Learning How to be Clean and Green from Germany

"It makes sense for the United States to search abroad for expertise, because Europe has taken the lead in ushering in the new-energy revolution. Germany enacted feed-in tariffs in 1991. It now leads the world in the production of solar power, despite ample cloud cover.

Germany is also second in the world in wind power, having been passed by the United States only recently.

Also, of course, Europe has pursued many innovations in energy efficiency, such as the 'passive house,' which is so well-insulated that it needs no furnace for winter heating.

Of course, there is plenty that will not translate well across the Atlantic. Woe betide the American politician who proposes explicitly higher taxes or fees — a staple of the European push toward alternative energy sources."