To borrow from comedian Jerry Seinfeld, 'What's the deal with green energy?'
We know we should, yet we don't. Given what we know and are witnessing, it is difficult for me to understand the amount of resistance in this arena. It is a full-blown climate emergency, and instead of dreaming of colonizing Mars, maybe we could devote some effort to not destroying Earth.
I am not a scientist, but utilizing energy resources that don't harm the environment through factors such as releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere seems a no-brainer. Think of job creation and the positive impact on our economy. Some will argue it kills jobs in the fossil fuel industry, and to those critics, I say divert your resources and expand into these fields. The Federal government should lead the way here with governmental assistance and research into all renewable energy sources.
Solar energy from the sun
Geothermal energy from the heat inside the earth
Wind energy
Biomass from plants
Hydropower from flowing water
China is way ahead of us here, and we should put the full force of the U.S. Government behind weaning ourselves from fossil fuels. Former President Jimmy Carter had the right idea and got ridiculed. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got mocked over the "Green New Deal." Many of our ruling members of Congress are part of an aging gerontocracy that doesn't understand or accept climate change as accurate, and many are protective of their corporate oil or coal donors. This willful blind allegiance is leading us off a proverbial climate cliff and losing an opportunity to create economic development and jobs in manufacturing, installation, and more.
The talented wordsmith Steve Schmidt recently wrote about The Crown Prince (MBS) of Saudi Arabia in his newsletter, The Warning. MBS is a known killer of journalists and killed eighty-one men in a mass execution earlier this year. He is only 36 years old and will be the ruler for a long time. As Steve tells us, the three main exports of the Saudis are oil, extremism, and violence. It is time for us to extricate ourselves from this entanglement. If we diversify our energy supply and reduce our dependence on imported fuels, we remove our need to appease a brutal dictator.
It is difficult for me to see adverse outcomes for less global warming, improved public health, and an inexhaustible supply of clean energy, even more so if you factor in jobs and economic benefits, such as stable prices and reliable sources.
I agree upfront costs may be high, but the Federal Government could help mitigate those costs. Analysis shows renewable power could cover up to four-fifths of global electricity supply by 2050, drastically reducing carbon emissions and helping to mitigate climate change. It opens an incredible opportunity, and the U.S. should be leading this charge, not China.
Climate change threatens the global food supply, and the poorest will suffer. Extreme weather lowers crop yields, and the wealthiest may not feel it as quickly, but eventually, higher costs and shortages will affect even those who are rich. Do you think famine might create mass migration or armed conflict? I believe it could, and it doesn't have to be this way.
There is pressure mounting on President Biden to declare a climate emergency. It would seem Congress has given him little choice. Science tells us we are near a point of no return, and someone must care about our children, grandchildren, and the planet's future. If not now, when?
We must act. We must go green.
GREEN MEANS GROW!
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