Many people recognize that climate change is happening, and that it’s our fault, but not everyone agrees which direction we need to go.
Here, in the United States, President Obama is fighting to maintain a delicate balance between clean energy, addressing climate change, and energy independence, addressing national sovereignty. In his annual State of the Union speech, Obama praised efforts in the direction of energy independence, noting that, for the first time in two decades, the United States is producing more oil than it imports.
Additionally, the boom in natural gas production has shifted energy needs away from oil, further reducing our need for imports. This may seem like a great step forward for energy independence, but the hazards of natural gas extraction, it seems to me, aren’t doing much in the fight against climate change. True, natural gas burns cleaner than oil and its derivatives, but natural gas leaks, flaring, and explosions are generating far more greenhouse gas emissions than they’re saving.
President Obama praised the solar- and wind-power industries, noting their impressive growth over the last few years, as well as announced his intention to end fossil-fuel subsidies, which could further reduce their attractiveness and profitability. How can Obama push in both directions at the same time? Increasing use of natural gas will only lead to extraction of more natural gas, along with its associated problems. On the other hand, increasing the use of renewable energy, couldn’t that solve both problems at the same time?
I would propose to the President a different solution, one that addresses a number of problems, including climate change, energy independence, and the job market, among others. First, drop fossil fuel subsidies, including those on natural gas, as planned. Second, foment an increase in fuel economy on medium- and heavy-duty trucks, as planned. Third, eliminate conventional vehicles, replacing them with electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Finally, put more into renewable energy, including solar power plants, wind farms, geothermal power plants, even landfill gas power plants. Doing this will create jobs, assure energy independence, eliminate fossil fuel emissions, and could be a start to addressing climate change in a meaningful way.
Photo credit: Joe Crimmings Photography / Foter / CC BY-ND
And fracking is good? even after gas fields are done,still admits methane for years after that. Go ask people who live near gas fields .Just to add to this, we have 6 times more atomic bombs to destroy our earth,but have only one earth .Nature will teach us a lesson soon, but the sun will shine tomorrow.
What we need is birth control,or we all die .
What a moron, geothermal might make a job or two but solar and wind will provide nothing past installation. We don’t manufacture much in this country as far as renewable energy products so you can forget that. Before anyone can be taken seriously about man caused climate change you have to do the math first you have to know how much carbon you are producing, second you must know how much carbon is being sequestered at the same time, third you must know how much carbon added to the carbon cycle or removed from it will generate what net effect. So since no one has any idea what the answers are to any of the above you are operating under a belief and nothing what so ever based upon fact. You can line up a 100 scientist that say we are adding carbon to the system and the same scientist will also say we are sequestering carbon everyday….that is if they are honest or worth their salt. To say the climate is changing is like saying fire is hot….well duh. The question is can man stop or even slow climate change and the answer is no. Here’s why man cant stop climate change, first the moon is pulling away from the earth, our moon acts as a climate stabilizer according to the studies. Also the continents are still drifting thus moving so climates are going to change. About 15000 years ago we had an ice age and the earth has been steadily warming ever since. Man is not going to stop climate change but he might get rich saying he can. Man can make slaves of his fellow man in the name of climate control. So you climate change advocates want to put your money where your mouth is, get your butt out of that gasoline power car and stop driving on the roads paid for with the fuel taxes, turn that electricity off at your house made with fossil fuels, oh and ya gotta give up the internet (electricity) and that smart phone WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH CARBON WAS BUT IN THE AIR IN CHINA TO MAKE THAT PHONE! Give me a break climate change advocates are useful idiots. Last thing solar and wind are great because once installed they require little upkeep that’s the advantage no jobs generated.