'Winning Our Energy Independence,' or ditching our three poisons

Nuclear energy's poison, says the guy who used to head up the U.S.'s biggest nuclear program, Tennessee Valley Authority. The now 82-year-old S.  David Freeman has built up 50 years of experience in the field of energy -- and he's using his background and expertise to push for a green energy revolution.

In his latest book "Winning Our Energy Independence: An Energy Insider Shows How,"  Freeman argues that we need to get rid of "three poisons": coal, oil, and nuclear energy. That's no easy task, as those three poisons give us 71% of our energy right now. Yet Freeman says it's both practical and feasible to get all our energy from renewable resources -- with today's technology.

The problem, Freeman points out, is that big energy companies have been very successful at convincing the American public that green energy is not yet ready, and won't be for years and years yet. That's delayed efforts to gain energy independence -- and now, we need to finally seize the moment and push for big changes, he says.

Thus, Freeman calls for a fixed, 30-year timetable to achieve energy independence for all of the U.S. This plan would mandate federal efficiency programs, phase out coal and nuclear power plants, and reduce our dependence on oil by developing green vehicles.

But while Freeman makes a convincing, specific argument as to why these three poisons need to be eliminated, his assertion that alternative energy technologies available today can provide all the power we need isn't quite as convincing -- mainly because he spends so much time talking about technologies that haven't yet been developed. Certainly, one of Freeman's points is that we need to fund research and development of these new technologies NOW so we can benefit from them later. Yet his penchant for praising practically every potential energy source that's not one of the three poisons has a rather haphazard "throw money at everything else and see what sticks" attitude about it.

For example, he writes about ethanol as a clean energy option -- then quickly admits that corn ethanol "on a net basis, could supply only 2 percent of our gasoline supply" and goes on to tout cellulosic ethanol -- a fuel that's definitely not viable now and may actually never be viable, according to recent studies. (Corn ethanol, by the way, has many, many other social and environmental problems, many excellently outlined in this Rolling Stone feature.)

Freeman also writes glowingly about hydrogen fuel cell cars -- despite the fact that even GM and Toyota execs have "expressed doubts about the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for mass-market production in the near term," according to the Wall Street Journal. (via grist)

That said, Freeman does also show how existing technologies in solar, wind, and other existing renewable energy sources could be used to liberate us from the stranglehold of the three poisons. These already-proven technologies just need to be applied on a large scale to provide dramatic solutions to our energy problems.

And perhaps even more importantly, "Winning Our Energy Independence" is a highly inspiring and optimistic read that encourages environmentalists to think big and act fast. Near the beginning of the book, Freeman recounts about how Environmental Defense's David Yarnold asked "Why would you want to lobby for something that can't get done?" when asked in 2005 why his organization didn't offer solutions more dramatic than what Congress was considering. "Winning Our Energy Independence" challenges this attitude, asserting that we should ask for and demand more, that we shouldn't let our imaginations and actions be limited by what the status quo says is possible.

Earlier: 'Winning Our Energy Independence' — one bus ride at a time

Comments

[sheila]

we should, while we're at it, win our independence from Big Utilities, as well, and insist that 100% of our tax dollars that flow to utilities, including any for utility-scale (read: giant wilderness-killing) "renewable" power plants be flowed instead back to US individuals, so we can afford PV on every house and those of us who oversize our systems and conserve energy should be getting fat checks from the utilities, not just net metering.

time for a new paradigm - the 19th century remote generation, lengthy transmission and Big Corporate Chokehold MUST NOT be repeated in the renewable power era! power to (and from) the people!

[jody]

It's too bad we as an American society do not encourage more public transportation like Europe. Rail is very beneficial over there but thanks to President's who LOVE big oil and Motor City lobbyists Americans are held prisoner to their vehicles.