BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 30, 2023
Most countries have set the net emissions goal for greenhouse gasses at zero by the middle of the century — just 27 years from now. Can anyone seriously believe the net zero goal — mainly resulting from carbon-producing fossil fuels — will be achieved by then? Energy to fuel cars, heat homes and run offices and factories will come largely from electricity. Electric power will have to come from wind, solar and even hydro to make a serious dent in the use of fossil fuels. Sustained efforts at efficiency, which means using less, are essential but unlikely to cover the gap left by renewables. Renewables won’t be enough. Focusing heavily on them avoids talking about the elephant in the room. It does not produce carbon. Its technology is available now. It reduces dependence on questionable energy suppliers like Russia and Saudi Arabia. It is nuclear power. Human civilization is now being transformed by climate change. All available solutions must be used. ~ Gordon L. Weil