Big news. This week, Hillary Clinton became the most recent high profile supporter for a transition to clean energy. The former US Secretary of State, First Lady, and U.S. Senator has cemented her status as a respected leader whose earned a spot in international headlines daily. And now she’s using that platform to call for the U.S. to become a global leader in transitioning away from dirty fuels. What’s even more laudable is that she made this call while visiting the heart of Canada’s oil country - Edmonton, Alberta.
The Global Post reported Clinton’s comments on clean energy on June 18, as she stopped in Edmonton as part of her “Hard Choices” book tour.
"We should set the global example for transitioning in some more orderly way away from fossil fuels," Clinton said. "And given the innovation, given the research capacities, given the experiences on both sides of our border, we're in a perfect position to do that."
We couldn’t agree more. Clean, renewable energy is the choice for cleaner air, cleaner water, a more stable climate, and good-paying jobs. And more innovation has helped lead to the price of solar dropping 60 percent and the price of wind energy falling more than 40 percent in just the last three years, the price of solar has gotten 60 percent cheaper and the price of wind energy has fallen more than 40 percent. At the same time, investments in these clean energy choices are creating three times as many jobs as investments in fossil fuels.
There’s no doubt that American-made clean energy can drive the global market and help tackle the climate crisis at the same time. And it’s exciting that a leader like Hillary Clinton is taking this message across the continent, recognizing both the obligation and the opportunity we all have together to create a sustainable and healthy future.
--Sierra Club Media Team