Sara Via, Kristen Goodhue Beyond Fossil Fuels, the Bumpy Transition to Clean Energy September 17 over Zoom
This talk was about the world’s transition to using cleaner forms of energy, where the process stands in the present, and where that process could lead in the future. Presented by Sara Via, the presentation focused on clean energy when compared to their dirty counterparts as well as the progress being made on implementing green energy usage on a wide scale. Via also spent time discussing the boons of using clean energy beyond the climate, such as economic benefits and energy efficiency. Lastly, a small section at the end of the presentation was used to discuss the common barriers seen around the world when it comes to adopting clean energy. The discussion was very hopeful, as trends show that clean energy is starting to make dents in energy derived from fossil fuels. While there is still a long way to go, the world seems to be going in the right direction and it will likely stay on this course.
A big talking point within the presentation is that renewable energy is becoming more and more common. This is partially because renewables are cheaper now than they ever have been. The cost of solar panels has decreased significantly in the past two decades while the efficiency has increased appreciably. In general, time and experience have made renewables cheaper than ever. Another reason renewables cost less is due to federal incentives. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law both have sections providing incentives for the manufacturing and purchase of clean energy. This leads to a broad discussion about the many different forms of clean energy and how they are used today. Solar, wind, and geothermal are the main forms that are discussed.
A large portion of the presentation is spent showing us how clean energy is not only better for the environment, it is better for us as individuals. Many sources of clean energy are far more efficient in energy usage than their fossil fuel counterparts. Electric vehicles, for example, are about 4 times as efficient as those that use internal combustion engines. This means that completely transitioning to clean energy will actually result in less energy being used despite the fact that energy needs are increasing around the world. Efficiency translates into something else that will help the average person, money. Clean energy sources can save the average person thousands of dollars a year on things like heating and electricity. Switching to a heat pump instead of natural gas and using an electric furnace instead of one that uses propane are just some of the prominent ways the average person could save money. All of this means that renewables make life better in ways that most people do not normally consider.
Despite renewable energy’s many benefits, there are several barriers that are getting in the way of transitioning off of fossil fuels. One of those barriers is the failure of the law to keep up with innovations. Rebates provided by the IRA can only be doled out after state approval, something that the vast majority of states are not even in the process of giving. Fossil fuel corporations also hamper the transition. Transitioning away from fossil fuels obviously hurts their bottom line, so they do everything in their power (mostly lobbying) to prevent legislation that would force them to change their practices or harm their businesses. The public’s sheer inertia, however, might be the biggest barrier of all. Ask the average person and they will be in favor of transitioning off fossil fuels, but their interest ends there. The public is almost never willing to make changes to their behavior nor advocate for policies they think are good. This is especially true once the changes start to affect their daily lives in ways they do not like, even if they are good (think noise generated from wind turbines). These barriers do exist, but they are not insurmountable. We have made a lot of progress so far, and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon. <\p>
Summarizing my thoughts, there was not much in the presentation that I disagreed with. The main points align with my understanding of the situation. This means that while nothing was presented that I found particularly surprising, the presentation gave me more information to strengthen my resolve in my position. The presentation was backed by lots of data from credible sources and incited a thoughtful discussion. There is indeed a bumpy road again, but we are moving across that road ever so steadily towards a better future. <\p>