If talking can lead to a viral pandemic (eg, Covid-19), then a few taking action can lead to a positive ecological/social pandemic. Governments have failed. Time for us to step in & do it.
Katherine, we all would like to be hopeful, but in arguing for it you seem to be unaware of important obstructions to achieving a clean energy system.
The most obvious is that electricity is only ~20% of total energy used, with the other ~80% from FFs that industrial society runs on. This is an historic and current imbedded structural condition of the energy system that renewable tech can't resolve because we simply can't electrify more than a small part of the work done with FFs. Folks like Mark Z Jacobson who claim otherwise never actually map or model a path for getting there. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The most generous estimate I've found is that renewables could have 67% of the power sector by 2050.
Another major obstacle is the openly firm commitment by all FF producing countries to produce as much of the stuff as necessary to meet ever growing demand. None are suggesting that we actually use less energy., the only way to reduce emissions. That would be political (and economic/ energy market) suicide. So I have to disagree when you suggest that previous people powered social movements, eg Civil Rights, are analogous to people power in the climate fight. Those movements litigated moral & legal issues that could be influenced by the public.
This is different. The decisions about energy production and use are entirely in the hands of political and corporate elites invested in growth & profit at any cost. Nor are consumers behind the idea of shrinking the economy to save humanity and Nature. This is the reality against which scientists' warnings and the best efforts of the climate movement have had no measurable effect.
There are other significant obstacles. Finite resources and escalating resource wars. The environmental damage & carbon footprint of turbines, solar panels, EVs & batteries. I hope to see you address all these contingent issues at some point. You are afterall a scientist guided by skeptical, critical thinking with a mandate to explore all things relevant before making conclusions.
I really like your quote! As long as our actions can make any difference at all there is hope and reason to act. Another favourite quote is "We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings." (Ursula Le Guin) The point for me is not necessarily about getting rid of capitalism (though I would like that), but the more general notion that we shouldn't underestimate the capacity for change.
Thank you Katherine, I'm full of hate for Musk, Trump etc but I must try to listen to sensible voices drowned out by these bad agents:@rethinkingchoices
My local (Northampton, MA) newspaper published this guest column in early January - before the inauguration and prior to all the tech giants kissing the ring. I would change some things in that last paragraph, knowing what I know now. I’m almost done with a followup column that describes my vision of a successful climate messaging campaign.
If talking can lead to a viral pandemic (eg, Covid-19), then a few taking action can lead to a positive ecological/social pandemic. Governments have failed. Time for us to step in & do it.
Thank you for these wise and caring words.
You give me hope. And that hope is in action!
Wow! Li-ion battery costs down to $115 per kWh is remarkable!
Katherine, we all would like to be hopeful, but in arguing for it you seem to be unaware of important obstructions to achieving a clean energy system.
The most obvious is that electricity is only ~20% of total energy used, with the other ~80% from FFs that industrial society runs on. This is an historic and current imbedded structural condition of the energy system that renewable tech can't resolve because we simply can't electrify more than a small part of the work done with FFs. Folks like Mark Z Jacobson who claim otherwise never actually map or model a path for getting there. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The most generous estimate I've found is that renewables could have 67% of the power sector by 2050.
Another major obstacle is the openly firm commitment by all FF producing countries to produce as much of the stuff as necessary to meet ever growing demand. None are suggesting that we actually use less energy., the only way to reduce emissions. That would be political (and economic/ energy market) suicide. So I have to disagree when you suggest that previous people powered social movements, eg Civil Rights, are analogous to people power in the climate fight. Those movements litigated moral & legal issues that could be influenced by the public.
This is different. The decisions about energy production and use are entirely in the hands of political and corporate elites invested in growth & profit at any cost. Nor are consumers behind the idea of shrinking the economy to save humanity and Nature. This is the reality against which scientists' warnings and the best efforts of the climate movement have had no measurable effect.
There are other significant obstacles. Finite resources and escalating resource wars. The environmental damage & carbon footprint of turbines, solar panels, EVs & batteries. I hope to see you address all these contingent issues at some point. You are afterall a scientist guided by skeptical, critical thinking with a mandate to explore all things relevant before making conclusions.
I really like your quote! As long as our actions can make any difference at all there is hope and reason to act. Another favourite quote is "We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings." (Ursula Le Guin) The point for me is not necessarily about getting rid of capitalism (though I would like that), but the more general notion that we shouldn't underestimate the capacity for change.
Thank you Katherine, I'm full of hate for Musk, Trump etc but I must try to listen to sensible voices drowned out by these bad agents:@rethinkingchoices
My local (Northampton, MA) newspaper published this guest column in early January - before the inauguration and prior to all the tech giants kissing the ring. I would change some things in that last paragraph, knowing what I know now. I’m almost done with a followup column that describes my vision of a successful climate messaging campaign.
https://northamptondaily-ma-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=084854f9c_134f81c
Thank you Katherine 💚