My sainted Grandpa Tennessen is surely catching a boatload of whoopers as he trolls heaven’s fishing grounds.  How did he reach such an exalted status?  One of my earliest memories is of Grandpa taking the five of us fishing for bullheads on the box elder lined banks of Honey Creek. We were determined to cast our cane poles out to where the big ones were.  Poor Gramps spent the bulk of his time untangling lines from those shady trees.

            But it was great fun; many others agree.  According to the American Sportsfishing Association, as many as 33 million Americans over 16 yrs. of age enjoy the sport and generate $48 billion dollars in equipment, licenses and trips annually.   Wisconsin ranks in the top ten states for expenditures spent for fishing.  And it’s 3rd for luring in out-of-state, non-resident fishing expenditures.  If you like fishing, Wisconsin is a great place to live.

            Besides being a lot of fun, the health benefits of eating fish are well known.  But there’s the rub.  We’re also cautioned to not eat certain kinds of fish too frequently to avoid mercury poisoning.  I have a devil of a time remembering which kinds of fish to avoid altogether, which ones I can eat sometimes, and which are considered completely safe.

There’s something just plain un-American about this.  It’s as if we’ve collectively shrugged our shoulders and accepted the fact that our waters and fish are toxic.

Mercury pollution primarily comes from coal-fired power plants.  They emit 33 tons of mercury in the US annually – about half of all mercury emissions.  Coal has been a relatively inexpensive driver of the industrial revolution.  It’s been greatly responsible for the wealth and standard of living we enjoy today.  But in the 21st century we now understand the health, environmental, and climatic consequences of the continued use of coal. There are better, cost–effective means of fueling our society.  We need to transition to them as rapidly as possible.  When enjoying a great day of fishing, we shouldn’t have to question whether the food we’ve caught is safe to serve to our families.

            Grandpa Tennessen would find this intolerable.  We can do better; and we must.  Our lakes and rivers need to last a lifetime and for lifetimes to come.  They are the only ones we’ll ever have.  After all, we are forever… Earthbound.

            Remember the old riddle, “When is a door not a door?” (Hilarious answer below.)  Now see if you can answer this one.  “When is an alternative fuel not an alternative?”  Answer – “When it’s just plain fuel.”

            Back in 2001 when the Montfort wind farm began operations it was a strange and almost unique sight.  Have you driven through northern Illinois toward the LaSalle / Peru area lately?  Wind turbines line the horizon.  According to Geoffrey Carr in The Economist global wind power capacity is doubling every three years.  At this rate it will overtake nuclear’s energy contribution in about a decade.

            And advances in solar photovoltaic energy (converting sunlight directly into electricity) are growing even faster.  In the late 1970s it cost nearly $40 /watt for photovoltaic electrical generation.  By the mid-90s it was down to $5.  Last year it dropped well below $1/watt.  Solar power plant construction now costs less than $5/watt.  Compare this to $3/watt for new coal plant construction.  But here’s the great part…solar fuel is free whereas the environmental and health costs associated with coal are numerous.  (Just ask the 300,000 West Virginians whose water supply was contaminated this past January.)

            On top of that, similar to Moore’s law that suggests the cost and size of transistors drops every 18 months, something called Swanson’s law suggests that photovoltaic costs will drop 20% each time global manufacturing doubles.  With this trend and projection is there any reason to invest in new coal-fired plants?

            Another source of free fuel is geo-thermal.  Ten years ago who would have thought that we’d have our own Wisconsin Geothermal Association?  A testimonial on their website tells of a family whose heating, cooling, and hot water annual bill was just over $1,000.  I’ll take it! 

            When is an alternative no longer “alternative?”  When it’s just the way we do things.  We’re learning to economically harvest free sources of energy.  There are admittedly many logistical challenges to resolve, but imagine a world where the pollution, transportation, and security problems associated with fossil fuels slowly recedes until the use of internal combustion engines and smokestacks are novelties instead of the norm.

            We can make that world become a reality, and we must.  Because this is our home and the only home our grandchildren will ever know.  They will forever be…Earthbound.

Riddle answer – “When it’s ajar….A jar!”