US falls behind other countries in sustainable energy policies

New York Times : A recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that while the clean technology sector has been booming in Europe, Asia, and Latin America—because of direct government investment, tax breaks, loans, and laws and regulations that cap or tax emissions—its competitive position was “at risk” in the US because of “uncertainties surrounding key policies and incentives,” writes Elisabeth Rosenthal for the New York Times. The US Congress’s disagreement over whether climate change is real has allowed companies overseas to profit by exporting their goods and expertise to the US. “This is a $5 trillion business and if we fail to be serious players in the new energy economy, the costs will be staggering to this country,” said Hal Harvey, a Stanford engineer who was an adviser to both the Clinton and the first Bush administration and is now chief executive of the San Francisco–based energy and environment nonprofit organization Climate Works .