Contributing article by: Walter Varda

ADBA’s Programs and Services Committee Chair

We’re currently in a near panic trying to curb global warming. This is a good indication of our total lack of preparedness. In the absence of a viable alternative green energy, our earlier attempts to reduce Carbon Emission have backfired. The EU is in need of Russian Gas, US in need of ME Oil and China is reverting back to the use of coal.

It’s like deciding to become vegetarian overnight without the knowledge to prepare Vegetarian food.

55B metric tons (7 tons per person) of CO2 are emitted every year and are increasing.

CO2 is responsible for 75% of greenhouse gases.

While today’s modern society depends highly on a steady supply of energy, it seems that, once we discovered the use of Coal, Oil and Gas as energy sources, we became complacent and indulged in the profits of this deadly energy source. It is unfathomable to think that we’ve come to accept that the by-product of a healthy economy is an acceptable level of damage to the environment and loss of life. Clean air could save 7M lives every year.

The G20 claim is to be carbon neutral by 2050. To achieve this goal, all countries must be included in the climate solution for it to work, and yet there is a severe lack of resources in non English speaking languages. 80% of all articles are written entirely in English while 75% of the world population do not speak English. 

If we delay in combating  carbon emission, we would have to be prepared to deal with displacement of millions of people as more land is lost to drought and face the inevitable armed conflict over the remaining fertile land.

Since 2016, top oil companies have spent $1B trying to confuse people about new power sources, such as solar, wind and other renewables. In the last 10 years the major oil companies have made $900B profit. In 2019 they spent only 3% in Low Carbon alternative energy.

The lie is that green energy is too expensive and will hurt the economy. However, by 2018 renewable energy was cheaper and more efficient than fossil fuels.

In 1977 the cost of a single solar photovoltaic cell was $76.00. In 2020 it was $.50 cents. 

Lithium batteries have dropped from $1,000/KWH in 2010 to $20/KWH 2017.

All the while fossil fuels have reached their peak efficiency.

There are many options for Green Energy to make us totally independent of fossil fuel. 

Geothermal alone could supply global energy use for approximately 217M years. 

It’s not enough to just reduce carbon emission, we must wake up from this frenzied lifestyle of overconsumption.  

Waste less, work less and live more!

Some interesting statistics:

Geothermal is more reliable than solar and wind power. 

After the fuel crisis of the 70’s, Iceland tapped into geothermal heating. Currently 9 out of 10 households and 30% of total electricity use is from GT.

It is the least explored form of energy in the US.

Out of the 29,000 fossil fuel power plants worldwide, 5% of the most inefficient polluters contribute 73%  CO2 discharge. 

Germany is planning to eliminate the use of coal over the next 20 years. To get there, they will invest $40B in Coal Cities in order to retrain workers and keep the local economy strong.

It is estimated that 40% of all car sales will be electric by 2030.

18 countries including China, India, France, Netherland and Ireland have announced their intent to phase out the sales of fossil fuel powered vehicles over the next decade.

All Fossil fuel countries have subsidized the industry to a tune of $5.3T a year since 2015.

The EU has agreed to cut emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

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For your reference the following is President’s Biden’s Climate plan. 

Biden’s Climate budget is looking to build 500,000 EV chargers ( five times the number of gas stations in the US), along highways and in rural and disadvantaged communities. The largest investment in EV infrastructure in history. 

Electrify thousands of school and transit buses across the country to reduce harmful emissions and drive domestic manufacturing of zero emission vehicles and components.

Eliminate the nation’s lead service lines and pipes, delivering clean drinking water to up to ten million American families and more than 400,000 schools and child care facilities that currently don’t have it, including in Tribal nations and disadvantaged communities. The Plan is the largest investment in clean drinking water and waste water infrastructure in American history.

Connect every American to reliable high-speed internet, just as the federal government made a historic effort to provide electricity to every American nearly one hundred years ago. The Framework will also drive down prices for internet service and close the digital divide.

Upgrade our power infrastructure, including by building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy, including through a new Grid Authority. The Plan is the single largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history.

Create a first of its kind Infrastructure Financing Authority that will leverage billions of dollars into clean transportation and clean energy.

Make the largest investment in addressing legacy pollution in American history, a cleanup effort that will create good-paying union jobs and advance environmental justice.

Prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, cyber attacks, and extreme weather events. The Framework is the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history.

The Framework, which will generate significant economic benefits and returns, is financed through a combination of closing the tax gap, redirecting unspent emergency relief funds, targeted corporate user fees, and the macroeconomic impact of infrastructure investment.