By:Eli Regalado Issue: Biennial of the Americas 2010 Section:The Americas Roundtables
Embracing Energy, Efficiency, and Sustainability
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Denver, Colorado and was one of the participants in the Energy Roundtable. Commenting on electric vehicles, LaHood said that the opportunities are now just hitting the market. In November, 2010, LaHood said, Chevy will launch the Volt, a new electric car that can run on a pure electric charge for up to 40 miles — gas and emissions free. The Volt will also run on traditional fuel, but the new-fangled gas generator will produce enough power to make that tank of gas go for hundreds of miles. LaHood proudly said that the U.S. government has also offered a $7,500 tax credit for early adopters of this cleaner car.
When airlines were discussed, LaHood talked about the imperative move to next generation, point to point flight paths. “This will reduce the number of connecting flights so that planes don’t have to fly all over to get to their end destinations. This will dramatically reduce the amount of carbon emissions and create faster trips and cleaner skies,” he said.
At the end of the Roundtable, Secretary LaHood told participating energy leaders and members of the audience that there is great collaboration taking place between transportation and housing development to create sustainable living environments. He said that we must realize that we are living in a world with finite resources. Therefore, we must embrace this new world of energy, efficiency, and sustainability, perhaps one of the most controversial topics on the U.S. political agenda.