We need a new multi tiered industry which includes farming, processing, transportation, manufacturing, construction, most of the retail/wholesale, research & development, and related manufacturing services sub sectors..

I can think of only one renewable energy technology that would meet all of the above. There is however,in America, a self-imposed constraint to developing this technology. That is, Congress prohibited the cultivation of psychoactive hemp in the early 1930s. Oil. gas, lumber and chemical interests paid Congress to include non-psychoactive hemp, or industrial hemp because it was a perfect substitute for products made from fossil fuels, and could also be processed to produce fuel and thousands of other products.

Repealing that prohibition should be a priority of all those who support environmental progress. America could then take advantage of the 90 mil acres in set aside programs. If half of that were devoted to cultivating Industrial Hemp employment and aggregate demand would soar. Farmers in the far west have been fighting Congress for years to lift the ban.

We import over $1 billion in finished hemp products, which could be produced here. Hemp needs no pesticides, very little water and thrives in organic fertilizer. We would eliminate the raping of our forests, and poisoning of our oceans and waterways.

The Europeans are using Industrial Hemp to build houses, fabricate automobile and other machine parts, furniture, etc. We are cutting off our noses to spite our faces when we deny the cultivation of this industry which could employ millions in non-exportable jobs, at decent wages.

While the economics of industrial hemp may not be as favorable as gas or oil per unit of energy produced, industrial hemp is far superior to fossil fuels when their respective carbon foot prints are compared. Investment priorities then, should be based on environmental standards such as the amount of carbon produced per dollar of investment. The lowest carbon producers should receive the bulk of public subsidies.