Hermann Scheer: Big Energy’s Last Stand

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  2. Summary
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  4. Transcript
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The Video

Hermann Scheer, Big Energy’s Last Stand1, May 21, 2006by Marcus Morrell, © Big Picture TV 2006

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Summary

Hermann Scheer argues that the reason why many still think renewable energy cannot replace fossil and nuclear power is because those working in these industries have made efforts to propagate the notion. Furthermore, a largely unsuspecting public seldom differentiates between a vested interest and an independent expert. Scientists and industrialists, dependent on nuclear and fossil fuel industries for their livelihoods, shun evidence that suggests a total shift to renewable energy is possible.

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Video Details

Source
Big Energy’s Last Stand2
Running time
2m 22s
Filmed
Geneva, Switzerland, May 21, 2006
Credits
Marcus Morrell
About Hermann Scheer
Politician, NGO President

A Member of the German Parliament since 1980, Dr Hermann Scheer3 is also a Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He is President of the European Association for Renewable Energies, EUROSOLAR4, and is General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy. Time Magazine honored him with the title Hero for the Green Century in 2002 and his books on the renewable energy transition include The Solar Economy.

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Transcript

People believe that renewable energies would not be enough to replace, to substitute atomic or fossil energies because it is told to them, and the big energy interests of today involved in fossil and atomic energy tell that to people. People don’t have enough mistrust. They don’t know the distinction between an economic interest and an expert; an expert who would be, or who should be, neutral to the different energy sources, and that renewable energies would not be enough to replace conventional energies is an existential lie. It is an unbelievable lie. It is totally wrong.

It has very often been described how there could be a general shift to renewable energies but the experts of the conventional energy system and all the scientists who are on their payroll ignore that, in a, ignore that intentionally, and because if they would accept, if they would agree that a total shift to renewable energies would be possible, let’s say, in the run of the next 25 or 30 years, and it is possible in such a time, they would lose totally their legitimacy to continue nuclear and fossil energy investment. This is the main reason. The conventional energy companies will be the losers, will become the losers of the change to renewable energies, and that’s the reason why they resist.

Hermann Scheer

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Related Information

  • Energy Security5
  • More by Hermann Scheer, from Big Picture TV6

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0 articles on “Hermann Scheer: Big Energy’s Last Stand” and 2 related issues:

Geopolitics

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Environmental Issues

Environmental issues are also a major global issue. Humans depend on a sustainable and healthy environment, and yet we have damaged the environment in numerous ways. This section introduces other issues including biodiversity, climate change, animal and nature conservation, population, genetically modified food, sustainable development, and more.

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