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Sustainable Futures Act Recommendations Essay

Decent Essays

Re: Sustainable Futures Act Recommendation
Executive Summary: With the passage of the Sustainable Futures Act (SFA), a clear message has been sent to both the Nation and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The SFA bans coal extraction, crucial to the Kentucky economy, while it does provide job training and economic support for those in coal mining areas, the bill will not be enough to spur new green growth in the Commonwealth. The two proposals:
1) Provide Mazda USA $500 million dollars to start production of hybrid vehicles in Greenup country.
2) Leverage the $500 million incentive package into a $1 billion initiative known as Unbridled Winds that installs US-made wind turbines throughout Kentucky’s Appalachian counties, which will …show more content…

The two proposals: first, to provide Mazda USA $500 million dollars to expand production of hybrid vehicles in Greenup country; second, Unbridled Wind which aims to create up to a one giga-watt of electricity using wind turbines throughout Eastern Kentucky. As with any proposal there are advantages and disadvantages to implementation, but after review and consideration of the issues at hand, it is my recommendation that we support the Unbridled Wind project. For decades poverty, mining companies, and mining practices have ravaged Appalachia. The mountains and rivers have been destroyed through mountain top removal and the pollution associated with that process. Communities broken apart by coal and the poverty of modern mining techniques. With the new ban on coal this process will only continue, unless something is done about it. While limited economic opportunities exist in the status quo, the manufacturing, construction, and upkeep of a large wind network across Eastern Kentucky would provide a large increase in job opportunities for those in Appalachia. The SFA mandates job training for former miners and this large production network would certainly open up new jobs across Kentucky. Placing an emphasis on economic development needs to be coupled with a program of social justice in order to be successful. Government must set the tone

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