There is no “American air,” much less “Minnesota air” – we share it with all those around us.

As the parent of three school-age kids, it disturbs me to hear young people wonder if we can stop the onslaught of drought, coastal flooding and other inhospitable changes to the planet we share. It’s time to give our kids hope. While the damage we have done is serious, I am optimistic about the power of American ingenuity, popular demand and grassroots action to make the technological and political changes necessary for us to thrive in the future.

The engine of our future economy won’t be fueled with oil; it will be fueled with renewable energy sources whose potential we’re just beginning to tap. With smart energy decisions everywhere – from Washington, D.C., to our own homes – we can bring about a 21^st-century energy revolution, where we simultaneously prosper and protect our planet.

Some of the work the Democratic House of Representatives has done on this issue provides a good start. Through the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act, they’ve worked to encourage more stations to install alternative fuel pumps. (One of the biggest problems with alternative fuels today is lack of availability. Minnesota actually leads the nation in stations that offer E85, the gas blend that is 85 percent ethanol, but both our state and nation can do better.) The Democrats in Congress also want to provide grants and tax incentives to boost the production of alternative fuels and the vehicles that use them and assist farmers in making energy-efficiency improvements.

The House also recently passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act, which limits the tax benefits granted to oil and gas companies in the Republican Energy bill of 2005, resulting in $13 billion in new federal revenue over the next 10 years. Even better, the bill dedicates this revenue to offsetting the cost of research on alternative energy sources and conservation measures, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

What else do we need to do?

• We need to face up to the true costs of oil, including the national security threat created by our dependence on it. Perhaps you’ve heard that one of the first rules of dieting is never to go grocery shopping when you’re hungry; if you do, you’re likely to make bad choices. Our nation’s thirst for oil is one of the main drivers of our foreign policy – and it means that when we go shopping for fuel, we make bad choices. Our dependence on foreign oil compels us to do business with repressive regimes in oil-rich countries and use our military to fight for access to oil-rich regions, damaging our moral authority in the world. Clearly, it also is a main driver of the carbon pollution that is harming our environment.
• We have to get serious about fuel economy. Unfortunately, this is something we seem to consider only when our wallets are lightened by high gas prices. Conservation is the cheapest, most efficient way to reduce the greenhouse gases that cause so much harm. I can see incandescent light bulbs going the way of the Ford Edsel and all cars running at no less than 50 miles per gallon. I can envision homes that produce more energy than they use – and tax breaks for building and buying those kinds of homes.
• We must carefully study the alternative energy sources available to us now and in the future. Ethanol is but one step along this path. Right now, it’s a logical one; in the future, we might not be able to sustain the levels of production necessary to satisfy demand for corn from both food and energy producers. I see us moving toward cellulosic ethanol and realizing the full potential of wind and solar power. All of these are part of ending our oil addiction.

It’s time to change course on energy policy and the environment. With changes in Congress to leaders who refuse to shower tax breaks on oil companies making record profits, we can invest in alternative energy, boost our economy and devise the most effective mix of carrots and sticks to protect our environment, heal our planet, and give our kids hope.