Advocates of the shale gas boom in the United States and the corresponding oil sands surge in Canada point to the thousands of potential jobs and benefits to national energy security possible through the abundance of natural resources.
Critics, for their part, say that conventional resources like oil and gas are relics of a bygone era, noting it’s time to embrace new, less threatening forms of energy like solar, wind and wave power. Central to either side of the debate, however, is the power of appeal. It’s not so much the information that’s integral to the conversation but the level of emotional appeal that’s driving the national debate.
There is a lot of emotional appeal for thousands of politicians and activists in satisfying an ideological agenda for ‘environmentally friendly’ energy, but there is a much more deep;ly rooted emotional appeal for millions of people in having hundreds of thousands of productive jobs with long-term futures.
There is also a lot of emotion arround spending half my paycheck on energy that is 5 times more expensive than using available fossil fuels.
If you want to convert to “clean energy”, figure out how to compete (fairly) in the market.