The Big Ideas Project

Strengthen Toxic Substances Control Act; specify that states, counties and communities may enact regulations more stringent than federal ones.

Submitted by Cheryl, Environmental Scientist in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 3:54 p.m.

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#1064

147 votes

Use goats to eat away rampant brush growth in high fire areas to reduce fire risks in wildland-urban interface zones. You might even get a sweater, cheap dogfood, and feta cheese out of the deal, Not to mention lower fire insurance rates.

Submitted by John P. from AZ in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 2:56 p.m. 1

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#1069

146 votes

Create a state-based incentive where individuals can invest and profit from renewable and sustainable energy sources by personal investment, municipal bonds or tax earmarking and to promote the design, manufacturing, transportation and installation of solar, wind, tidal, geo thermal power within their state (I'm in California, so the impact of our change could be huge...) Goal: To diversify energy profits and level the corrupt, tax evading energy sector.

Submitted by Dee in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 1:50 a.m.

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#1077

145 votes

Make Solar power available to the elderly and the poor at the same price as the wealthy. Most states have a tax Credit 40-60% off of the cost of a system, if you do not make enough money to earn those credits, your cost for the same system is 40-60% greater. So, If I take a loan out on my home and install a 10,000 dollar system I pay 10,000, but id the Dr. down the street does it, the same thing costs him 4,000-6,000 dollars, how is that fair or right ?

Submitted by GlennB in Environment Dec. 20, 2014, 11:29 p.m.

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#1081

144 votes

The way we manage our residential landscapes is insane, and what industrial agriculture has done to our food supply is appalling. Lets kill two birds with one stone. We use valuable freshwater resources to water grass lawns that have been treated with fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, just so we can mow those lawns with CO2 spewing maintenance equipment. Let's move to convert green grass lawn areas into local food production spaces on a grand scale.

Submitted by Dr. Brooke in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 11:05 a.m.

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#1081

144 votes

Provide a tax deduction for those who sell their cars and replace them with bicycles, or public transportation, or walking.

Submitted by Bramble in Environment Dec. 9, 2014, 8:25 a.m.

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#1096

141 votes

Ask Congress that a state of war be declared on green house gases. The goal of this effort should be that within 20 years the US will actually be reducing green house gases from the atmosphere as its share in the effort to mitigate the consequences of global climate change.

Submitted by 20 in 20 in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 4:34 p.m. 1

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#1096

141 votes

Tax carbon based fuels and return the proceeds of the tax to the population per capita as a dividend, thus incentivizing renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse emissions, while compensating citizens for any increased cost of fuel and other goods.

Submitted by H. Bishop Dansby in Environment Jan. 8, 2015, 5:44 p.m.

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#1111

138 votes

Tax Carbon and use the proceeds to help communities develop renewable energy sources.

Submitted by Linda in Environment Dec. 20, 2014, 9:41 p.m.

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#1114

137 votes

We need to encourage the construction of co-generation systems. Many large public institutions can also have what is called a microgrid at a large college or hospital. Cogeneration takes waste heat that goes up the chimney and converts it into heat or power used by the same facility it takes from. Cogeneration systems should be standard in all public buildings, large industrial facilities, and military bases.

Submitted by Rex_in_Minnesota in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 11:08 p.m.

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#1123

136 votes

Pension plans, especially public employees, should be divested of fossil fuels and invested in renewables energy minus nuclear, which has a cost of dirty cleanup that has never been addressed !

Submitted by Yes in Environment Dec. 11, 2014, 10:15 a.m.

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#1139

133 votes

I look out my window and see nothing but clear cut foresting which in turn leads to landslides some of which devastate communities. Reform logging practices to responsible levels. Reform the Wildlife Administration as well. They are allowing the unnecessary slaughter of wildlife, especially predators. We need them for eco-balance. Ban all trapping and baiting practices as well.

Submitted by MGG in Environment Dec. 18, 2014, 9:20 p.m.

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#1156

131 votes

Looks like Republicans are going to get Keystone passed. Now, try to collect $1 for every barrel sent through the pipeline to pay for the de-construction of it when its life is over. That's: 50 years x 365 days/year x 500,000 barrels/day == $9.125 billion (+ interest) to cleanly de-commision the pipeline.

Submitted by MrBIIIG in Environment Jan. 9, 2015, 3:42 a.m.

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#1167

129 votes

Anywhere you happen to be standing on the earth 30,000 feet below your shoes there is an effectively unlimited supply of heat. The oil industry routinely drills to 20,000 feet. The ambient temperature at that depth is around 700 degrees, you can run a closed system ge generator (average price of three quarters of a million dollars used) that produces 6 megawatts off that forever. In addition Geothermal energy acts as a price stabilizer that offsets U.S. dependence upon highly volatile fossil fue

Submitted by Myles in Environment Jan. 6, 2015, 1:55 p.m.

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#1167

129 votes

The Big Idea encompasses all the offered categories--Climate Restabilization--and can proceed using most if not all of the 273 (so far) suggested steps. Naomi Klein's This Changes Everything lays it out. I would add an emphasis on soil remediation using biochar.

Submitted by Ruth L. in Environment Dec. 9, 2014, 9:30 a.m.

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#1173

128 votes

Massive program to shut-down 100% of coal power plants over the next 20 years, with 5% shut down each year. Until we do these, electric vehicles (and other measures to switch from fossil fuel use) will not be truly effective, since coal-generated electricity still produces CO2, even if the cars don't. To do this, we must shut down coal plants, replace with renewables, use carbon sequestration, increase energy efficiency, and reduce energy use... Um, NOW!

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Jan. 13, 2015, 11:49 a.m.

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#1211

123 votes

Buy nanosolar panels and electric appliances and cars for every household, saving consumers trillions per year and creating a net 18 million jobs.

Submitted by Kevin Z. from WI in Environment Nov. 25, 2014, 11:36 p.m.

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#1228

120 votes

Require all political campaign documents, flyers, posters, mailers, etc. to be: printed on recycled paper (with a minimum of 20-30% post-consumer recycled fiber); printed with non-toxic ink (e.g., soy- based ink); and, where possible, printed in a union shop. Collectively, these measures support climate justice.

Submitted by Dr. Stephen Frantz in Environment Dec. 14, 2014, 1:19 a.m.

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#1228

120 votes

Phase I: Polluter Pays for Shift to a Renewable Economy. The most profitable companies in the world reap their billions at the expense of the environment. Their profits should be used to rectify the problems they have caused, and to build a renewable energy infrastructure. The government should partner in funding research and development. Phase II: Ridiculous insurance company profits fund universal health care!

Submitted by Axcar in Environment Dec. 18, 2014, 10:17 p.m.

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#1257

117 votes

Begin a true national recycling program AND ELIMINATE LAND FILLS OR OFFSHORE DUMPING. Prohibit state to state transportation of refuse (or Canada)--begin a "full-employment" recycling program within states utilizing unemployment block grant funding--sharing revenue from recycle operations with states for family assistance programs.

Submitted by Anthony B. from MI in Environment Dec. 19, 2014, 4:18 a.m.

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#1257

117 votes

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