Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and The Green New Deal:poscript

       In my last post I made calculations on the feasibility of going 100% renewable power by 2030 which is the plan given a rebirth by Representative Ocasio Cortez(NY). I offered some opinions and facts why getting to 100% "green" energy used to generate just electricity was not feasible given the structure of our energy economy. I made the statement that when they said ALL POWER DEMAND BEING MET through renewable sources, they must have meant just electrical power which is 38% of our total power consumed in the US. I just finished watching the recent 60 minutes interview of Alexandria by Anderson Cooper and she made it crystal clear that the statement of 100% demand going green was in fact correct. I don't know if it is worth my effort to point out how unreasonable that goal is given the importance of oil and gas to an  industrial economy but a brief rebuttal is certainly in order. The extraction, manufacture and processing and transportation of all of the other non renewable and many of the renewable resources of this economy are reliant upon diesel fuel for example. Oil and gas feed stocks are the basis of most of the chemical industry, paints, adhesives, pesticides and fertilizers and herbicides. Mining of these resources is almost 100% dependent upon diesel powered machinery. The roads whether asphalt or concrete require huge inputs of fossil energy.. The transportation industry is almost 100% powered by diesel and gasoline vehicles.   Heavy trucks and ships, planes and  trains will never see replacement with electrical power sources. Just the notion that the country could go to just one energy source, electricity, is not only ludicrous but extremely fragile. If a grid goes down, EVERYTHING goes down. Prudence dictates we keep a mix of energy sources as backup in case one becomes unavailable. Does Alexandria really think that just the transportation system could be converted to electric power? The term stranded assets hardly covers the hundreds of millions of trucks, cars , tractors, power tools, chain saws, marine engines, and generators that would have to be replaced wholesale. Mind you, some day, probably in this century that in fact is going to  happen but to suddenly try to do this in just 11 short years is preposterous.  I wonder if living in a walkable city like New York with excellent mass transit has blinded her to the fact that in flyover country such a lifestyle doesn't exist. Suburbia defines the United States even if it is the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever seen as was voiced by James Kunstler.  I wonder if she has thought that New York would empty out in a week if the diesel trucks supplying her food  and materials stopped running. All of the large dense urban concentrations of people and businesses and industries are reliant upon distant supply chains powered mostly by diesel. I can't end this post without saying that Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is a charismatic figure who is willing to dream of a better world and is trying to remold a decadent, corrupt, destructive wasteful unhappy, unhealthy and obese civilization that is circling the drain. She gets a lot of what is wrong and wants to change it. For her to be effective she will have to pick and choose her battles and be prepared to compromise and listen to her opponents who unfortunately are the political.  corporate and academic power elites who have caused this mess in the first place. They will not be happy to give up their wealth and power to a 29 year old up and coming Joan of Arc from Brooklyn.