Energy Independence and National Security

Thank you for printing Robert Redford’s Dec. 2 commentary, “The Highest Patriotism Lies in Weaning U.S. From Fossil Fuels.” I don’t have a flag on my lawn, but I do have a solar-generating facility on the roof of my house that generates an average of 400 kilowatt-hours per month. I never thought of it as a political statement, but I’ll certainly add that to the many reasons for having solar or wind power. More and more people are installing solar, but most of the public remains unaware.

Along with the joy of watching the electric meter spin backward is the knowledge that having a personal solar or wind generator makes one independent of the pricing and manipulation of the power and fuel market. Couple an electric vehicle, solar power and solar water heating and you get a real independence from the oil barons abroad and in our own country. This is not far-out futuristic thinking. It is now. Practical-thinking “patriots” are helping to reduce the need for wars to secure oil.

Dennis Baker

Corona del Mar