[Originally published in The Herald of Randolph.]
Most of the world has just met in Copenhagen, intent on arguing about climate change. On the one hand, it seems that a majority of the worldwide scientific community believes that climate change is caused by human behavior. On the other, the nay-sayers say that is simply untrue. Emotions are high. Demonstrators on both sides are über-passionate.
Either way, it means that opportunity knocks for America and that we can use this situation to our advantage. It presents an opportunity for us to solve our own pressing economic problems, while at the same time allowing us to look uncharacteristically benevolent in the eyes of the rest of the world.
America is in the midst of a major recession. We are extraordinarily deep in personal and national debt, have largely lost our manufacturing base and are mired in two ongoing overseas conflicts that exacerbate our debt problems. We have little reason to anticipate a rosy future.
In addition, the world is running out of its traditional sources of energy. Fossil fuels are finite and quite frankly, it’s irrelevant precisely when we run out. It will happen.
And while we are running out of energy, mankind continues at breakneck speed to produce the only commodity that is capable of exacerbating our problems – an endless supply of additional people to feed, clothe and energize.
Overall, a glorious opportunity for America.
What America seriously needs are jobs that produce products that will be sought after here and in the rest of the world. Someone in the world is going to do just that. In fact, since the 1990s, Japan, through a conscious, targeted, investment policy, has concentrated strongly on “green” industry and Japanese citizens now own 40% of world patents in that sector.
It is not sufficient that we simply go back to the old ways that didn’t work for us. While some foreign cars are getting over 50 miles per gallon, American producers, smarting from their pursuit of the perfect Hummer, now brag that their cars get 30.
Although it may seem creative, typical of those old ways is General Motors’ approach to its Volt electric car. GM scotched the Volt decades ago as economically unadvantageous to the company. Now, in the face of criticism of their decades-long disinclination to change with market demands and reality, they have reinvented the Volt. The problem is that it is going to go on the market at near $50,000.
Most american cars travel under 100 miles a day. Driving takes place within a chip shot of owners’ residences. What is needed for that kind of driving is an electric car that sells for one quarter of the Volt, without the typical Detroit bells and whistles designed to jack up the price, and with a battery-powered driving range of around 100 miles. That should be within our technological reach, but America does not appear to be pursuing that at this time.
Cars aside, the real opportunity for us lies in renewable energy. In America’s short history, we have distinguished ourselves as a people by our creativity and inventiveness. We have invented half the things that have made life better for mankind over the past two hundred years and there is absolutely no reason why we can’t do that again.
Whether fossil fuels warm the planet or not, they are getting daily more expensive and will run out. At this moment, electricity generated by renewable sources is the logical replacement for fossil fuels. We know that wind, rain, tides, water, geothermal, sunlight, biomass and probably many other things are viable sources for the production of electricity. If Americans were not so guilt-ridden over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear power would be a natural for us, as it is in much of Europe.
Worldwide production of wind power is growing at 30% per year. In 2007, Africa bought 30,000 small solar power systems. America has the world’s largest geothermal and photovoltaic power installations. Renewable power generation is growing at an amazing rate around the world and there is absolutely no reason why American industry should not be in the vanguard of that industry.
So, who cares who is right about global warming? The world and most importantly the US clearly will benefit from a galvanized American-led effort to exploit viable renewable energy sources. If we don’t do it, someone else will and there will be little economic benefit to the US.
There are countries and companies abroad that are active in this renewable arena. They plug along while we argue endlessly and pointlessly about climate change. It seems absolutely incredible that American capital is not pouring into this field, whether to save mankind from climate change or to create new jobs and line our pockets.
It does seem like a no-brainer.
Rural Ruminations 