Opinion: How to electrify everything, and why

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 13, 2022

We have several compelling reasons to think about the energy we depend on. For one, a global pandemic and the war in Ukraine have sent costs soaring. And climate change, a result of the burning of fossil fuels, is taking an ever-greater toll in wildfires, hurricanes, floods and deadly heat waves. But we are not helpless in the face of these challenges. One of the most powerful steps we can take — as individuals and as a nation — is to electrify everything. That means replacing gas- and oil-burning appliances and vehicles with electric ones, powered by renewable energy. The potential benefits are huge: cleaner air indoors and out, lower monthly bills and a major reduction in climate-change-causing greenhouse gasses. ~ Larissa Johnson has an MPA in environmental science and policy from Columbia University