CleanTech Is Essential

Here’s a blog post by a brilliant young man, Sheeraz Haji, along the lines of what I wrote about 60 Minutes’ galaxy-sized blunder in its coverage of cleantech. 

His first point is probably his strongest: Cleantech is essential. It’s not as if we have any other choices.  Our civilization is in the process of collapse due to the destruction that it’s wreaking on the environment and the rate at which it’s consuming our natural resources.  Turning this around without cleantech is a completely impossible task. 

The seven billion of us here today are not going to retreat back into our low-impact lifestyles of the 19th Century, and the only other route for humankind is to deal with its relationship with its environment is the use of technology to bring about energy efficiency, renewables, and products of all types that are less abusive to the world around us. 

Haji goes on to make several other points, amplifying and providing factual back-up for several of the issues I raised in my piece.  For example, in addition to being the only hope we have, cleantech, contrary to the way it was represented in 60 Minutes’ most irresponsible and misleading article, is actually a booming industry that represents a very important economic opportunity. 

Nice going, my young friend.