Earth is heating up, because humans continue to burn fossil fuels. In the last decade, the use of oil, coal and gas accounted for as much as 86% of the global warming fueling fires and floods.
The U.S. can transition all electricity to renewable and nuclear sources by 2035, and buildings and most vehicles can be switched to electric. But the fossil fuel industry is fighting for survival — even though the scientific consensus shows their use threatens life on Earth.
This is especially true in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal utility that serves 10 million people across the region, is undertaking what could be the largest fossil fuel buildout in the nation this decade, and the state legislature has been passing laws to protect fossil fuel companies from local governments and protests near so-called “critical infrastructure.”
A lot of people are fed up.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of people around the world are expected to gather on the streets to demand that leaders like President Biden phase out fossil fuels — starting with ending federal approval for new projects. The biggest rally is expected to be in New York City, where the United Nations will gather world leaders to discuss phasing out fossil energy next Wednesday.
Nashville will have its own climate rally Sunday at Public Square Park from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Organizers say the main focus of the demonstration is to demand that the Tennessee Valley Authority halt their plans to build new methane gas plants that will require more than 150 miles of pipelines carrying fracked gas.
“Pipeline projects and new fossil fuel buildouts can be stopped. There is clear precedent for success when community members come together and we’re already seeing communities across the valley fighting back,” said Sudeep Ghantasala, leader of Sunrise Movement Nashville, a youth group focused on climate change.
Some places are quickly transitioning to renewable energy. South Dakota now gets more than 80% of its electricity from renewables, and even energy hog Texas has 25% wind and solar.
The Tennessee Valley had nearly 40% nuclear energy and 13% renewable energy last year, according to TVA, which has been criticized by Nashville’s mayor, U.S. senators and the Environmental Protection Agency and litigated by the Southern Environmental Law Center for risking climate and economic harm by pushing gas over renewable projects this year.
Fossil fuel, pipeline and utility executives can make a lot of profit. TVA CEO Jeff Lyash, for example, makes about $10 million each year.
In 2021, the International Energy Agency warned that zero new oil and gas exploration and development could take place if the world was to stay within the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit. The world’s leading energy agency also said the result of increased investment into the clean energy transition would be a net benefit to the economy. In Tennessee, clean tech manufacturing has spurred about $7 billion in investment and thousands of job commitments in the past year.
The U.S. accounts for more than a third of the expansion of global oil and gas production planned by 2050, a new report by Oil Change International found this week. Just five countries — the U.S. Canada, Australia, Norway and the UK — will be responsible for more than half of all planned expansion.
“Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals, but the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said last year. “Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.”
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM