Plan B 2.0

February 27, 2006

“Isn’t wind energy a problem where there’s no wind?”

“Yup. And oil energy is a problem where there’s no oil.”

from a conversation between Jerome McDonell and Lester Brown on Chicago Public Radio’s “Worldview” program

Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, is the author of Plan B 2.0. The book addresses issues such as the viability of alternate energy sources like wind power “…a resource that’s ours, that no one can take away, and will never run out” and a future where there is competition between supermarkets and fueling stations for the same agricultural commodities - food or fuel?

In his Worldview appearance, Brown also discussed the phenomenon of driving to a gym to ride a stationary bicycle because commuting by bike to work is largely uncomfortable because of the competition with vehicular traffic for a share of the road in the U.S. (as opposed to, for example, the Netherlands, where cyclists have dedicated lanes and special traffic signals). Also, he noted that many U.S. governors are signing on to the Kyoto Protocol because of the environmental leadership vacuum in Washington.