The more than 6,000 products in our daily materialistic lives that did not exist before the 1800s are meeting the supply chain demands of today’s hospitals, airports, telecommunications, appliances, electronics, sanitation systems, heating, and ventilating systems.
The transportation fuels that move the heavy-weight and long-range needs of more than 50,000 jets moving people and products, and more than 50,000 merchant ships for global trade flows, and the military and space program.
Wind turbines ONLY generate electricity, but CANNOT make any products for society.
The world population has grown from 1 to 8 billion in less than 200 years, from more than 6,000 products and transportation fuels MADE from fossil fuels.
Today, we’re a materialistic society. Wind and solar CANNOT make EVs, or any of the products or fuels that get made from fossil fuels that support:
- Hospitals
- Airports
- Militaries
- Medical equipment
- Telecommunications
- Communications systems
- Space programs
- Appliances
- Electronics
- Sanitation systems
- Heating and ventilating
- Transportation – vehicles, rail, ocean, and air
- Construction – roads and buildings
- Nearly Half the World’s Population Relies on Synthetic Fertilizers Made from Fossil Fuels
With the help of hospitals, doctors, and medications, life longevity increased from 40 to 75+ during those 200 years.
Wind turbines and solar panels can ONLY generate electricity, but CANNOT make any of the products or transportation fuels MADE from fossil fuels that are supporting humanity.
EVs and ICE vehicles are virtually identical, i.e., the tires, insulation, wires, electronics, glass, etc., are all MADE from fossil fuels, except gasoline, 1 of the 6,000 products from fossil fuels. The other 5,999 products CANNOT be made by wind turbines or solar panels.
The key minerals in an EV battery are primarily from mining operations in China and Africa that exploit people with yellow, brown, and black skin. Thus, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book “Clean Energy Exploitations” is unethical and immoral to financially encourage China and Africa to continue exploiting their people with yellow, brown, and black skin, and inflict environmental degradation on those developing countries, just so wealthy countries can go “green”.
Inside the Congo cobalt mines that exploit children, the SKY NEWS 6-minute video is confirmation of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book “Clean Energy Exploitations” that describes the human atrocities among folks in poverty, so that the wealthy countries can go green.
The costs associated with installing wind turbines and solar panels are heavily dependent on the materials to build those renewables which often come from those working in poverty in China and Africa with cheap labor, using materials extracted with child labor, in mines and facilities with minimal or no workplace safety or environmental safeguards, with every phase fueled by oil, natural gas or coal, further perpetuating the devastation to ecosystems and wildlife.
There exists a “double standard” for reclamation for privately funded projects versus government-funded projects. Refinery sites need to be brought back to pristine conditions, while failed wind turbine installations are just abandoned or dumped into waste dump sites.
Electricity came about AFTER fossil fuels, as all the parts and components (wire, insulation, computers, glass) to generate electricity via coal, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, wind, or solar are MADE from fossil fuels.
Today’s transportation via billions of vehicles, trucks, 50,000 airplanes, and 50,000 ships came about came about AFTER fossil fuels, as all the parts and components to build those vehicles, trucks, airplanes, and ships are MADE from fossil fuels and transportation fuels to MOVE.
Ridding the world of fossil fuel usage would severely undermine electricity, transportation, and the infrastructure that did not exist 200 years ago.
“Net-zero” ideologies are NOT affordable by the more than 6 billion on this planet living in poverty.
- After the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026, Venezuela has been receiving a lot of press the last few weeks.
- Of particular interest is that as of today, more than 90 percent of the 30 million Venezuelans, i.e., 27 million, live in poverty. Nearly 70 percent are stuck in extreme poverty. Shockingly, 80% of the 8 billion on planet Earth, or more than 6 billion, are living on less than $10/day. The 27 million Venezuelans represent only about 5% of those 6 billion living in poverty around the world.
In poor countries, millions of those in poverty die every year.
- From indoor air pollution from having to burn wood, charcoal, grass, and dung, because they don’t have natural gas, propane, or electricity for cooking and heating.
- From bacteria and parasites in their water and food, because they don’t have electricity, water treatment, or refrigeration.
- From malaria and other diseases, because their substandard clinics and hospitals lack electricity, clean water, sufficient vaccines and antibiotics, and even window screens.
For affordable electricity, there are 460 coal plants under construction. Another 500 have been permitted or are about to be, with an additional 260 new plants expected to be announced. The vast majority of all this activity is in China and India.
Before we rid the planet’s usage of fossil fuels, we need to identify the REPLACEMENT to support the supply chain of products and transportation fuels now demanded by all the infrastructures that did not exist 200 years ago. Wind turbines CANNOT make anything.
This reality does not deny the importance of environmental responsibility. Rather, it highlights the need for pragmatic frameworks that recognize material dependency, energy security, and global equity simultaneously. Sustainable progress must be grounded not in ideology, but in realistic transitions that preserve the foundations of modern civilization while improving environmental performance.
Please share this information with teachers, students, and friends to encourage Energy Literacy conversations at the family dinner table.
Click this Link to Sign up for Energy Literacy from Ronald Stein.
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Ambassador for Energy & Infrastructure, Co-author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated book “Clean Energy Exploitations”, policy advisor on energy literacy for The Heartland Institute, and The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, and National TV Commentator- Energy & Infrastructure with Rick Amato.
Ronald Stein, P.E. is an engineer, energy consultant, speaker, author of books and articles on energy, environmental policy, and human rights, and Founder of PTS Advance, a California based company.
Ron advocates that energy literacy starts with the knowledge that renewable energy is only intermittent electricity generated from unreliable breezes and sunshine, as wind turbines and solar panels cannot manufacture anything for the 8 billion on this planet.
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