Joel Pett’s cartoon – “What If We Create A Better World For Nothing?” isn’t new, but it’s more relevant than ever as the Climate Change debate continues to grow.
While I don’t focus on this subject directly, Pett’s cartoon tackles this issue simply and very effectively. Those that think that man-made Climate Change is real have proposed ways to tackle this issue by making the world a safer and cleaner place to live. What if these people are wrong? Well, as the heckler in the cartoon inadvertently points out, we’ve still managed to make the world a better place (in his mind – “for nothing”).
Of course, the “nothing” here is actually a much improved world. This is a world where air and water pollution is eliminated. This is a world that strives to replenish rainforests. This is a world that makes cities safer and more livable. This is a world that is overall, more sustainable.
Much of these improvements can be achieved through the sustainable production and consumption of energy. Sustainable energy sources like solar and wind that power an increasing number of all-electric vehicles is a big part of this solution. We can now produce energy without air polluting emissions. We can now drive cars without air polluting emissions.
In fact, solar power is the solution to many of the key points in the cartoon. We can achieve energy independence, sustainability, produce green jobs, build livable cities, and provide for clean air and water all through solar power production.
Those that do not support green energy sources like solar power usually say that they’re too expensive and intermittent sources of power. While this may have been true in the recent past, these are no longer barriers to the implementation of renewable energy. Wind and solar power have achieved grid parity in many parts of the world. In some countries, they’re much cheaper than conventional energy. Utility-scale renewable energy storage technologies are currently being developed and will be implemented soon.
What’s the true cost of switching to renewable energy sources and making the world a cleaner and safer place to live? It’s simple – a very small number of super rich people lose some of their wealth. That’s it. A green energy economy would be a positive thing for 99.9 percent of the world’s population.
As the word continues to spread to the masses about the dangers of the continued use of fossil fuels, the voice of the people will get louder. We will demand to live in a safer and cleaner world. This is the only acceptable path for the people of the world and the generations to follow.
