Renewable Energy Rock Star Bill Paul and Tom Friedman

I received an email from renewable energy rock star Bill Paul just now:

 just fyi — following is from tom friedman’s column this morning.

 Obama-ism posits that we are now in a hypercompetitive global economy, where the country that thrives will be the one that brings together the most educated, creative and diverse work force with the best infrastructure — bandwidth, ports, airports, high-speed rail and good governance. And we’re in a world with a warming climate that is growing from 6.8 billion people to 9.2 billion by 2050, so demand for clean energy is going to go through the roof. Therefore, E.T. — energy technology — is going to be the next great global industry.

…to which I respond:

It’s funny, I read the bottom before reading to the top, and I thought, “Gosh that sounds like Tom Friedman.”  As you know, I read his books, I try to catch him on Charlie Rose, and I greatly admire him overall.  But this predictability is what slightly irritates me about him: when you look at exactly what he’s saying, it’s pretty non-controversial.  “We are now in a hypercompetitive global economy, where the country that thrives will be the one that brings together the most educated, creative and diverse work force with the best infrastructure?”  Wow, I don’t know Tom; you’re really going out a limb there, my friend.