This article touches on many points that should hit home to all of us in America. The energy crisis has been an ongoing issue in recent years and not only in America. But, we don’t typically get to see the effects on other countries. The article starts out by describing the scene of a solar plantation in Germany and explains how the owner of the land believes it is possible to be able to spread the energy technology throughout all of Germany as a constant energy source. But the article later states that the state government wishes to wipe this solar energy plant off the map in order to mine for lignite coal underneath it.
This new information has caused a large controversy with energy activist groups, as Germany is supposed to be one of the leaders in promoting cleaner energy and a solution to the energy crisis. Also, recently in the United States, a national governmental energy organization found that there is a way to save our atmosphere from more destruction if we work fast. They have said that if no action is taken soon, the only way to keep the atmosphere safe would be to find a way to reverse the damage that has already occurred (a much more expensive and dangerous alternative).
This has caused much debate among German officials. The government stands by the fact that they want to promote clean air, and Germany is one of the leading forces in renewable energy technology such as wind and solar power. The only problem is that these forms are intermittent, and unreliable in certain weather situations. The dilemma now is to find a way to make these types of energy constant so the government no longer needs to mine under important places like the solar plant discussed in the article.
It found it interesting to see the effects of the energy crisis on countries other than the United States, because it offers a different perspective from which to view the issue. It is also concerning that the German government would allow this destruction of clean energy so soon after the realization that we need to act fast to save our environment as we know it.
Source:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25411-german-energy-crisis-points-towards-climate-solution.html#.U2QinPldWSo