Portugal is showing us the way with their many alternative energy projects and a willingness to move quickly and decisively. Even with a GDP lower than many of the states in the US, they are planning and building Dams, Solar, Wave and Wind power plants to bring their people and the people of the EU green energy. The EU plans to provide 20 percent of its power through the use of clean sources by 2020, and Portugal is not wasting any time.

Near Amareleja, a six hundred acre field of solar panels is set to provide power to 30,000 homes. This will cost about $400 million dollars to complete. There are eleven dams in the planning stages on Portugal’s many large rivers. An extensive wind farm is in the works that could power 750,000 homes. A wave power generating plant will be built on the coast. This is a very impressive list of projects that will produce 10,000 new jobs for the Portuguese economy.

The $12 billion effort seems large until compared to the amount spent on military efforts by large western nations. We have an opportunity at this time in our history to beat our swords into plow shares and get to the higher work of serving humanity and protecting our home. The Portuguese are leading us.

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