At some point, assuming current energy trends, the world would run out of coal and oil, or, at least, what's left would be so expensive to extract that it would be impossibly expensive to use. SO, at some point, the world will convert away from fossil fuel. The only question is, "When will that happen?" In fact, we're already started to diversify by installing solar and win energy. That change process will continue.
No, I don't think Obama should ban coal and oil. Our economy isn't ready for that step. However, providing incentives to move in that direction is entirely appropriate.
No. But in context, this is what Lester Brown said:
"At beginning of 1942, the automobile companies were producing automobiles. By the middle of 1942 they were all producing tanks and planes. It didn’t take decades or years, just a few months and they totally converted. If they could do that then, certainly we can restructure the world energy economy today. What Roosevelt did was ban the sale of cars. He didn’t say they couldn’t produce cars. He just banned the sale of cars."
Would you like to see President Obama do that?
"I’d like to see him ban the sale of coal and oil. You couldn’t do that next month or this month but to make it clear that were going to move quickly to the new energy sources."
What he is doing here is saying he believes that alternative energy is a huge economic opportunity and we should move toward that investment as quickly as possible, using the example of Roosevelt's actions in WWII to illustrate how quickly things can change.
The guy is pretty edgy, I am not as optimistic as he is by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to the speed with which alternatives are moving but I think he makes a few good points about it. He comes across as pretty out there, I would probably count him among the extremist fringe based on this article, although I think it was written to emphasis that-just look at the headline itself.
So no, I don't agree that a ban on the sale of coal and oil is advisable at all, and although Brown says he would LIKE to see that happen a la the rapid turn in 1942 to the war effort as a result of Roosevelt's ban, he says that couldn't be done immediately...I wouldn't rule out Brown being one of the crackpots who would like to see Greenland's ice sheet slide into the ocean in a fortnight to force people into action on climate change, but I don't know about the guy at all other than what was presented in the article. Thankfully the extremists hoping for extreme events to promote their agendas are very rare despite the tendency of the press to feature them so prominently.
No I don't agree. However I suspect there are many greenies that do support that, and that this is the primary reason they are on the global warming bandwagon. It fits in with their green religion. If the answer was a switch to nuclear power, then not so much.
More expensive energy is not the answer.
NO. We should ban Lester Brown and obama. from America. Mike
Lester Brown should just stay Lester Brown and stay out of decisions that are too much for him to handle.
He is not the President of the USA.
Right! We should ban the wheel also. It's caused more accidents and killed more people than many plagues over the years. "Psychopathic nut cases". The wheel must go first.
Not ban but curtail for 5 yrs until completely eliminated.
Of course not. But then I had never heard of Lester Brown before your question.
My personal view is that I disagree.
However, there may be a group of people where the majority would agree with that standpoint. I think California might be such a state and Denmark a possible country. So why not ask them to take a vote? If they are in favour then ban coal and oil sales there.
The rest of the world, could then watch and learn.
Totally disagree, they may cause serious emissions but the world economy needs them
the interview is here http://www.euractiv.com/sections/energy/green-grandee-obama-should-ban-oil-and-coal-sales-303213
Is he a nut
