The Big Ideas Project

We need an Apollo energy program for renewable sources with long term financing and subsidies. We should require every state to get 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025 with 30% or more in some year set soon thereafter. Base load power should come from combined cycle natural gas plants.

Submitted by Rex_in_Minnesota in Environment Dec. 12, 2014, 6:02 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1438

92 votes

We need a comprehensive environment law. The current fragmentation leads to duplication and policy deficiencies. The states need to take a bigger role in environmental management with the Feds in an oversight role. The sticks to compel performance by the states are already in place. The EPA could be reorganized to focus on 1. Oversight of air, water waste superfund and other programs; 2. interstate dispute resolution; 3. tribal affairs; 4. international assistance and boundary issues.

Submitted by jon g. from IL in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 3:15 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1447

91 votes

Establish a function within the GAO that produces a report on the cost of energy sources including all externalized costs, such as environmental degradation, pollution and clean-up, public health, tax subsidies, foreign affairs, defense, etc. Publish costs w/labeling and collect taxes upon sale to cover the externalized costs.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Dec. 16, 2014, 3:27 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1456

90 votes

Restore the Office of Air, Noise, and Radiation. Regan defunded all of the government's noise projects and labs. We are a third world country when it comes to noise control and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. We were looked up to by the rest of the world until 1982 when our programs were shut down. The line item for the Noise Office is still a line item in the budget. Put some money and program back in.

Submitted by SoundDoc in Environment Dec. 18, 2014, 9:32 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1476

87 votes

Tax incentives/business loans to start and promote alternative energy production and consumption on all of our houses/building for our "National Security"! Oil, gas & Coal equals Spills, Explosions, Power Outages and all of theirs are wide open and vulnerable to Terrorists by deliberate explosions to pipe lines, wells, trains etc. Solar, wind & other new forms of alternatives..equals No Explosions, No Large scale Power Grid outages, No Spills, No Mountain removal & No more pollution!

Submitted by VietnamVet66-67 in Environment Dec. 13, 2014, 5:43 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1493

85 votes

Half the water consumed in the U.S. irrigates land growing feed and fodder for livestock. It takes 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat, but 2,500 gallons to produce a pound of meat. If these costs weren't subsidized by the American taxpayers, the cheapest hamburger meat would be $35 per pound! If we abolish all taxpayer support for the livestock industry, the cheapest hamburger meat would be $35 per pound, effectively making everyone in the United States a vegetarian.

Submitted by Vasu Murti in Environment Jan. 3, 2015, 7:42 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1504

83 votes

require all new cars (i) be hybrids, saving millions of gallons of gas from idlying cars, and (ii) to have a gauge showing their mpg.

Submitted by Yes in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 6:27 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1504

83 votes

Provide a tax deduction for those who document that they live less than 5 miles from where they work and/or go to school.

Submitted by Bramble in Environment Dec. 9, 2014, 8:26 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1516

82 votes

Create a $10B/yr. program to support the development of bicycle friendly cities, including bicycle coops and other programs that enable people to use bikes free or for low monthly or annual fees.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Dec. 16, 2014, 2:58 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1516

82 votes

Make car manufacturers to install gauges that tell miles per gallon your car is getting. Make this a standardized gauge created by the Federal Government. Can we really trust the car companies?

Submitted by Kris-Progressive in Environment Dec. 17, 2014, 3:57 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1537

79 votes

A warming collapse of the island earth is likely to eventually kill many species. We and others may become extinct. If this happens, and if we are lucky, evolution may only be set back by millions of years. A solution: Use world-wide birth control laws to reduce the earth's people population over the span of a few generations, probably over a time of 50 to 75 years.

Submitted by Ernst U. from MA in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 7:49 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1605

72 votes

Build modern nuclear reactors which can provide tons of cheap, clean, safe energy. Generation 4 reactors, such as thorium reactors, produce 95% less waste (because they use 95% of the fuel), which stays hot for only 300 years (as opposed to 10,000 years for the old reactors we're currently using), are designed for passive shut-downs so they literally can't melt down, can eat the waste of old nuclear reactors, and don't rely on weaponizable fuel. Clean, safe energy with minimal, manageable waste.

Submitted by pateras in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 2:16 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1624

71 votes

Investigate and cease Geoengineering and expose the functions and effects of secretive HAARP projects that interfere with and manipulate weather patterns by aerosol spraying of highly toxic metals and chemicals into the upper atmosphere. By using chemtrails from high flying aircraft we are being poisoned from above every day without scrutiny or oversight. We need to know the facts.

Submitted by Chris M. from OR in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 9:47 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1624

71 votes

Restore the Amazon:Slash and burn permits, requiring a five to one ratio of acres manured to acres slashed and burned.Jungle then re-grows in three years, can include sustainable crops.Fallow cycle slows advance into old growth.Synthetic shrubbery laced with organic trash, could even be deployed in order to lure those timid little fruit eating seed shitting critters out from the jungle into the scorched spent clearing!Carbon would be sequestered.Other forms of aid to help support and incentivize

Submitted by Aaron Agassi in Environment Jan. 15, 2015, 9:04 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1640

70 votes

Use technology (solar) from old highway emergency phones to power stoplights during power outages so police can help rather than direct traffic.

Submitted by Barbara H. from CA in Environment Jan. 13, 2015, 10:32 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1694

65 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M18HxXve3CM Stop killing whales and start helping the climate!

Submitted by Firebird in Environment Jan. 8, 2015, 12:43 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1708

64 votes

We need an option of non petroleum floor coverings and roofing. Give incentives for metal recyclable roofing.

Submitted by mpdoc77 in Environment Dec. 12, 2014, 4:33 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1724

63 votes

We need to think big and rational! We must reverse the current law decision logic on chemicals - ALL CHEMICALS. Principle - A chemical is toxic unless proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Principle - The health of the environment is the first priority not any given backyard. This might mean the we can not import maaterials or finished products where damage has been done elsewhere - i.e. NIMBY. NIMBY is not a policy or a rational way to make decisions that are bigger than any single NIMBY POV.

Submitted by Terry Fundak in Environment Dec. 18, 2014, 10:32 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1724

63 votes

Transition into a forest-based system where the trees provide food, fodder, fiber and fuel (bio-fuel). This would sequester carbon thereby combating climate change, help clean water and air, provide a place for wildlife and would use much less energy to maintain (less resource exploitation and less pollution).

Submitted by Richard Pasichnyk, President of The Living Cosmos and Interdisciplinary Specialist in Environment Dec. 23, 2014, 8:33 p.m.

Tweet Share

#1738

62 votes

Fund research on non-destructive uses of coal (e.g., as a carbon source for producing plastics and other compounds currently produced from petroleum). Would save coal mining jobs while providing a more valuable use for coal than burning it. Could produce entirely new American industries.

Submitted by Stu from Bay Area in Environment Dec. 19, 2014, 12:29 a.m.

Tweet Share

#1754

61 votes

Who’s voting?

Thanks for voting on your favorite ideas!