Way Past Time for the United States to Step Up About Fossil Fuels

The cry from those who favor continuing dependence on fossil fuels is that other countries won’t comply and wean off fossil fuels, putting us at a disadvantage on the world stage of economic competition.  The United States will be doing the heavy lifting. The other countries will take advantage of our good will and efforts and churn out greenhouse gases while we are suckers breathing in their fumes. Well, recently the fumes the Northeastern United States were from unprecedented forest fires.

Think again. The United States isn’t the leader, but the laggard.

Yale E360 just reported that “fossil fuels now account for less than half of China's power capacity.” China! Let that sink in.

The European Union energy grid uses only 38.6% fossil fuels.

But in the United States 60.4% of our energy was generated by fossil fuels!

 No, we aren’t left holding the bag, the lone fighters against climate change, the suckers of the commons, our good will and efforts exploited by others. We aren’t the good guys who finish last. We are the selfish exploiters failing to do the right thing, despite having the resources to do much better. Is it our politicians being bought by fossil fuel companies? Are we as a culture too short-sighted and ignorant, too self-centered and entitled? Whatever the reasons, and they may all be connected, we must face that our exceptionalism is not in our values and honor, but in our failure to live up to our values and doing the clearly right and honorable thing and clean up our act!

Remember to vote.  Support candidates who care and aren’t bought by fossil fuels in any way you can.