In this interview, Green Illusions author Ozzie Zehner says that alternative energy technologies such as solar cells and wind turbines have become fetishes and spectacles that do nothing to offset coal use. Instead, he says, these technologies serve mostly as symbols that distract Americans and prevent them from considering cleaner and more affordable solutions to climate change and other environmental problems. He argues that subsidizing alternative energy technologies actually has a boomerang effect: By making energy cheaper for consumers, it increases the demand for energy. Zehner criticizes electric cars as inventions that are no better for the environment than gasoline-powered vehicles and that simply perpetuate a vehicle-centered culture. He describes how media coverage of energy-producing technologies such as solar cells and biofuels soars along with gas prices, while coverage of energy-saving technologies such as insulation stagnates. In Zehner’s view, Americans don’t have an energy crisis; they have a consumption crisis. He recommends that, instead of concentrating so much effort on developing alternative technologies, each of which comes with an unavoidable downside, environmentalists should focus on social and political programs—he cites youth cycling programs as one example—that are good for public health as well as the planet. Zehner suggests that such programs need to provide immediate personal benefits and long-term climate stabilization.
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Our existential crisis of today is neither directly one of lack of energy supplies, nor of excess consumption. It is of excess consumption of CO2 producing energy supplies. If solar panels allow someone to consume more energy, yet release no CO2, we are closer to a solution.
Climate change is a crisis which requires all of the above. No one approach can achieve the dramatic reductions in CO2 required in the next twenty years. All must be done at once. Replacement of CO2 releasing power with carbon neutral power. The replacement of transportation fuels with electric vehicles and carbon neutral fuels. Where possible a move from cars to buses, bikes and trains.
Stopping or reversing population growth will help, but given the time frame is far less impactful than electrification.
I'm deeply disturbed to see that the author of this article has teamed up with Michael Moore to attack solutions which MUST be implemented ASAP to prevent the loss of the earth's ability to support life as we know it. Carbon release must be ended, it can only be ended by technology, not only by consuming less.
Unless the Moore and the author proposed an immediate and force able return to the middle ages, an attack on carbon neutral energy is incompatible with the earth as we know it.
The movie reviews indicate a propagandist attack on alternative energy and electric cars. Using propagandized false equivalency between the localized impacts of mining, and the truly catastrophic global impact of unmitigated CO2 release. Release which will leave today's children in a world well on it's way to Eocene levels!