I have often discussed the various actions we can do as individuals to help mitigate global warming. But today I am realizing that I have often left out one thing. Investing. I started investing in alternative energy in a very tentative manner years ago...with mixed success. I had avoided wind and solar because I felt other things looked more promising (e.g. geothermal). Honestly, I seldom put much in and the overall result was so-so.

But recently I have started investing more aggressively in alternative energy stocks, this time primarily wind and solar. I know from my scientific reading that really both are pretty well current technologies, with wind ahead of solar in terms of practicality. But I also figure if we are going to address global warming in the next ten years we had better start treating alternative energy stocks more seriously. Since I started investing in such stocks early this year, I have made LOTS of money on alternative energy. I am proud to say I am profiting off being a part of the solution.

Recently I wrote a diary discussing global warming, indicating the overwhelming evidence that it is happening and suggesting that we can do something about it. Many of the comments I got on other sites were negative. The objections to my diary included a.) global warming is a scam; b.) we are not technically advanced enough to make any real changes; c.) our society won't do anything, so we have to act as individuals and forget about societal action; and, worst of all, d.) fine, you can do what you want about global warming as long as it doesn't inconvenience me.

I want to address these negative comments because, quite simply, they are all wrong and all of them interfere with our ability to mitigate global warming.

Sometimes things just come together and several individual items that don't quite add up to a story unite into a really good one. This week, there is a really good story like that on Energy Policy that comes from three synegizing sources.

This last week, a discussion with someone who grew up in Iowa, this month's issue of Catalyst, the newsletter of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and a press release from Nancy Pelosi all synergized to remind me that Democrats have been pushing for a real, American, practical energy policy since the Carter administration and all the Republicans advocate for are oil, oil, oil.

On October 26th, in response to the release of record profits by the bloated oil company Exxon/Mobil, Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement:

Ever see that commercial where the guy is trying to sell you on some "inventor's club?"  The one where the guy says "that thing where you clap and turn off a lamp?  That was my idea."

Well, this was my idea, darn it.  And now someone else has beaten me to it.  Maybe, I should have joined the club.

Sky Windpower is taking advantage of something we've always known: windspeed is higher at altitude.  Only they're going higher than just putting their windmills on a pole.  Much higher.

...there is far more than enough energy in high altitude winds, miles above the earth's surface, to supply all the world's power needs.

The third draft of the Energize America proposal for a Democratic energy plan is now up over at DailyKos.

Believe me, I'd not normally use this space just to trumpet a diary, but this is not an ordinary diary.  Energize America represents not only a comprehensive energy plan, it also represents something of a first triel for "open source politics," in which a group submits ideas publically, works through the revisions, resubmits, and continues with the ultimate goal of getting Democratic law makers to sign on to the plan.

This plan has grown tremendously over the course of a month, but we still have a long way to go.  And we need your help!  Please take a look.