Ozzie Zehner - Green Illusions

Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and hosted by the UBC Reads Sustainability Lecture Series. Ozzie Zehner is the author of Green Illusions and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. His recent publications include public science pieces in Christian Science Monitor, The American Scholar, The Humanist, The Futurist, Women's Studies Quarterly and The Economist as well as educational resources in Green Technology (Sage, 2011) and Green Culture (Sage, 2011). Zehner's research and projects over the previous two decades have been covered by CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, Science News Radio, The Washington Post, Business Week and numerous other media outlets. He also serves on the editorial board of Critical Environmentalism. Zehner primarily researches the social, political and economic conditions influencing energy policy priorities and project outcomes. His work also incorporates symbolic roles that energy technologies play within political and environmental movements. His other research interests include consumerism, urban policy, environmental governance, international human rights, and forgeries.

[@iBryFi]

Saw this man at Kendall College of Art and Design around 20 years ago. Won his book in a raffle. He signed it. Actually had the chance to talk to him for a moment. Book changed my damn life. I remember my professor pushed me hard to go see him speak. I didn't even want to go see him speak initially.

[@FrankSchweppe]

Watching this 8 years later during the Covid pandemic. Contrary to some commenters I do like the old house anecdote. We planted trees around our home for shade and I would not chop them down to get some PV solar power. :-)

[@catherinebanks6420]

This reminds me why I hated architecture school (top rated program in US). Most of the professors were more concerned about getting their designs on a magazine cover than actually helping their clients.

[@rd264]

same with most law schools geared to support the legal profession. I wont even mention the military-industrial complex.

[@Orf]

0:10 I'm not going to say what "we must" talk about but how "we might" talk about the environmental issues we're dealing with.

[@Orf]

50:30 not saying we shouldn’t do R &E. It should just ask right questions

[@Orf]

1:21:00 “I do not have a problem w solar panels. Calling it green is another step though. “Connecting a billion people in India w solar panels is not going to happen”

[@chapter4travels]

You can't bring the 1.3 billion people who have no electricity out of poverty with efficiency. You do it with power, lots more power.

[@chapter4travels]

Poverty does not reduce populations, prosperity does. For these countries to get out of poverty they need a free market, property rights type of non-corrupt democracy. That's the first step, and energy is second, governments like that can borrow money. The goal should always energy clean, reliable and cheaper than coal. Right now that energy source doesn't exist, it's close, less than 10 years away. Generation IV nuclear. Wind and solar can never power a modern prosperous country.

[@chapter4travels]

You could not be more wrong in every point you made. We have gobs and gobs of coal, oil and natural gas. It will never run out because it will be replaced by better options, just like Whale oil was. Our Agricultural industry can easily meet peak populations, not even close to being a problem. It's rich and prosperous countries that can afford to protect the environment, poor countries can not.

[@geot4647]

Bring them more birth control before they become even more of a mob.

[@terry1086]

@brinbrin62 62200 mlm l²0

[@Orf]

1:02:30 suggests we may need a crisis. Well we got one

[@davidcanatella4279]

Solar panels are not going to fix it. Less is the only option.

[@NeutralAeroplane]

WTF is that clicking sound?!

[@MrSvenovitch]

mother nature

[@User_forbidden]

Ai

[@mrimc]

Frequency interference 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥 💥

[@jameswaters313]

I've chopped so many trees down for solar in my career.

[@judithmackay7158]

Over 16 million trees cut down in Scotland so far and acres of peatland dug up and destroyed to make way for definitely not green wind farms, and they think this is progress, all it is is more money into the pockets of the already wealthy.

[@davidcanatella4279]

Earth has to be extracted to pay rent and mortgage. Free house ownership would help tremendously

[@bies21]

You have 3% and you're expected to get to maybe 25% by 2050 - someone else needs to hit the books

[@rd264]

Planet of the Humans is free on youtube, but it might be costly for those who are invested in population growth and consumption, see @ 50:00 mins et seq.

[@woooweee]

Keep watching, Germany is the perfect example of horribly misguided energy policy.

[@chriswatson3464]

Not any more, more than 80% of energy comes from renewables some days and prices can go negetavive.

[@leisanshavalieva]

@@chriswatson3464 I read Germany has just built new coal plants🤔

[@woooweee]

The anecdote isn't proof colddrake, its just illustrating through example....way to miss the point. Actual thinking? Perhaps you should try some yourself. It just sounds like he's punctured some illusions you've been working under.

[@dmtk8]

At the very beginning 5:20 the author is completely wrong. Why not show data from Germany? More reading, please.

[@chapter4travels]

Exactly, read more. climatechangedispatch.com/report-germanys-green-energy-policy-a-disaster-in-the-making/

[@DougHanchard]

Ultimately, if Zehner's views were taken literately, North America would have to rebuild 80% of each country's infrastructure (homes and commercial) which in itself is fine. Those costs however, I would suggest be far more expensive and polluting than Zehner understands or wants to take into account. Energy consumption is going to rise. The only way to reverse that possibility is to eliminate human re-population. Reduction of waste is where Zehner is right, but it has limits.

[@fyrewolf3084]

Not necessarily it's to get people to be more responsible and rethink how more and more us better .. people need to return to more natural and community based lifestyles.Capitalism on steroids has created nothing but a bunch of unsatiated selfish , greedy zombies.

[@fyrewolf3084]

How can people care for mother nature and the environment if they don't care about each other?

[@Rachegotter]

Ozzie Zehner... haven't seen this guy in years. He used to turn tricks out of Detroit. He hasn't improved on his communicating skills, though.

[@kurtklingbeil6900]

what is that supposed to mean ? perhaps it's an issue of comprehension ?

[@flexairz]

The greens ruin more than you think...

[@zazus1324]

But now I see this is really old, so maybe the data was just not available back in 2012. So how did he come up with his premise? In any case, very suspicious. In any case, he needs to update/correct this info, as it's still misleading and just plain wrong.

[@dmtk8]

:) No. YOU keep watching. Germany is setting the example of how its done for the rest of the world. Everybody will watch Germany and use their know-how and technology.

[@BiboNassim]

Germany has the most expensive electricity in Europe - and when the wind is not blowing, Polish coal powered stations (built by the Soviets) rescue the German grid. Need I say more? qbusters.com.au/ida/germ2.jpg

[@cliffm6566]

Germany is generating 7% of its power with solar in 2019. It's claim to convert to 100% solar/wind are the words of religious fanatics and will never happen.

[@leisanshavalieva]

@@cliffm6566 I read that Germany has built many new coal plants

[@colddrake80]

Wow, BP chopped down trees to enhance their profit margins? *GASP* As for the solar cell related greenhouse gases he neglects to mention how MUCH of those gasses are produced. Their potency is important but if it's 1:50,000 the amount of CO2 then the 1:10,000 potency isn't that important. He also uses the anecdotes about his unknown home owner and pretends that is alternative energy writ large. This speech is filled with crap like that.

[@colddrake80]

He is using anecdotes as proof. That is BS. Full stop. A talk like this has to be the condensed version of his book. In other words he better lead with his A material. What he's got on offer is the unknown home owner. That's not good enough. Schils will often use nonsense like this. I lost all respect for Thomas Friedman after his 3rd sports analogy in one Charlies Rose interview and he hasn't gotten any better. We need actual thinking not obfuscation like this punk is pushing.

[@kurtklingbeil6900]

yaaaaaawn

[@colddrake80]

It took you two months to come up with that? He was treating unsupported anecdotes as in an effort to persuade (read sucker) his audience. Their is flat zero connection between his line of "reasoning" and reality. This clown offered no real support just jabber maybe a weak mind (you seem quit convinced so..) can fall for it but it has no place in among adults. I can see this guy having a great career as a professional lunch eater who chirps whatever his paymasters want. Integrity be damned.

[@MrSvenovitch]

so you and him are part of the drama queen club? must be fun road trips together