Reforming Energy Policy
The Corporation Earth Inc: Ethical, Green Capitalism
While so much devastation, grief, and pain have been wrought in 2020, I still see glimmers of hope every day. Similar to Economic policy, Energy policy should be strategic and incalculably more forward-thinking. I know many in the US are already on this page. I’m hoping this reaches those doubters, naysayers, QAnon supporters, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Black, White, Yellow and Purple people who don’t believe the science. This is for those of you who do not believe that someone socially liberal would have the best interest of your children and their future at heart. We do, bleeding hearts are dogged in that regard. Even in the face of unrelenting hate, some of us will still choose to do the right thing.
I should preface all of this by saying I will never support the monetization of the environment in any way. It’s a public good and Earth Inc. has rights of her own. The earth is a living breathing entity beyond us. My concern lies with the hawks that see the purchasing, monetizing, and selling of carbon credits as a venture. Capitalism can solve many of our problems but needs to be tempered and grounded in ethics. This often leads to the same unregulated, unethical corrupt policies leading to asset bubbles which we’ve seen for far too long. You can’t commodify nature. Transparency, ethics, and common sense should govern public goods like land water, and natural resources. I cannot stress this enough, climate change is here, right now, and you will not survive with your current mode of thinking. I would take that to any bank as a solid investment.
First, let’s destroy a few myths about the way we currently do business. By that, I mean lies that are dangerous to the American people. ‘Clean Coal’ doesn’t exist, period. When you look at a process, the by-products, the extraction, renewability, and environmental costs, it’s a short-term, brutal industry that has a high cost. Earth Inc. does not approve of coal as a component in any Energy policy. There is not a scrubber that makes this process clean.
Secondly, had we as a nation pivoted in 2000 towards green energy policy our financial, and global situation would be different. The toll of war, civilian and enlisted death, and environmental degradation due to the global reliance on fossil fuels has handicapped the US as a nation. A divergence from the status quo means a stronger, safer more resilient America and planet. Breaking ties to fossil fuels nurtures self-reliance thus economically crippling several rival nations. The potential to build alliances based on shared green-tech is boundless. Sharing technology for a more productive, truly clean future as global partners shows integrity. To use a trite populist slogan, we really can ‘make America great again’! That means no more rollbacks to environmental regulations because your children’s lives truly, honestly depend on it.
Graphs like this lay bare the reality of natural fluctuations over time in CO2 emissions. No one is denying the ebbs and flows that happen over the earth’s history that have coincided with major extinctions. What many people are denying is the man-made spike in greenhouses gases. Earth Inc. is being gaslit. She’s trying to give you a home, food, water, shelter and you choose not to pay rent and screw her for her hospitality. She asks nothing in return, not reparations, not apologies, just that humans be stewards to a corporation that wants to co-exist.
‘The International Monetary Fund periodically assesses global subsidies for fossil fuels as part of its work on climate, and it found in a recent working paper that the fossil fuel industry got a whopping $5.2 trillion in subsidies in 2017. This amounts to 6.4 percent of the global gross domestic product.’ -VOX
That’s a lot of cash that I would spend on infrastructure, research, education, and healthcare. That does not include the recent COVID Fossil fuel bailouts which are extensive. The American people should not assume the debts of a dying industry. Stop acting like children. Earth Inc. isn’t daycare for adults.
So let’s consider what energy policy should look like. First, it should be highly regional. What works in Florida may not necessarily work in Washington state. While some nuts and bolts ideas are universal like nuclear energy, offshore wind, solar, and some natural gas, other energy components can be highly variable according to region. Green energy will create good jobs and cultivate the idea of the America that all of us are sold. It will create a quality of life that leaves no one behind. America just needs the political will to do it.
The field of renewable energy is extensive and it’s hard to predict where the best, most cost-effective idea will come from. The science is expansive, the ideas are exciting, and there are a broad number of ingenious ways to change the world. I’m going to cover the big picture ideas so everyday Americans can look at their hometowns and states and see a world where renewable energy is as commonplace as football. Scientists aren’t out to get you, vaccinations are not intended to harm, and Bill Gates just might be one of the many people that save you from yourselves. I’d let him put a chip in my arm and monitor my biodata any day, even though I’m an intensely private and highly skeptical person. These people ARE investing in your children and mine.
The biggest challenge to energy distribution is storage. Delivering power on demand works well for now with high costs to Earth Inc. Much of our current stored energy is pumped by hydroelectric. Renewable energy such as solar and wind would need to be stored for times when the weather isn’t cooperating and power usage is high. Limiting fluctuations to meet demand is key. Luckily several possibilities seem viable in the future making the possibility of near 100% renewable energy by 2030 plausible. Some very promising options are compressed air energy storage or CAES which is pretty self-explanatory, thermal energy storage (TES) which uses a host of different tech-based on temperature differentials. MIT has come out with the lovingly named ‘Sun-in-a-Box’. It stores wind and solar power using molten silicon. Redux flow batteries (a fancy battery) also show promise. The move towards renewable research, investment, and funding is increasing with awareness and the desire to build a cleaner future. We need our children to understand the tech, build on the gaps of missing knowledge, and surpass the boundaries we thought were possible. That requires a level playing field.
Once Earth Inc. can store energy in a stable, non-intrusive, low/no environmental impact way, what should an energy portfolio look like? Well, it should look like monetary policy, financial portfolios, and every other aspect of American policy: balanced, nimble, conservative in times of stress, a little riskier in times of boom. Nothing ventured nothing gained. More than anything it should be broad and flexible to handle future crises, political situations, and the climate feedback loops we are already seeing.
Nuclear power plants are a massive trigger for some people. They often get a really bad rap. Racism, sexism, corruption, environmental degradation, and climate change are much more repulsive to me than the statistically unlikely fallout of a well functioning nuclear power plant. There are 440 nuclear power plants in thirty countries generating about ten percent of the world’s power. Between the oil subsidies, corruption, lobbying, premature death, and destruction to the environment, nuclear energy is like a big hug to Earth Inc. As you can see from the graph below, Fossil fuels kill many more people than nuclear power. Misinformation, lobbyists, and conspiracy theories are scary, aren’t they?
Speaking of conspiracy theories, did the good people across America know, that Bill Gates has invested extensively in renewable energy? His company Terrapower just came out with an impressive combined nuclear reactor and molten salt storage unit. All scalable within the decade. Earth inc. likes nuclear power as part of an energy portfolio. (As an aside, I’m hoping to see fusion in my lifetime!)
All movement is energy. The waves of the ocean have both potential and kinetic energy. That includes wave, tidal, and geothermal energy that can be harnessed. Our oceans are huge resources that can be harnessed with minimal impact to the earth and all her inhabitants.
I think just about everyone has seen photos of wind turbines or driven by them while on vacation. About eight percent of all power is provided by the wind in the US. and many states under-utilize wind power as a potential green alternative. Interestingly enough, several of the states that voted for Trump are heavily invested in alternative green technologies. That seems contradictory given the rollback of environmental regulations, economic disparities, and the vocal presence of climate deniers in this administration. Our reputation at home and abroad is at stake. Hypocrisy is not a good look on anyone. We need to commit to the Paris Climate Accord. In many of the states that voted for this President, the food on their table is powered by technology created by leftist, tree-hugging, bleeding heart liberals, scientists, mothers, fathers, vaccinators who fight for your children courtesy of Earth Inc. We do it because we’d hate to prove you wrong for their sake and we are all in this together.
One of the most interesting processes we’ve utilized for years comes from biomass. We all know how much organic waste Americans produce. A third of all food produced is thrown away. Imagine if you could harness all of that potential energy as fuel to power cars and homes. Biomass in the form of livestock waste, food waste, and bio-solids can by processed anaerobically to create biogas and fertilizers. In the UK, it is estimated biogas could replace approximately fifteen percent of vehicle fuel.
Solar power, if we could effectively harness and store the energy of the sun, would be a game-changer. The sun’s rays can be converted into thermal or electrical energy. The struggle has been to do it efficiently and cost-effectively using minimal materials. Now that storage is becoming readily available, efficiency will increase moving forward. Scalability into everyday commercial and residential housing is simple as affordability and efficiency ramp up. The sun has always been a life force for Earth Inc. so why not maximize its viability.
In the interim, until manufacturing and green tech can be fully ramped up in America, the use of Natural Gas should fill energy gaps. It is the least destructive of fossil fuels. Natural Gas plays the most palatable role in the transition of energy policy. This is where we are today. A decade of upheaval and change.
We are lucky enough to have solar panels on our house. If I had the funds I would create a fully Eco-conscious sustainable elegant home brought to you by Earth Inc. It would take into account, functional design, efficiency, longevity, green materials, affordability and be made in several different price points according to regional tastes, family size, and so on. While I love open spaces, I hate wasted space, redundancy, and lack of greenery.
Green-tech is a burgeoning field and I’ve only touched on the surface. It should become a way of life that is as integrated into the American psyche as are the constitution and individual rights. We should bring this artful concept to all aspects of city planning and development. The cultivation of vibrant neighborhoods and all the things that create vitality are what give us meaning. The way we interact, live, eat, buy, sell, and build, needs to change. Reforming energy policy is necessary. It’s the only policy that assures the survival of America as a nation and a people.
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Go forth, Break bread: Easy Summer Chicken Verde. Simple, healthy food.
References:
READ THIS (Mind Blown!!!): Fossil fuel subsidies
Ways to store energy
