grass-roots movement which sees and works on the issues of energy and sL'Curity together. Alternative energy activists, anti-draft groups, dIsarmament activists, and labor and community leaders must see an alternative energy and security policy as a joint approach to the common problem of jobs, inflation, energy and security. The perils of a singular concentration on one or the other are easily seen. A simple focus on stopping the draft does nothing to change the foreign policy which leads to military intervention or the massive misuse of energy which provides its justification. And a single-minded focus on solar energy development will lead us into traps like the MX-RES program (see accompanying box) where, in order to promote a de-stabilizing development in the arms race: the Pentagon tries to cover it with a solar-electric development program. Instead we must organize in .t unified way for conversion : from an interventionist foreign policy to one of respect and equality; from a military/nuclear economy to provision of secure jobs through rebuilding our urban centers, providing health care and public transportation; and from an oil and nuclear energy policy to an emphaSIS on conservation and renewable energy supply. Of course this requires a nationaLcommitment to such changes, along lines suggested by Barry Commoner. Such a federal commitment would mean a transfer of funds in the Department of Energy budget and a shift of funds from military production to productIon for human needs. But the real work to make that commitment happen must occur locally. This is not only because pohtical pressure must be built from the grass-roots, to affect Congress and national poLicy, but because significant changes in energy and conversIOn planning can happen at the local level. In working for changes as large as the ones we propose it is important to have a sense of movement and development, a sense that change is in fact pOSSIble. By working to develop conversion planning and alternative energy development at the local level people can see changes happen. DatIl? McFa dden Is co-director (If the Mid-Pellirlsula Conversion Project. -4~-4····t II~~~~~ The Departments of Energy and Defense have embarked on a joint project for powering 4,600 separate MX missile shelters with solar electncity. Acc-ording to Solar Energy IttlelligclI(e Report ($97/ yr. from Business Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 1067, Silver Spring, MD 20910), De<:cmber.r; 1979, the plan, called MX-RES (for missile X renewable energy system}, would utilize a combination of parabolic troughs, photovoltalc cells, concentrating collectors, various design windmills, biomass boilers, and geothermal power plants. These are intended to provide 180 megawatts of electricity continuously for somewhat over $1 billion, and in the process, to help commercialize several solar-elect ric tt:chnologles. The agencies also announced they are requesting " supplem ental" appropriations for the project of $141milhon for fiscal year 1980 and an additional $131 mIllion for 198·\. System procurement. if approved, would begin in 1982. Project management has been initiated and 46 companies have already been consulted. While public hearings (not yet scheduled) for reSIdents of the missile base areas will be held. people should be aware that the propaganda machine has been activated. "Stressing the national pnority 10 reduce the use of fossil fuels, DOE and DOD officials added that the proposal came at an 'ideal time' for a national demonstratton program." - MR Apdl1980 RAIN Page 17 The Mid-Peninsula Conversion Project: conversion planning and solar development In California's Santa Clara Valley, south of San Francisco, " gToup of activists and community supporters are pursuing an alternative energy and security strategy by linking the issues of energy and conversion. Located in one of the most heavily defense-dependent counties in the United States, the Mid-Peninsula Conversion Project (MPCP) has built a coalition of environmentalists. peace activists, religious and community leaders, labot and small business 10 : (1) reduce the area's dependence on the military and (2) develop its solar and alternative energy industry. The projecl works actively with organized labor and community groups on employment planning and has stimulated the development of a county task force to plan for protection of local jobs in the event of government cutbacks or technological changes. MPCP takes the economic obstacles to cutbacks in military budgets into serious consideration, so as to protect workers and communities dunng transition periods. MPCP is also working on the problem of nuclear power conversion. including the protection of nuclear workers and the shift of partially built plants to non-nuclear fuel, such as natural gasl methane from biomass. Such a transition strategy is necessary to build labor support for a non-nuclear energy transition. Finally, MPCP is workmg actively on solar and renewable energy development in the Santa Clara Valley. We have taken a leading role in the formation of the Santa Clara County.solar Coalitton, a group of 46 solar businesses, environmental, civic and community groups. labor unions and local government officials committed to accelerating solar and renewable energy development in the county. The coalition has focused on public education and acts as a clearinghouse for information, exchanging ideas between labor, low 10come, and solar business people, and helpmg in the development of city and county ordinances to speed solar development. Four ordinances now in various stages of review at the county level are: (1) energy audit/conservation retrofit (passed), (2) solar access; (3) solar swim pool; and (4) solar water heating for new housing construction and retrofit on resale for eXIsting construction. We believe that measures like these, in cities and counties throughout the country, will stimulate commitment to conservation and renewabl energy and make conversion to a peacefui l'Conomy more realizable. We arc also convinced they will increase our security and make the American people less inclined to military intervention abroad. The key to MPCP's work-and, we believe, to the alliance of safe-energy with anti-war and anti-draft groups nationwide-is a serious commitment to work bot.h. fo~ alternatIve energy (lnd . against the draft and renewed mlhtansm. We need to do bOlh SImultaneously. -Dave McFadden Mid-Peninsula Conversion Project publishes Plowshare Press, rI hi-monthly, 8-page "forum for discussioll about the military illdustry of the Santa Clara Valley lin d planning fo r alternative product ion to meet people's needs." Subsrripticms urI.' $6Iyr., $4Iy r. for low-income. They have also published Creating Solar Jobs: Options for Military Workers and Communittes(7978, 69 PII ., $4.00 ppd.-see RAIN, April '79) all d tile Santa Clara County Solar Fact Book (1980, 60 pp., $2.40 ppd.). Write MPCP, 867 W. Dllna , No. 203, Moun tain View, CA 94041, 415/968-8798. On the East Coast, SANE: A Citizen's Organization for a Sane World , publishes th e SANE Conversion Planner, a hi-monthly national ll£'ws/etter on conversion und conversion plnlltling. $5/yr. from SANE, 514 "C" st. N.E., Wns/ting toll , DC 20002,202/5464868. sAN[ and MPCP (an refer YOII to grollps workill8 in YOll r local nre(:l. Canadinn readers enn gct the hi-monthly Ploughshares Monitor from Pro ject Ploughsha res , The InstI tu te for Pen (I.' all d Cottfliet Studies, Conrad Grehel Col/ege, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G6. -MR
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