A Fossil Fuel Free World is Possible: How to Power a Warming Earth Without Oil, Coal and Nuclear

[bananas]

A Fossil Fuel Free World is Possible: How to Power a Warming Earth Without Oil, Coal and Nuclear

Democracy Now!
Published on Jun 5, 2015

Is a 100% renewable energy future possible? According to Stanford professor Mark Jacobson, the answer is yes. Jacobson has developed plans for all 50 states to transform their power infrastructure to rely on wind, water and solar power. This comes as California lawmakers have approved a dozen ambitious environmental and energy bills creating new standards for energy efficiency. Dubbed the California climate leadership package, the 12 bills set high benchmarks for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum use. We speak with Jacobson and Noah Diffenbaugh, Stanford University Associate Professor and a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.

[riversedge]

1. Political Will is now needed.

[Moostache]

2. Fossil Fuel Free is sadly not going to be enough...

We need to really start considering a "Capitalist Free" future as part of the total solution.

I have become increasingly convinced over the arc of my lifetime that our economic policies and what we collectively tolerate in that area are THE central reason the world is in the state it is as pertains to economic distributions, ecological extractions and the total lack of symbiosis between the two.

The rich believe that because they can and have privatized more and more and have successfully warded themselves away from the rest of humanity that the "good times" will roll on for them forever. The sad thing is that on the time scale of their own mortal lifespans, they're probably right. There is no political will to really change things on a fundamental level...

We still talk about climate change as something to be "mitigated" and "dealt with", when in reality, the CO2 concentration levels in the atmosphere RIGHT NOW is catastrophic and is NOT abating at a level anywhere near what would be necessary to reverse the current trends. I know that many people would rather be lied to about this, but it is game over for any lifeform not the size of an insect without a massive and PERMANENT shift in paradigms across the globe.

The culture of "more, better, faster, now" and infinite growth in a finite system is a wickedly potent brew...and all the renewables in the world and from the sun will matter not at all if people around the globe do not stop chasing the "American Dream".

The endgame is not only energy use (although that is also a huge part of the solutions).
The endgame is a totally different economic, social and political system, because the one we have is burning the building to the ground and trying to profit off the water needed to extinguish the blaze...

[Gregorian]

3. One solution is to use your body for stuff like we used to do.

Want to walk your dog- get in the car.
Shopping: get in the car.
Kids soccer: get in the car.
Go on a bike ride: get in the car.
Need a workout: drive to the gym.


How about walking? Or instead of using the oven, try something healthy. Or wash clothes by hand. And that's just one puny facet of the problem.

[FBaggins]

4. When did nuclear become a fossil fuel?

Oh... right... it's a Jacobsen piece.

[bananas]

5. transcript

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/6/5/a_fossil_fuel_free_world_is