The Big Ideas Project

Divert half of our defense spending towards developing technologies that heal the environment. This could assure America's preeminence, both technological and moral, while providing a forum for worldwide goodwill.

Submitted by Michael A. from MA in Environment Nov. 11, 2014, 4:55 p.m.

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#456

475 votes

Protect our federal lands. wilderness areas, streams, rivers. We are losing other species of life at an alarming rate.

Submitted by Elaine Hughes in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 2:29 p.m.

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#458

471 votes

Although existing freeways need to be maintained for safety, there should be no expansion of freeways. Instead, redirect the money to mass transit (bus or rail) for all cities over 100,000 population and intercity passenger rail to all the continental U.S. (Use the part of the "defense" budget that would otherwise go to wars for oil.)

Submitted by Karen S. from MN in Environment Jan. 3, 2015, 1:01 p.m.

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#459

470 votes

Invest heavily in potential technology that can clean the air and water. Along those lines, create a line of desalination vehicles and a network to save and preserve water for when it's needed. Spur on water management so areas inflicted by drought will have someplace to turn to. For areas that usually undergo drought, have the nearest possible location that averages steady rainfall to create an emergency water fund that can be transported to afflicted areas.

Submitted by PJM in Environment Jan. 15, 2015, 3:02 a.m.

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#465

464 votes

To boost health and to make life simpler for the small organic farmer, why not allow them to not fill out all the paper work that 'big farmer's, (read corporate farms) require, and promote organic, not GMO foods. Do away with unnecessary rules and regulations that will hinder the organic farmer.

Submitted by Gloria Rickel in Environment Nov. 18, 2014, 1:28 p.m.

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#473

455 votes

Plant millions of new trees in public and private land (besides roads) to cleanse the air, and to compensate for the millions of trees cut already planets lungs) in the Amazon, Congo, Borneo, etc. Make US the new earth lung and air sanitizer !!

Submitted by Karlosz in Environment Jan. 15, 2015, 4:49 p.m.

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#476

448 votes

Transportation of petroleum via rail endangers the environment and the citizenry. There have been several explosions of these trains over the past few years as this method of oil transportation increases. Demand that the rail or the oil companies carry risk-proportionate insurance so we do not have to pay for destruction of the environment when these trains explode. Go to sightline.org to learn more.

Submitted by Courtenay C. from WA in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 4:47 p.m.

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#495

417 votes

Prepare for climate change! We need to appoint a commission to start planning how we need to deal with climate change such as the sea level rise on our coastal communities, drought in our farm lands, ecosystem communities be dislocated/relocated due to rising temperatures etc.

Submitted by Rick in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 3:20 p.m.

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#499

415 votes

Comprehensive Climate Change Bill It is clear from the Gulf oil spill to the California drought to Hurricane Sandy to Miami Street flooding that major action with regards to the climate is needed. It is time to follow up President Obama's climate action with China with legislation. Renewable Energy Standard, investments in desalinization, green buildings, Conservation Civilian Corp, etc. need to be a part of this piece of legilsation.

Submitted by Brenton J. from GA in Environment Dec. 26, 2014, 12:50 p.m.

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#502

411 votes

Establish federal laws to regulate the amount local utilities may charge for connecting homes and other structures generating renewable energy to the grid. Require all utilities to credit/reimburse residents and/or businesses for producing energy for the grid. Require utilities to reduce energy production as these alternate sources grow.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Dec. 16, 2014, 1:30 p.m.

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#518

392 votes

A massive effort should be made to clean up spills and plastic in our entire environment...Heavy fines should be imposed to the perpetrators together with mandatory cleanup and jail time if necessary.

Submitted by Rosemary G. from CA in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 4:46 p.m.

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#527

383 votes

To better guarantee strong protections for roadless areas and National Forests, make the transition to 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper for everyday products like toilet paper, paper towels, office paper. Implement tax credits for businesses that manufacture and provide 100% recycled paper products, and require all federal buildings, parks and historic landmarks to make the transition, as well as all interstate highway rest stops. A federal transition alone would create a robust market,

Submitted by ruby red shoes in Environment Dec. 14, 2014, 5:09 a.m.

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#542

369 votes

The USA needs to catch up with Germany - now No. 1 in sustainable energy and also China which is No. 4. USA is No. 10 or 12. In China all new buildings have to have solar hot water water systems on their roof. Of course in Wisconsin we are faced with utility companies who have decided to charge customers more money if they have solar and sustainable energy systems!! This after promoting solar, etc. Money rules and to heck with everything else.

Submitted by Chris M. from WI in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 5:50 p.m.

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#553

363 votes

Restore the prairie! Let's restructure farm aid to make it 100% devoted to ecosystem restoration- for example, pay farmers to maintain strips of prairie on the more sloping parts of their land near streams and such. This would pay huge dividends in restoring waterways, down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Submitted by Dan Kirk-Davidoff in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 1:14 p.m. 1

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#557

357 votes

Force the Bureau of Land Management to reveal its policies in regard to use of public land. Then, make them accountable to will of the public. For example, right now, ranchers are pushing the BLM to remove our wild horses which should be protected by law. Ranchers want to put their cattle on our lands instead. In the meantime, the BLM has captured 40,000 plus wild horses and put them in holding pens indefinitely. The cost is astronomical. And the horses are being sold to be butchered.

Submitted by Robin Zeplin in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 6:22 p.m.

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#559

356 votes

Maintain full strength of Endangered Species Act . Restore and maintain ESA Protections for wolves. Make tortuous leg hold traps , neck snares and aerial gunning illegal. Ditto the use of horrific poisons such as compound 1080. Prevent tax dollars for Wildlife Services from being used to assist states in wildlife slaughter.

Submitted by Daniel C. in Environment Jan. 15, 2015, 2:12 p.m.

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#571

343 votes

Beginning 1/1/18, require all new construction to incorporate maximum passive and active solar techniques and technologies to achieve energy sufficiency levels set on a state-by-state basis, determined by measurements of sunlight. Also provide significant subsidies to retrofit all structures to meet 85% or more of these levels.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Dec. 26, 2014, 7:13 p.m.

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#586

329 votes

Phase out the use of PLASTIC BAGS; make reusable cloth bags mandatory or charge a fee at the checkout counters for plastic bag use at supermarkets, etc.. And/OR, give a hefty discount to users of cloth bags!

Submitted by Judith Mitchell in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 5:13 p.m.

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#595

323 votes

Create a federal program to encourage farmers and other large landowners to create and maintain "pollen acres" ... land set aside and planted with a variety of wildflowers and other plants to foster native pollinators ...

Submitted by Brian G. from CA in Environment Jan. 12, 2015, 3:43 p.m.

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#602

318 votes

Create "hemp enterprise zones" that would allow rural landowners to grow and sell hemp to the government on up to 10 acres of land ... to prevent concentration, limit payment to ten acres only to individuals and prohibit corporate involvement entirely ...

Submitted by Brian G. from CA in Environment Jan. 12, 2015, 3:46 p.m.

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#605

316 votes

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