By the end of the l9th century, the burning of coal and oil had become the source of energy that would create our modern industrial society. But towards the end of the 20th century there were increasing concerns about the soot, carbon dioxide and other negative effects produced by these fossil fuels.
Soot was linked to lung problems such as asthma and cancer, and carbon dioxide was seen as a major cause of global warming, which threatened to have dangerous world-wide effects on the world’s climate.
When the Bush administration first came to power, the president asked the National Academy of Sciences to provide guidance on the issue of global warming. The Academy concluded that global warming was occurring, and that human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels was one of the causes.
These concerns have led to the beginning of another energy revolution: the rise of “renewable energy,” which includes wind, solar, biomass, hydro, hydrogen fuel cells and even ocean tides and currents.
Now, renewable energy is coming to Maine. Two wind farms, one on Redington Mountain in Western Maine and the other on Mars Hill in the East are edging through the maze of local, state, and federal regulations.
Then there is bio-diesel, a substitute for petroleum based diesel energy. The Chewonki Foundation of Wiscasset has developed a simple and inexpensive system to turn used fryolator oil from local restaurants into bio-diesel which it uses to power its passenger vans. Since bio-diesel can also replace heating oil, they are using it to heat their buildings in the winter.
Frontier Energy of China, Maine, has chosen to import bio-diesel from the mid-west. LLBean is using it in experiments with its trucking fleet. Maine’s Governor Baldacci, in pursuit of his goal of using renewable energy in state buildings will buy substantial quantities of bio-diesel this winter.
The virtue of bio-diesel and other renewable energy products is that they are far less dangerous to the environment, provide jobs, reduce our trade deficit, and provide a measure of national energy security. As these sources of energy become more efficient and less expensive through mass production and technological improvement, they are
becoming increasingly price competitive with fossil fuels.
Even so, there are still a number of powerful coal and oil corporations who are still using their political and economic clout to stem the “renewable” revolution. But try as they may, renewable energy is coming to America.
Fred Padula can be contacted at [email protected]