Megacities and their unquenchable thirst for energy, breathtaking skylines, spectacular natural phenomena and a tireless drive for innovation: these are landmarks that make California proud.
Here in Roseville, a suburb one hours drive from the state capital Sacramento, is being built the largest private estate in the USA to be powered by solar cells.
As everywhere else in America, the primary building material is wood. In the mild Californian climate, the insulation of houses is a rather neglected issue. However, in this part of the estate alone, 88 houses will draw their energy source mainly from their own roofs.
GARY NEAT, SOLARTECHNIKER
This is a glass lamenent with silicon wafers inside the glass. Every panel is designed to replace five concrete tiles. Interest in ecology the environmentally friendly technologies in Claifornia right now. The Governor, Arnold Schwazenegger is obviously pushing that very hard and, you know, thats great for the solar industry.
TEXT RL
Solar cells are no longer excentric exceptions in the construction industry. Rising energy prices and a growing awareness of environmental issues have triggered a real boom in that direction.
DENNIS LEWIS, BAUMANAGER
You have something that is going to last you twenty to twenty-five years, as Gary has said, and that gives back to the homeowner.
GARY NEATE, SOLARTECHNIKER
There are no batteries involved to store power. Essentially what happens is, any power that is produced that the home doesnt use goes back out on to the grid and could be used by anybody, but its actually stored up as a credit against the individual homeowners electric account. It makes their meter spin backwards. In California right now, there is a pretty good rebate still and this year weve seen locked-in funding for solar-electric systems for the next ten years.
TEXT RL
Through his environmental policy, Arnold Schwarzenegger spiced up the debate which is raging in the US around climate change. The new legislation limiting the emission of greenhouse gases is diametrically opposed to Washingtons position.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
California leads the way in one of the most important issues that is facing our time. It is the fight against global warming.
TEXT RL
But in Washington, the president of the environmental office in the Senate is waging an altogether different battle.
JIM INHOFE , REP.SENATOR
Im going to speak today about the most media-hyped environmental issue of all time. Its the word that gets everyone upset when you say it, and the word that many of you, or phrase that many politicians are afraid to say, and that is global warming.
TEXT RL
The Republican senator believes that the warnings against global warming rest on wrong information. The vast amount of research on shrinking polar caps and rising sea levels still fails to convince this influential senator.
JAMES INHOFE, REP.SENATOR
During the past year, the American people have been served up an unprecedented parade of environmental alarmism by the media.
TEXT RL
At the Congress, the president of the environmental office dismissed the famous diagrams made by climate experts as completely false. According to his information, temperatures in the Antarctic are even sinking. In the opinion of Republican sceptics, predictions regarding climate evolution are so vague and unreliable that they cannot form the basis of political measures.
According to the senator, the warnings issued by numerous scientists about the polar bears shrinking natural habitat are unfounded.
Yet even within the Republican party, such views are increasingly contested.
PAT ROBERTS, REP.SENATOR
We have seen too much documentation to know that the world is getting warmer. We know that the ice shells are melting and for him to say otherwise, just is like putting a bag over his head and not seeing.
TEXT RL
Al Gore is the hardliners arch-enemy.
JAMES INHOFE, REP.SENATOR
In May our Nation was exposed to perhaps one of the slickest science propoganda films of all time. Former Vice President Gores An Inconvenient Truth.
TEXT RL
Al Gore and his documentary An Inconvenient Truth sparked the hottest debate about climate change ever seen in the USA.
AL GORE, EHEM.VIZEPRÃSIDENT
Becasuse if we listen carefully and clearly to what the scientific community of the entire world is saying. Not just saying, theyre shouting it now. Theyre saying Hey, wake up! We are facing a planetary emergency here and were not used to hearing phrases like that or in encountering alarming messages like that, but we have to, we have to tear the mask away. Labelling this a political issue is just another way of saying its insignificant. This is the most crucial challenge that any of us have ever faced and its happening in our lifetime.
JAMES INHOFE, REP.SENATOR
American people know when their intelligence is being insulted, they know when they are being used and when they are being duped by the hysterical left.
TEXT RL
The fact that the Governor of California is now counted among those is the proof of internal tensions within the Republicans.
PAT ROBERTS, REP. SENATOR
AB JETZT VIDEOMATERIAL WIEDER: ORF WASHINGTON
In the last few years this administration isnt trying to be on both sides of the issue. They are clearly in the camp that says global warming is for real, they are clearly trying to deal with it.
TEXT RL
California fears itself under threat from extreme weather conditions. A lasting rise in temperatures could affect the precious water reserves of the Sierra Nevada.
The impetus to implement a more active environmental policy was also prompted in part by the financial world.
Winston Hickox works for the greatest pension fund in California. He is responsible for the growing portfolio of investments in environment-friendly technology.
INSERT WINSTON H.HICKOX, CALPERS PENSIONSFONDS
Our fundamental view is that the world that lies ahead is highly likely to be different compared as the world we see in the rear-view mirror. And we are positioning ourselves in recognition of that. Weve invested in global public equities five hundred million, looking to invest in the stocks of companies that are more environmentally responsible. We are using our governants tools to chide the auto companies to produce the car of the future.
TEXT RL
Up to now, such ideas were mostly heard from alternative groupings. Environmental organisations are enjoying the growing interest taken by cities and municipalities in a switch to renewable energy sources.
KENNETH SMOKOSKA, SIERRA CLUB
Our government is wrong but our people are right. The polling in California is huge. I would say in San Francisco when they did their solar ordinance they got 75, 80% of the vote to say yes we want to address climate change. The Mayors conference with all the city signing up for equity, the Sierra Clubs cool cities campaign, were findig cities across the country shifting.
TEXT RL
The largest concentration of wind-powered turbines in the USA can be found one hours drive from San Francisco. On an average day, the 6000 turbines of the Altamont Mountains produce enough electricity to provide for an average-sized town.
The manager had never experienced such an interest in wind energy before.
CHRIS DREIMAN, MANAGER âPATTERSON PASS WIND FARM"
We see more new turbines being developed and being installed throughout the country, not just here in the Altamont Mountains. Theres been a lot of growth throughout the Mid-West and were seeing it happening all over the country you know, its a growing industry now.
TEXT RL
In the coming years, these turbines will be replaced by higher and more modern equipment. This is how nature protection officials in California hope to reduce the number of birds killed by wind turbines.
The trend for modernization has started and it is drawing attention from investors as well.
Here in Roseville, a suburb one hours drive from the state capital Sacramento, is being built the largest private estate in the USA to be powered by solar cells.
As everywhere else in America, the primary building material is wood. In the mild Californian climate, the insulation of houses is a rather neglected issue. However, in this part of the estate alone, 88 houses will draw their energy source mainly from their own roofs.
GARY NEAT, SOLARTECHNIKER
This is a glass lamenent with silicon wafers inside the glass. Every panel is designed to replace five concrete tiles. Interest in ecology the environmentally friendly technologies in Claifornia right now. The Governor, Arnold Schwazenegger is obviously pushing that very hard and, you know, thats great for the solar industry.
TEXT RL
Solar cells are no longer excentric exceptions in the construction industry. Rising energy prices and a growing awareness of environmental issues have triggered a real boom in that direction.
DENNIS LEWIS, BAUMANAGER
You have something that is going to last you twenty to twenty-five years, as Gary has said, and that gives back to the homeowner.
GARY NEATE, SOLARTECHNIKER
There are no batteries involved to store power. Essentially what happens is, any power that is produced that the home doesnt use goes back out on to the grid and could be used by anybody, but its actually stored up as a credit against the individual homeowners electric account. It makes their meter spin backwards. In California right now, there is a pretty good rebate still and this year weve seen locked-in funding for solar-electric systems for the next ten years.
TEXT RL
Through his environmental policy, Arnold Schwarzenegger spiced up the debate which is raging in the US around climate change. The new legislation limiting the emission of greenhouse gases is diametrically opposed to Washingtons position.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
California leads the way in one of the most important issues that is facing our time. It is the fight against global warming.
TEXT RL
But in Washington, the president of the environmental office in the Senate is waging an altogether different battle.
JIM INHOFE , REP.SENATOR
Im going to speak today about the most media-hyped environmental issue of all time. Its the word that gets everyone upset when you say it, and the word that many of you, or phrase that many politicians are afraid to say, and that is global warming.
TEXT RL
The Republican senator believes that the warnings against global warming rest on wrong information. The vast amount of research on shrinking polar caps and rising sea levels still fails to convince this influential senator.
JAMES INHOFE, REP.SENATOR
During the past year, the American people have been served up an unprecedented parade of environmental alarmism by the media.
TEXT RL
At the Congress, the president of the environmental office dismissed the famous diagrams made by climate experts as completely false. According to his information, temperatures in the Antarctic are even sinking. In the opinion of Republican sceptics, predictions regarding climate evolution are so vague and unreliable that they cannot form the basis of political measures.
According to the senator, the warnings issued by numerous scientists about the polar bears shrinking natural habitat are unfounded.
Yet even within the Republican party, such views are increasingly contested.
PAT ROBERTS, REP.SENATOR
We have seen too much documentation to know that the world is getting warmer. We know that the ice shells are melting and for him to say otherwise, just is like putting a bag over his head and not seeing.
TEXT RL
Al Gore is the hardliners arch-enemy.
JAMES INHOFE, REP.SENATOR
In May our Nation was exposed to perhaps one of the slickest science propoganda films of all time. Former Vice President Gores An Inconvenient Truth.
TEXT RL
Al Gore and his documentary An Inconvenient Truth sparked the hottest debate about climate change ever seen in the USA.
AL GORE, EHEM.VIZEPRÃSIDENT
Becasuse if we listen carefully and clearly to what the scientific community of the entire world is saying. Not just saying, theyre shouting it now. Theyre saying Hey, wake up! We are facing a planetary emergency here and were not used to hearing phrases like that or in encountering alarming messages like that, but we have to, we have to tear the mask away. Labelling this a political issue is just another way of saying its insignificant. This is the most crucial challenge that any of us have ever faced and its happening in our lifetime.
JAMES INHOFE, REP.SENATOR
American people know when their intelligence is being insulted, they know when they are being used and when they are being duped by the hysterical left.
TEXT RL
The fact that the Governor of California is now counted among those is the proof of internal tensions within the Republicans.
PAT ROBERTS, REP. SENATOR
AB JETZT VIDEOMATERIAL WIEDER: ORF WASHINGTON
In the last few years this administration isnt trying to be on both sides of the issue. They are clearly in the camp that says global warming is for real, they are clearly trying to deal with it.
TEXT RL
California fears itself under threat from extreme weather conditions. A lasting rise in temperatures could affect the precious water reserves of the Sierra Nevada.
The impetus to implement a more active environmental policy was also prompted in part by the financial world.
Winston Hickox works for the greatest pension fund in California. He is responsible for the growing portfolio of investments in environment-friendly technology.
INSERT WINSTON H.HICKOX, CALPERS PENSIONSFONDS
Our fundamental view is that the world that lies ahead is highly likely to be different compared as the world we see in the rear-view mirror. And we are positioning ourselves in recognition of that. Weve invested in global public equities five hundred million, looking to invest in the stocks of companies that are more environmentally responsible. We are using our governants tools to chide the auto companies to produce the car of the future.
TEXT RL
Up to now, such ideas were mostly heard from alternative groupings. Environmental organisations are enjoying the growing interest taken by cities and municipalities in a switch to renewable energy sources.
KENNETH SMOKOSKA, SIERRA CLUB
Our government is wrong but our people are right. The polling in California is huge. I would say in San Francisco when they did their solar ordinance they got 75, 80% of the vote to say yes we want to address climate change. The Mayors conference with all the city signing up for equity, the Sierra Clubs cool cities campaign, were findig cities across the country shifting.
TEXT RL
The largest concentration of wind-powered turbines in the USA can be found one hours drive from San Francisco. On an average day, the 6000 turbines of the Altamont Mountains produce enough electricity to provide for an average-sized town.
The manager had never experienced such an interest in wind energy before.
CHRIS DREIMAN, MANAGER âPATTERSON PASS WIND FARM"
We see more new turbines being developed and being installed throughout the country, not just here in the Altamont Mountains. Theres been a lot of growth throughout the Mid-West and were seeing it happening all over the country you know, its a growing industry now.
TEXT RL
In the coming years, these turbines will be replaced by higher and more modern equipment. This is how nature protection officials in California hope to reduce the number of birds killed by wind turbines.
The trend for modernization has started and it is drawing attention from investors as well.