The physics of energy, as well as the realities of production at an economy-wide scale, means that the administration’s plan is not remotely plausible and that attempting to implement it would lead to massive environ- mental disruption and increased U. [...] Hydrocarbons—oil, natural gas, and coal—currently supply 80% of the nation’s energy needs, and internal combustion engines account for 99% of all transporta- tion passenger-miles.2 The proposals to upend the status quo are directed mainly at mandating and subsidizing a greater use of wind and solar power (currently 3.6% of U. [...] S., China, or Germany over the past half-century.10 Instead of looking at the 2035 goal in hardware or dollar terms, consider the challenge in terms of the necessary rate of increase in green energy production. [...] Compared with a natural gas power plant, wind and solar farms require using at least 10 times as many total tons of those materials to deliver the same quantity of energy.14 For example, building a single small 100-MW wind farm requires some 30,000 tons of iron ore and 50,000 tons of concrete, as well as 900 tons of nonrecyclable plastics for the huge blades.15 Building a solar farm uses a 150% gr. [...] In terms of the environment, China is now the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for 30% of global emissions—twice the share as from the United States.23 Over the past several years, Beijing has brought online more new coal power plants than the rest of the world combined.
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- Published in
- United States of America
