Transitioning to Renewable Energy
Implied in the meme here is the notion that the fossil fuel industry is good for the economy, but let’s examine that. It certainly has been true historically, in fact, most of the developments over the past couple hundred years that have made our lives longer, healthier, as well as more pleasant and convenient came as a direct or indirect result of the cheap energy that coal, oil and natural gas provided.
Of course, that was before a few things happened:
• We began to notice the environmental damage issues, of which climate change is only one, associated with the combustion of fossil fuels.
• We didn’t require the industry to internalize these costs, allowing it to use the atmosphere and our waterways as its own private cesspool, and forcing future generations to pick up the tab for processing the sewage.
• The cost of solar and wind plummeted to the point that these sources of renewable energy are competitive, or in some cases less expensive than, their dirty counterparts.
• The entire world outside of the U.S. united to mitigate climate change while it’s still possible, resulting in this country’s becoming an international pariah.
• Cleantech became the defining industry of the 21st Century.
Any rogue nation that, via whatever blend of corruption and stupidity elects to ignore cleantech, does so at enormous expense to its economy and job growth, not to mention its moral standing in the world.
Craig,
“the entire world outside of the U.S. united to mitigate climate change while it’s still possible, resulting in this country’s becoming an international pariah”.
What a sensationally absurd observation! No significant industrialized nation (or most developing nations) has succeeded in achieving any major gains in mission reduction.
These are the findings of the recent G20 conference and nearly all international reports.
curiously, the US was one of the few nations who achieved significant emission reduction.
Unfortunately, Wind and Solar have proved valuable, if very expensive supplements to power grids in certain locations, but inadequate for the sort of “power on demand” required by industrialized economies.
Why keep chanting the same old mantra ? Why keep pre3aching from a discredited doctrine in the hope that by ignoring reality, faith will make inadequate technology magically become adequate?
Why ignore the revolution occurring in Clean(er) fossil fuel technology, simply because it doesn’t suit your particular brand of political ideology ?
Your refusal to even contemplate, or even openmindedly discuss, the advances in other new clean technologies, displays a disturbing trend to fanaticism and most unscientific obstinacy. obstinacy.
The events taking place in Paris and across France, are appalling and certainly not to be applauded, but they are the consequence of an arrogant government listening to a elite, ideological minority, and mistaking the voices for those of the majority.
At some stage Craig, you’re going to be forced to decide, which do you really love more, the health of the environment or your hatred of fossil fuel ?