Skip to main content
Sojourners
faith in action for social justice
Sojourners
About
About SojournersEventsOur TeamWork With UsMediaWays to GiveInvite a SpeakerContact Us
SojoAction
OverviewTake ActionIssue AreasResourcesFaith-Rooted AdvocatesChurch Engagement
Magazine
Current IssueArchivesManage My SubscriptionWrite for Sojourners
Sections
LatestPoliticsColumnsLiving FaithArts & CultureGlobalPodcastsVideoPreaching The Word
Subscribe
MagazineRenewPreaching the WordCustomer ServiceNewsletters
Donate
Login / Register

Why I Support Wind Energy

By Alexei N. Laushkin
Wind turbine farm, © WDG Photo / Shutterstock.com
Wind turbine farm, © WDG Photo / Shutterstock.com
Dec 17, 2012
Share

Nearly one-in-six people in the United States live in an area with unhealthful short-term levels of particle pollution. One in six. I was one of those one in six, growing up with moderate to severe asthma. I was hospitalized several times. My health was poor throughout my childhood and didn’t really show full significant improvement until after college.

It’s something I learned to deal with, not to focus on. Yet the truth is, I grew up in a part of the country with severe pollution. In our drive for cheap energy, society paid a social cost.

Luckily I grew up in a part of the world and during a time in history when medical advances kept pace with asthma, in my case just barely. My father also had asthma, as did his father before him. If I had grown up during my father’s time, I likely wouldn’t be here today. If I grew up in another part of the world I know I wouldn’t be here today.

But how many children and young adults in this country and around the world were not and are not so lucky? Our drive for growth often ignores the human cost of our actions. It isn’t until pollution becomes severe enough that we begin to change. Will we wake up before it’s too late for far too many vulnerable people across the world? It’s a sick twist of fate that when it comes to climate change, those who are least responsible and those who are least able to deal with the consequences of changing and shortened (or nonexistent) crop seasons will bear the greatest cost.

One-in-six Americans are at risk from unhealthy air. It just makes sense to renew our investments in renewable energy. Is that energy perfect? No. But the technology is improving, and countries like China and Germany are making massive investments. We shouldn’t be left behind, because it will require innovation and investment to get to energy sources that are cleaner. That’s why I support the wind tax credit. When it comes to energy there are no perfect solutions, but there are good investments.

In addition to extending the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit, we need to continue our investment in groups like ARPA-E. In my view we also need a price on carbon, because we don’t know the full cost of climate change. A portion of revenues from that price should be set aside to deal with worsening storms like Sandy and beyond normal weather events in the U.S.

We need an All-American policy to deal with our energy challenges, one that doesn’t sacrifice our friends and neighbors who are still at risk from local pollution. We can lead and we need to lead.

Alexei N. Laushkin is Senior Director  of Communications and Editor of Creation Care Magazine at Evangelical Environmental Network.

Photo: Wind turbine farm, © WDG Photo | View Portfolio / Shutterstock.com

Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!

Tell Us What You Think!

We value your feedback on the articles we post. Please fill out the form below, and a member of our online publication team will receive your message. By submitting this form, you consent to your comment being featured in our Letters section. 

Please do not include any non-text characters, such as emojis or other non-standard content, into your submission.  It may cause errors in submitting the form.  Thanks!

Don't Miss a Story!

Sojourners is committed to faith and justice even in polarized times. Will you join us on the journey?
Confirm Your Email Address.
By entering your email we'll send you our newsletter each Thursday. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Wind turbine farm, © WDG Photo / Shutterstock.com
Search Sojourners

Subscribe

Magazine Newsletters Preaching The Word
Follow on Facebook Follow on Bluesky Follow on Instagram Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Sojourners
Donate Products Editorial Policies Privacy Policy

Media

Advertising Press

Opportunities

Careers Fellowship Program

Contact

Office
408 C St. NE
Washington DC, 20002
Phone 202-328-8842
Fax 202-328-8757
Email sojourners@sojo.net
Unless otherwise noted, all material © Sojourners 2025