Why We Advocate
July 29, 2010
An anecdote, to start with…
A colleague, on a recent visit to Washington DC, found himself in conversation with a recently retired, well-known and -respected U.S. senator. He took the opportunity to ask him what it would take for a congressman to vote for an issue that he knew in his heart was right for the country and the planet, irrespective of partisan attachments and personal considerations. The retired senator (whom, in order not to betray a trust, we will not name, but who is known as a strong supporter of energy independence) replied that only when the congressman no longer needed an influx of money, e.g., after he had decided not to run for office again, might this happen. Until then he would always vote in accordance with his source of funding, working hard to produce whatever arguments were needed to justify his vote.
Lamentably, the above is probably not particularly surprising to readers. The pernicious influence of ‘big money’ in politics (one would say ‘campaigns’ except that campaigns seem to be a permanent condition of politics today) is well known, but it’s sobering to hear a veteran legislator sympathetic to renewable energy confirm, in effect, that until our industry can throw money at his former colleagues with as much abandon as does the fossil fuel industry, then that latter industry can absolutely count on congressional votes in its favor. What works for the country, what is needed for the health of the planet, what can revitalize American jobs and create new industries here will always lose out to the demands of the campaign chest.
Unless…
Well, there’s always an ‘unless’, isn’t there? And in this case, it came from the retired senator, who asserted that the only exception to the above-described dynamic would occur if the congressman were convinced that enough constituents would predicate their vote for or against him on a single issue, to negate the effects of massive campaign contributions.
And that’s why we advocate. We beat the drum for solar energy and all the reasons why it makes sense - energy independence, climate regulation, clean energy, sustainability and more - because we want our elected legislators to hear something other than the sound of money falling into their war chests. And we work for the day when those legislators turn to their deep-pocket corporate contributors and say (apologetically) that they would like to oblige them on this upcoming vote, but there are so many voters in their districts demanding action on clean energy that, for once, they have to do what the people want.
Wouldn’t that be special?
July 31st, 2010 at 12:11 am
I read the first part and have known all along that was true. It was put so well into writing that it hurt to read and be reminded of the truth of our corrupt system. I am one of those constituants that have and will continue to vote against our so called “representatives” based on “THIS SINGLE ISSUE” This issue is THAT IMPORTANT to ME. It would solve so many problems by providing so many solutions. One of the most under utilized ones is all the jobs it would create and all the people it would help. I LOVE SOLAR POWER, I am just one of the many that would love to have some people in the congress and senate stand up for ME and all the other Americans who know this is an important “no brainer” issue. I want a 3Kw system on my home, but it’s just not feasible yet, and the government isn’t doing enough to help get this in the hands of people who want to help.
Signed Disappointed Unrepresented American,
Brandon Mahan
July 31st, 2010 at 2:30 am
why don’t you also push for campaign financing reform? if we held election like they do in england, much of the money in politics would be solved. shouldn’t this be first on the list to do??
July 31st, 2010 at 3:38 am
Part of our problem is that the people feel as if they are less and less heard, and are becoming more despondent and detached from the political arena after feeling helpless. We have to be able to show the affects of the constant barrage of emails that we send to Gov officials and how it has seriously made a difference.
I appreciate all you guys have done-
July 31st, 2010 at 10:26 am
seeking permission to reprint this article in a “vox populi” column of local paper.
thank you,
john gerrard
August 1st, 2010 at 12:20 am
[…] Solar Nation — Why We Advocate [snip] […]
August 1st, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Single issue?
I’m sorry, but I’ll never be a single-issue voter. I feel passionate about solar energy, but I feel just as passionate about peace in Afghanistan and human rights. I think it is essential to get America working again. We need new infrastructure. Nuclear disarmament is crucial. We need fair trade trade, cures for AIDS and malaria, and labor reform. Immigrants need a fair shot at the American dream. The unemployed need their insurance money, and financial system has to be reformed.
Rather than single issue candidates who have no real principals, we need committed progressives who will raise the banner for any number of liberal reforms. That is the only way to obtain what we want.