Renewable Morality
Hello
Everyone,
Could the
future of humanity depend on our ability to develop renewable energy?
Most
informed people recognise that the unequal distribution of wealth is one of the
biggest issues facing humanity at present. This is because whoever controls the energy
controls the wealth. The interesting point is that our ability to
develop renewable energy is going to
play a huge part in how wealth is distributed in the future.
In the
history of our species initially whoever owned land, owned wealth, because our
energy came from the land. It came via
energy from our bodies, from animals and from wood. Hence the more land you owned or stole the
richer you became.
Once
technology accelerated and at the same time, it became possible to extract oil
from fossil fuel then huge fortunes were made and human well-being
improved. Since 2000 the limits of
fossil fuel became apparent - fossil fuel for energy on the planet is a limited
resource and is running out.
We need to
find and use energy sources that are accessible to all equally if we want to
have any chance of redistributing wealth on the planet. Finite resources and greed are a recipe for
disaster for humans especially as oil and gas prices rise. Wars and land grabs for example are just the
tip of the iceberg for what humans will do to gain wealth/power.
Renewable,
available resources however have the potential to become cheaper and even more
readily available. Solar energy for example
has seen major price decreases and for many it will be cheaper than fossil-fuel
electricity by 2016.
It is
confronting to think that renewable energy is a moral crusade. In a world where we have such ingenuity and
technological advances it is exciting to think what could be achieved. The alternative of more wealth and power in
the hands of a few violent and selfish people is frightening.
Source: The Sun-Herald 8-9 November 2014
Why the
Battle for Renewable Energy is a Moral Crusade by Noah Smith
(Opinion
Business Day 5)
To read more
of these ideas see Roz's Love Well or her latest book Future
Words available on Amazon
