Green Power

THOMAS L. Friedman wants to save the world. The Pulitzer prize-winning journalist believes that only the United States can and should be the one to lead the world out of the current mess it’s in: climate change (“hot”), the pressures of globalisation (“flat”), and overpopulation (“crowded”), all of which cause their own sets of problems.

It’s an arrogant assumption, especially since the US is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world (China is now No. 1 on this hot list).

The American Government has also been known to hamper the efforts of environmental organisations to reduce gas emissions – like when it refused to ratify the Kyoto Treaty in 2001.
Friedman’s insistence that the US be the nation to lead the charge will cause some readers to roll their eyes, but his argument is persuasive even if it is off-putting. He reasons that since people around the world are trying to emulate the American way of life (a life built on the foundation of oil energy), naturally the United States can inspire these American “carbon copies” to a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

The act of predicting human behaviour is dicey at best, and Friedman doesn’t offer many convincing reasons why and how the world will follow a more energy-prudent US. After all, Friedman does state that overhauling a country’s energy system could take trillions of dollars. Not all nations have that kind or money.

One wonders why Friedman doesn’t present other options, such as cooperating with countries like Japan, which have been far more successful in building a sustainable lifestyle. Or, why can’t a bloc of countries beside the US lead the way instead?

A possible answer is that Friedman’s environmentalism seems to be wrapped in the red, white and blue of American patriotism, and the book is written from that point of view. This makes it a chore to get through Part II of the book, How We Got Here, where he explains the world’s various conundrums. Not only is it preachy at times, but non-American readers may find it difficult to relate to this section.

But the odd thing with Friedman is, although you may disagree with his point of view, you’ll read on because he does have some good ideas and interesting points to convey. His wealth of stories and anecdotes, from elk-hunting Montana hunters to olive farmers in Cairo, makes a fascinating addendum to the heavy facts he presents – even if, at times, it feels like unnecessary padding.
Thankfully, the rest of the book is a much easier read as Friedman tones down his flag-waving with solutions that most of us can relate to.

Part III: How We Move Forward is inspirational, and has an almost dream-like quality, especially the chapter, The Energy Internet, When IT meets ET, in which Friedman imagines what sustainable-living America could look like. He even dreams up solutions to conserve the flora and fauna and combat terrorism.

But underlying his optimism and exhortations that change must happen “now or else” is his worry that America’s many industry lobbyists and vested interests will prevent his solutions from coming to fruition. Delay, he says, will only make things worse.
Which brings us to Part IV: a surprising chapter on how China is trying to take tough measures against pollution. It’s a refreshing take on what is supposed to be the most polluting nation on Earth, as very little is ever mentioned about China taking any active steps to correct the problem.

For example, in June 2007, China’s State Council actually ordered all Government agencies, associations, companies and private owners in public buildings to set their air-conditioning no lower than 26°C.

Although there are many hiccups in China’s efforts to be more sustainable (Friedman calls China’s effort a “work in progress that bears careful scrutiny”), he seems to admire the effort, and even wonders what will happen if (gasp) America becomes “China for a day”!
Friedman believes that the US is filled to the brim with “all sorts of wacky, wild, and wonderful energy innovators, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists”. With all that in place, what he calls the “Code Green revolution” is just waiting to take off. But the obstacle, to his frustration, is the US Government and various lobby groups which seem oblivious or unwilling to utilise this resource.

How nice it would be, he says, if the Government could be as authoritarian as China for a day – and impose all the necessary regulations for a cleaner, more sustainable energy system – and then return to its cherished democracy the next day?

In the end, Friedman shares the same view as environmentalists the world over. There are solutions to the world’s massive problems. However, applying them is going to be the biggest problem of them all