A lot of time has been spent on solar energy in recent days, down here in the Netherlands. Quite some profound newspapers and magazines (among which Elsevier, which is the Dutch conservative version of Time) are busily informing readers about the profound impact solar energy could have.
If Western governments are willing to invest in energy, Elsevier explained, we could provide 80 times the energy we need on a yearly basis. 80 times.
Of course, transforming the current system into entirely solar based will take years, decades even, and it will cost a tremendous amount of money. Other research has indicated that Western economies could indeed even suffer tremendously, possibly collapse if we would take this gigantic step.
But something has to change nonetheless. It is silly for us to depend on foreign oil and other energy sources that are wasteful, limited, costly and that make us dependent on other, often hostile governments.
So, if solar energy could take care of some of our needs but if we would ruin our economy if we would truly launch a massive project aimed at making solar energy our sole source of energy what can we do? The answer is simple: aside from solar power we should use wind and nuclear power.
Nuclear power is ‘dirty’ and it is difficult to get rid of the ‘garbage,’ but it is also highly effective and relatively affortable. Every single country in the West, in the world actually, could build nuclear facilities, which can be built much safer today than a few decades ago.
Wind power is quite similar to solar power of course; it is clean, but costly for us to invest in on a massive scale.
A balance has to be found between those three energy sources if we want to be able to function without ruining our economy and we have to take our time. There is no need to act as if we, the West, have to become energy independent in five years time.
The above has, of course, been noted by many others. The following has not, or, at least, it has not gotten the attention it deserves: what will happen to countries we depend so heavily on for oil now? What would happen to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and others if we would use solar, wind and nuclear power?
The answer is that these countries’ economies will collapse. They will be ruined. The collapse will be so devastating that massive riots, possibly civil wars will break out. Fathers will not be able to buy food for their children. Mothers will not be able to buy or even knit clothes for them let alone themselves. These economies depend so heavily on oil that our energy revolution would ruin them completely, leaving nothing behind except for massive instability.
As we have learned in the last couple of decades, instability in other parts of the world, and especially in Africa and the Middle East, causes instability at home. The more poverty exists in the Middle East, the more youngers will radicalize and the more likely it is that extremists will take over. They will use these countries as platforms for terrorist attacks against the West and it interests. In short, a massive Western energy revolution would make the world much less safe.
This means that when we commit ourselves to aforementioned revolution, we will need to come up with a plan for oil producing and exporting countries. It means we will have to invest in them, we will have to help them become less dependent on oil.
In turn, this means that we will have to spend many billions, trillions even perhaps, more. An energy revolution is not limited to ourselves. Its impact spreads throughout the world, it will influence many lives. Millions will lose their job and their home. Unless we help them.
It would be great to see politicians taking this subject seriously and articulate plans that would make us less dependent on foreign governments, and on oil, while explaining how they would help those governments deal with the loss in oil sales.
Until they do, all the talk about an energy revolution, let alone energy independence, should be considered void and useless.
If Western governments are willing to invest in energy, Elsevier explained, we could provide 80 times the energy we need on a yearly basis. 80 times.
Of course, transforming the current system into entirely solar based will take years, decades even, and it will cost a tremendous amount of money. Other research has indicated that Western economies could indeed even suffer tremendously, possibly collapse if we would take this gigantic step.
But something has to change nonetheless. It is silly for us to depend on foreign oil and other energy sources that are wasteful, limited, costly and that make us dependent on other, often hostile governments.
So, if solar energy could take care of some of our needs but if we would ruin our economy if we would truly launch a massive project aimed at making solar energy our sole source of energy what can we do? The answer is simple: aside from solar power we should use wind and nuclear power.
Nuclear power is ‘dirty’ and it is difficult to get rid of the ‘garbage,’ but it is also highly effective and relatively affortable. Every single country in the West, in the world actually, could build nuclear facilities, which can be built much safer today than a few decades ago.
Wind power is quite similar to solar power of course; it is clean, but costly for us to invest in on a massive scale.
A balance has to be found between those three energy sources if we want to be able to function without ruining our economy and we have to take our time. There is no need to act as if we, the West, have to become energy independent in five years time.
The above has, of course, been noted by many others. The following has not, or, at least, it has not gotten the attention it deserves: what will happen to countries we depend so heavily on for oil now? What would happen to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and others if we would use solar, wind and nuclear power?
The answer is that these countries’ economies will collapse. They will be ruined. The collapse will be so devastating that massive riots, possibly civil wars will break out. Fathers will not be able to buy food for their children. Mothers will not be able to buy or even knit clothes for them let alone themselves. These economies depend so heavily on oil that our energy revolution would ruin them completely, leaving nothing behind except for massive instability.
As we have learned in the last couple of decades, instability in other parts of the world, and especially in Africa and the Middle East, causes instability at home. The more poverty exists in the Middle East, the more youngers will radicalize and the more likely it is that extremists will take over. They will use these countries as platforms for terrorist attacks against the West and it interests. In short, a massive Western energy revolution would make the world much less safe.
This means that when we commit ourselves to aforementioned revolution, we will need to come up with a plan for oil producing and exporting countries. It means we will have to invest in them, we will have to help them become less dependent on oil.
In turn, this means that we will have to spend many billions, trillions even perhaps, more. An energy revolution is not limited to ourselves. Its impact spreads throughout the world, it will influence many lives. Millions will lose their job and their home. Unless we help them.
It would be great to see politicians taking this subject seriously and articulate plans that would make us less dependent on foreign governments, and on oil, while explaining how they would help those governments deal with the loss in oil sales.
Until they do, all the talk about an energy revolution, let alone energy independence, should be considered void and useless.
