Laying the Foundation for a Resilient Energy Future

"The late Malcolm Forbes was fond of saying, "It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem." Presumably Forbes' comment was inspired by his work in publishing, but the sentiment is shared by many in the renewable energy field as well. If we want to avoid short-sighted responses to our energy predicament, we need to look more deeply at the factors that influence the resilience of an energy system and, perhaps more importantly, how any given energy system influences the resilience of the food, water, and land systems it supports. The most difficult question is not how we will switch from fossil fuels to solar and wind energy - we already know how to do that. Our greatest challenge lies in improving our understanding of how to implement renewable energy technologies in ways that build strong and resilient communities for ourselves and future generations."