Solar-powered protest fail
Solar energy can’t even handle an anti-fossil fuels blow up toy.
This protest presents the world with a powerfully ironic statement on what happens when you expect renewables (even with battery backup) to provide reliable power.
The video is funny and sad at the same time. Funny for the obvious reason that the solar-powered protest went a teensy bit flaccid. Sad that these protestors don’t appear to see the obvious irony and parallels to our larger energy system.
As in real life, when renewable energy can’t keep up with demand, you have to plug into a reliable, fossil-fueled energy source.
One shudders to think what would happen if, instead of a blow up toy, that solar panel was hooked up to your mother’s heart monitor, or the incubator that was keeping a ‘preemie’ infant alive, or the heater that was keeping your grandmother warm during the recent polar vortex deep freeze.
The stark reality that we must face when making energy policy choices today is that, given current technologies, we cannot rely solely on renewable energy – it can’t do the job.
As the environmentalist protestors in the video readily admit, when renewables fail, they normally hook their blow up toy to (fossil fuel-powered) generators, or a (fossil fuel or nuclear baseload powered) electric outlet.
We all do the same.