Tough Questions on Clean Energy as 2GreenEnergy Goes on Talk Radio

I got a wake-up call this morning – literally, at 5 AM, the time for which I had set my alarm so as to be the guest on Greg Marshall’s radio show on WMKT in Northern Michigan. The experience re-enforced my respect for the abilities of great extemporaneous speakers, e.g., the politicians who go to town hall meetings with hoards of loud and angry constituents, and deal so cooly with any of hundreds of different unforeseeable questions and demands – all the while remaining calm and on-message.

After a discussion of retraining miners whose jobs will disappear as clean energy replaces coal, a lady called in, virtually in tears, pleading, “Our economy up here can’t take more job loss. Folks here don’t have two nickels to rub together. Please don’t take away the few jobs we have left!”

To be honest, I was a bit flummoxed. “I’m sorry to appear ignorant, ma’am,” I said, “But I would have thought northern Michigan had next to nothing to do with energy production, and that the closest coal mine to you was a thousand miles away.”

As it turns out, I was right, but her perception, sadly, is that clean energy equals job loss. When I figured this out I re-assured her, “Oh now I understand. Ma’am, clean energy will provide three jobs for every one it displaces. Will this require some people to acquire new skills – and some to relocate?  Yes, indeed.  But I would try to look at that as a good thing, considering the gains to be had for all.”

Whew. I love doing the shows, but I’m always glad when I hear, “Well that’s about all the time we have here, folks….”