[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 126 (Monday, October 3, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2005]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ON DISPLAY

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                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 3, 2005

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the Northeast Sustainable 
Energy Association for its efforts this past weekend in its 2005 Green 
Buildings Open House. The Open House consisted of tours of ``green'' 
energy facilities in homes and businesses, in all the New England 
States, as well as in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
  In Vermont, there were tours in Burlington, Cavendish, Hartland, 
Montpelier, Strafford and White River Junction, as well as in Northern, 
Central and Southern Vermont. The tours included a great variety of 
sites, including homes, businesses and schools. Alternative energy 
sources included solar (active and passive), wind, micro-hydro, as well 
as alternate construction methods and alternative fuel vehicles.
  We are overly dependent on fossil fuels. Not only does dependence 
pose environmental problems ranging from air pollution to acid rain to 
global warming, it also puts our national security at risk, requiring 
foreign policies driven more by the needs of oil companies than by the 
interests of American families and small businesses.
  But there are ways to conserve our environment and reduce our 
dependence on fossil fuels. We can better insulate our homes. The 
dollars invested in energy conservation pay off over and over again, in 
reduced energy consumption and reduced costs for heating and cooling. 
We can find and develop clean and renewable sources of energy like 
solar, wind, water and geothermal. They are domestically produced, 
infinitely renewable, and non-polluting. And we can learn to use more 
energy-efficient appliances in our homes and offices.
  Developing sources of alternative energy and conserving the energy we 
currently use are smart policies, not only because fossil fuel is 
encumbered with many problems, but because long-term conservation and 
alternative energy are more efficient. And moving along those lines 
creates jobs, jobs here at home, good paying jobs.
  So I extend my congratulations to the Northeast Sustainable Energy 
Association and the many homeowners and building owners, as well as the 
guides for these tours, who worked to show us all how much can be 
accomplished if we have a vision of a better and more energy-
sustainable future.

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