Dear Concerned Citizen:

Have you been reading about global warming, climate change, the pros and cons of drilling in the Arctic? Have you heard about the energy shortage in California? Are you frustrated that we have dropped the Kyoto talks and don’t know what to do?

As a grandparent and a person who holds God’s Creations sacred, I have am trying to be a responsible consumer as I am learning about the damage we’re causing through our own collective purchases. As part of this program, I am setting aside funds each month for green, minimal damage, items of necessity; i.e.,

1. Hybrid or fuel cell auto,

2. Solar photo voltaic cells to supplement my electricity, and

3. SunFrost Refrigerator and Staber Washing machine.

From conversations I’ve had, many responsible adults are feeling the same pressure and are also building savings accounts for the time when industry produces products and systems of recycling that are increasingly sustainable. But, if the current Administration favors business as usual, and allows inefficiency and squandering energy to be the order of the day, what incentive would industry have for becoming efficient, responsible partners to consumers? How would industry know that we actually want these products that haven’t been produced yet? How would the Administration even know? After all, my "green" savings account sits in my local bank without title or designation, and, in fact, earning little interest. How can I use those unmarked bills to encourage industry develop the products I want?

Proposed Solution: Here is something you can do in a very positive way that won’t cost a penny. It is a method of expressing your hopes and dreams for your family’s future and the future of your country in a manner that everyone can understand.

Supposing a Green Savings Clubs were developed that earmarked the account for future purchases even before the product is actually manufactured? This is NOT the same thing as investing. When you invest you take a measurement of risk. But Savings Clubs are something you might already be doing in a Christmas Club.

If we use the idea of the Christmas Clubs, where we pledge a budgeted amount each month which we already so familiar with, and add a little embellishment, we can come up with a true Green Savings Club. We could enter into the same sort of contract, state what the account is targeted for (i.e., fuel cell auto, solar panels, home insulation, high efficiency appliances), pledge a budgeted amount and watch the account build at a higher interest rate. The money would always be ours to withdraw in case of emergencies (probably with small penalty) and, if we could figure a way to add industry into the information loop, industry would get a picture of just how much consumer interest there is for these green products. For example, perhaps 12,000 people may sign up to save $150 per month for an 80 mile per gallon auto. This should be very encouraging to manufacturers to press forward with to research and development it would take to make the car a reality. If there is one thing we have learned lately it is that money talks louder than votes. So here it is—our money—right on the line.

Joining this type of Savings Club would not cost us a penny. It would simply identify why we are saving money and make our wishes known to industry. If there ARE NO GREEN PRODUCTS AS A RESULT, we would be under NO obligation to make purchases AND if there are green products, we are under no obligation. I don’t believe that Christmas Clubs follow consumers around to make certain that the money is used to purchase Christmas presents.

I realize that not everybody has money to save for these items. Perhaps an extension of the Green Savings Club would be very low interest loans to purchase green products. I am sure that if Green Savings clubs were established all over America just as Christmas Clubs currently are there are many other ideas other that would evolve.

Thank you for your kind attention.