Letters to the Editor: Wildlife conservation is pointless without taking on the fossil fuel industry
I am writing this letter in response to a recent article in the New York Times, “What We Need: More Big Oil Companies, Big Oil Business” (Nov. 3). The authors of the article, J. Michael Evans, Michael Shellenberger and Brian DeSousa, are economists at the University of Michigan, and have written a book “The Fight for Oil: How Big Oil Has Shaped the World We Live In” (Free Press, 2013).
Their book is a very important contribution to the discussion on the impact of fossil fuel companies on our global society. They have examined the past and present of our society’s dependence on fossil fuels -from energy production, use and disposal, to its effects on the climate, human health and the planet’s ecosystems.
One of their main arguments is the importance of taking on the fossil fuel industry. Their view is that we as a society should stop thinking of ourselves as being separate from the environment, and instead, begin to see ourselves as part of the environment – as fellow humans working together for the good of all. This can only be achieved by taking on the fossil fuel industry, and working together to transition to clean, renewable, energy.
The current energy debate is based on the idea that fossil fuels are the only options for energy. This is despite the fact that the world has a wealth of renewable and sustainable resources. The environmental movement has shown how renewable energy is abundant and affordable. More importantly, our societies are developing renewable energy industries that can provide jobs and a living wage in many developing countries.
This new energy landscape is clearly superior to fossil fuels and oil companies in terms of the economic, environmental and social factors considered. I agree with the authors’ assessment that the fossil fuel industry is a major impediment to a cleaner, renewable energy future.
So what to do