Promoting Renewable Energy Is Like Running the “Ethical Oil” Campaign – Only Without the Lies

Starting in September, I’ll be doing a great deal of work to promote ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) and the industry leader within it, aptly named Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation.  Although I’m not at liberty to discuss our strategy in any great detail, suffice it to say that I propose to create massive public understanding of the energy industry, the role of renewables, the consequences to our environment and to human health of the status quo in energy, and the prospect of a future in which OTEC replaces diesel as the energy source of choice for the one billion people living near tropical oceans.

In other words, it’s rather like the campaign “Ethical Oil” (an attempt to legitimize the development of the Canadian tar sands), only without the lies. 

I have to laugh when I come across stuff like this.  Is there anything ethical whatsoever about the decision to postpone the progress of renewable energy, while defiling the local environment in the extraction, transportation, refinement and combustion of tar sands, or bitumen (pictured above)?  Is there anything morally acceptable at all about the enterprise of exploiting this noxious combination of sulfur, nitrogen, salts, carcinogens, heavy metals and other toxins?  It’s pretty clear that there is no such thing as “ethical oil” as long as the concept of ethics means doing the right thing in terms of all parties concerned, including our children.

We’ve all told lies; we’ve all experienced that shameful feeling.   Here with OTEC, I get to work for the good guys, and I can hold my head up high.  I’ll keep readers posted on the progress I make; I’m looking forward to the challenge.