Brussels, 17 Feb 2003
Participants at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have admitted that Europe is way ahead of the US in terms of developing new sources of renewable energy.
'As the world's only remaining superpower, the United States is often at the cutting edge of science and technology, but according to researchers at the AAS meeting today, the Europeans have far outdone the Americans in developing new sources of renewable energy and a sound environmental policy,' reads an AAAS statement.
Wind is the fastest growing source of renewable energy, its current worldwide capacity resting at around 30,000 megawatts. Within five years, wind power capacity is expected to rise to around 60,000 megawatts.
L. Hunter Lovins from the global academy cited a recent survey on renewable energy initiatives, and used it to reject US President George Bush's claim that adherence to the Kyoto protocol would place the US as at competitive disadvantage. Ms Lovins argued that, as consumers notice the benefits of renewable energy for the environment and their quality of life, companies in countries that have invested in developing new sources of energy will gain a marketing edge.
As Americans, we are in a time of unprecedented opportunity and unprecedented peril,' said Ms Lovins. 'We have more choices than ever in terms of efficient energy and renewables [...]. At the moment, however, our administration's policies are going in the wrong direction.'
For further information on the AAAS conference, please visit:
http://www.aaas.org