Energy touches all things at all times

Climate change has become a major issue. President Joe Biden’s solution for us is a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. He is also mandating that we make our electricity production carbon-free by 2035.

The term “greenhouse gas” came about because atmospheric gases keep the earth warm, enabling us to grow food. Greenhouse gas warms the lower atmosphere and is made up of carbon dioxide (CO2), 87%, methane and 13% water. 

Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon such as coal and other organic compounds. It is naturally present in the air (.04%) and is absorbed by plants during photo synthesis. It is essential to the growing of our food. Our influence on adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere is less than a tenth of 1% of the total.

Electricity is our main source of energy. We are far behind in the production and distribution of this essential commodity.  Electricity is produced by running a generator that is powered by other sources of energy such as gas, coal, oil or wind. A car, which runs on gas, has a generator that charges the battery with electricity. If there is an attack on our electric grids, we would have to depend on electricity from windmills, dams, nuclear and solar. 

We cannot plan on dams because the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, who owns and manages the dam at Polson, is presently selling all their electricity. 

There are also plans that suggest breaching four Lower Snake River dams where Montana gets enough electricity to serve 100,000 households. The Biden administration has agreed to the terms. See Feb. 4 of the Daily Inter Lake.

Most foreign countries like Germany, China and Japan have plenty of cheap electricity because they use coal, gas and oil to generate electricity and carbon dioxide.

Our planet has been warming for the last 150 years. It is presently warming at 0.02F degrees per year. 

The ice is melting. As the population of the earth increases, more land becomes available to farm and farmers can plant earlier so there is more food.  God meets this demand by using the sun and clouds to make and manage the greenhouse gases. Our job is to manage our farms, gardens, greenhouses and especially forests, not to try to change the climate.

Verdell Jackson lives in Kalispell.