To the editor:

There is but one sure way to keep our nation and the American people secure.

What is needed today, and probably at an investment level comparable to that required to win World War II, is an energy policy that focuses heavily on repowering the world with renewable energy, and making friends in the world while we are at it.

Energy is the backbone of any national economy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that CO2 emissions must be reduced by 70 percent over the next 100 years or the world will face a catastrophe. Renewable energy is not only a credible alternative to fossil fuels, but also a necessity to meet the growing demand for energy, while not compromising our quality of life, human health, the environment and our own national security.

Renewables are good for the U.S. economy, attracting investment and creating employment. Many new renewable energy-based jobs will be found in the rural sector, and many will be high-wage and high-tech jobs.

The real threat to our national security is not terrorists, but our myopic stance on climate change and pretending it will eventually go away.

Changing our way of life is the only valid answer. We must recognize our need to lead toward a more just and sustainable world, at whatever cost.

Les Blevins,

Lawrence