Renewable Energy Will Eventually Win the Day – But How, When, and Why?
Humankind is watching the “train-wreck in slow motion” that is the decline of the Earth’s natural environment at the hands of our civilization’s reckless energy policy. And we all know that we will one day acquire the ability to harvest the measly fraction of the energy we receive from the sun (1/6000th) necessary to turn off all other sources of power. Even Shell Oil concedes that by 2060, solar will have surpassed coal, oil, and natural gas.
But it’s not easy to know what exactly will push renewable energy across the line – or when that goal will be actually achieved. Some people, quoting articles like this one, think it’s purely a matter of economics, i.e., as long as renewables costs a fraction of a cent more per kilowatt-hour than energy generated from the dirtiest sources, clean energy will be ridiculed as the folly of anti-capitalists zealots.
Yes, there are people who simply don’t care about the difference between a kilowatt-hour of energy from a clean source and a kilowatt-hour of energy from a source that is shortening your life, by poisoning our waters, lands, and skies.
But here comes economics to the rescue! Yes, the costs of renewables are falling fast, at the same time that the efficiencies are rising. It’s possible that our civilization is in for a soft landing in which a new sustainable approach to energy emerges just in time to save us from disaster, just like the cavalry in our old films arrives to save that movie’s hero from the Indian savages.
But even with these falling prices, it will likely be several decades until wind, solar, and the others – coupled with adequate amounts of energy storage – establish a clear financial advantage over fossil fuels. And, of course, one could ask, “Can our natural environment withstand another few decades of body-shots before the damage we’re inflicting to it begins to have repercussions beyond our wildest nightmares?” Our most esteemed scientists tell us that the answer is no. But some of our most powerful and deeply entrenched business interests (the oil companies) don’t seem to care so much – so on we go.
As you have mentioned so many times, clean renewable energy is already on the beach and getting hold of more and more terrain, resistance is strong (business cartels will not let go, it’s THEIR BUSiNESS! not ANYONE”S else’s). Why don’t they realize it’s the best to make the changes now? I suppose they don’t suffer from lung cancer, respiratory ailments of any kind, don’t have to live with dirty water, poisoned land, dirty air or anything near, but just wait until they have a child poisoned by coal, gas, radioactive material, or any such things, and we will see a turnaround nobody has ever dreamed, they will invest in hospitals, medical research, clean energy, clean water, and whatever they are putting aside before the money comes in!
I think renewable energy is beginning to get a grip because there is no alternative, really, energy demand is growing every minute, and all the other alternatives are not enough, the climate damage is already close to colapse and consecuences are near. We wil have to wait until all this falls on top of us; then… it’s going to be late for many and lot’s is going to be blamed on those people, and who will pay the bill? Guess…
We are seeing new evidence all the time, and still, they preffer to look another way, but there are no other ways to turn anymore!
I think we should keep on pushing, making a difference in our corners, in our square meters, close to us and one by one, show the difference, until they realize there is no alternative.
The law says we are free to act until we cross over our neighbors rights, then we have to stop, or pay the consecuences, I think we are way passed the line. Who is going to pay?