Thomas Friedman - The "Chapter 18 Project"

Thomas Friedman is looking for a few good ideas to add to his next addition of Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

Making Clean Energy Work

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published September 16th 2008 | 16 Ideas

Thanks to all for the comments. As I am finding from the people I meet on the road during events in connection with the book, there is a real groundswell of enthusiasm and commitment to bringing about a change from the Dirty Fuels System to a Clean Energy System. But as your comments indicate, we all know that many, many obstacles stand in the way.

In the book — pages 391-3 — I tell the story of the effort of Southern California Edison to produce wind power in the Thachapi Pass and send it to Los Angeles, 275 miles away. It took eleven years — eleven years — for all the local and state governments, regulatory agencies, utilities commissions, and environmental groups to review the process and make their recommendations. That is why I sometimes wish that America could be "China for a Day."

What stories do you have about the difficulty of making Clean Energy work even when everyone agrees that it is in our best interests?

---

Recent Ideas from Chapter 18:

Clark, Cincy wrote "I feel compelled to start with a bit of information. I am no engineer. I don't fully comprehend the science of global..." in Making Clean Energy Work Monday, 04:27 pm

Geovane Zanetti wrote "I'm from Brazil, the land of the sugarcane ethanol, and I think that we really have to be worried because the answers..." in Introduction to Chapter 18 Monday, 02:10 pm

John, an American wrote "Mr. Friedman, You did an excellent job of explaining our Energy, biodiversity, and environmental crises in the world..." in Introduction to Chapter 18 Monday, 12:39 pm

Frank wrote "While the necessity of clean, cheap, abundant electrons seems undeniable, the argument distracts us from the reality..." in A Quick Note Monday, 10:49 am

Tim from Carlsbad, Ca wrote "Tools Mr. Friedman, If there is one thing I could ask from your astounding access to the top thinkers of today, is..." in Introduction to Chapter 18 Monday, 09:19 am

Other items of interest:

Read the Wired article on Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

Read "The First Law of Petropolitics" from Foreign Policy (May/June 2006)

Visit "Tom's Journal" on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

Listen to Tom interviewed by Nayan Chanda for YaleGlobal, 30 January 2003.

Tags: Thomas Friedman, The Chapter 18 Project, books, authors, Environment, creativity, Hot Flat and Crowded, climate change, global warming