Do fossil fuels like coal and oil harm your health? Well many environmentalists would have you believe so, but Marlo Lewis, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, offers a different perspective. Comments Lewis: “Since the Industrial Revolution, life expectancy has more than doubled to 69 years. Fossil fuels are the chief energy source that made the Industrial Revolution and modern civilization possible. Today’s high yield agriculture, which feed billions, would also be impossible without fossil fuels. Without fossil fuels, most of today’s environmental activists would be poorer and sicker or would not even exist.”
Fossil fuels: Helping mankind “Live long and prosper”
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As a casual thought, it occurred to me burning coal was the great mover that got people in the developed world (U. S., EU, etc.) from out of the misery of life still lived
by several billion living today in what is called the undeveloped world. One
thing that separates the rich, comfortable living people in the developed world
is access to cheap, abundant electricity; while the billions of poor in Africa,
Asia, and parts of South America have no access to electricity.
Sixty years ago coal was used for cooking, home heating, powering trains, and generating electricity with no controls on pollution from stack gases. Society still
thrived and the gain in population longevity in the U. S. in the first half of
the twentieth century was about one-half year each year. Except for electricity
generation, we have stopped using coal because we are able to clean exhaust
gases from power plants to an extent pollution is comparable to pollution from
nature. Yes, dust storms, wild fires, pollen, and other outputs from nature are
pollution to our eyes and noses just as bad, if not worse, as soot from coal
burning.
Environmental movements wants to abolish use of coal, our most abundant fossil fuel energy resource, along with the other fossil fuels of oil and natural gas. They claim
renewable energy resources of solar, wind, ethanol from corn, and other biofuels
can replace all fossil fuels. This may be possible; but the cost is so
prohibitive only the extremely wealthy can afford this luxury. The poor souls
living in the undeveloped world will be condemned to perpetual poverty; never
enjoying the simple pleasures we enjoy of light bulbs, refrigeration, easy
communication, easy transportation, heating and air conditioning, etc.
Many question the motives of those in environmental movements who wish to inflict such harsh measures on society. In this Lenten season, an easy answer to this question was given by Christ two thousand years ago. While on the cross Christ proclaimed, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
James H. Rust, Professor nuclear engineering(ret.)
Well said, James H. Rust. Well said.
Now, can you say something about the ideological and philosophical doctrine of environmentalism, Mr. James H. Rust? I would like to hear read from you regarding such a doctrine of stupidity on the part of the environmental movements.
Thank you very much. – J.P.K.