Lonnie Johnson: De-Carbonize—a Middle Way
America's irrational commitment to coal, oil and natural gas is a mistake. Billions of dollars flow to nations which are hostile to the U.S. Billions more are spent on military ventures intended to protect those energy supplies. Carbon based fuel pollute our air and water. They cause disease and death. Burning fossil fuels destabilizes the global climate.
Defenders of the status quo argue that there are no economically viable alternative energy sources currently available. Their analysis does not include the costs listed above. The cheapest enery is the energy not use. With less than 5% of the world's population, Americans use 20% of its energy. Clearly there are great opportunities in conservation and increased efficiency. There are also major opportunities for scientific discovery and technological development.
One of the people who has stepped up to this challenge is Lonnie Johnson. Until now, Mr. Johnson is best know as the inventor of the Super Soaker water gun. It is the profits from that invention which has principally funded his research. With years of experience in the Air Force and NASA, at JPL and the Oakridge National stepped outside the confines of industry, government and academia to pursue his own vision. He is building and testing devices, batteries and solar electric generators, that many scientist had said were impossible. The odds are heavily against him, but he may be the person who leads us away from the fiscal and environment devastation of fossil fuels.
Defenders of the status quo argue that there are no economically viable alternative energy sources currently available. Their analysis does not include the costs listed above. The cheapest enery is the energy not use. With less than 5% of the world's population, Americans use 20% of its energy. Clearly there are great opportunities in conservation and increased efficiency. There are also major opportunities for scientific discovery and technological development.
One of the people who has stepped up to this challenge is Lonnie Johnson. Until now, Mr. Johnson is best know as the inventor of the Super Soaker water gun. It is the profits from that invention which has principally funded his research. With years of experience in the Air Force and NASA, at JPL and the Oakridge National stepped outside the confines of industry, government and academia to pursue his own vision. He is building and testing devices, batteries and solar electric generators, that many scientist had said were impossible. The odds are heavily against him, but he may be the person who leads us away from the fiscal and environment devastation of fossil fuels.
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