Reading the recent articles about ActivUs, I am once again reminded of how negative the whole sustainability movement is. Rather than discussing what we should be doing to better the planet, we seem to only be able to discuss things we shouldn’t do. We talk about how we should stop burning coal, but don’t mention what we will do for electricity instead. I believe that the movement may be better served by discussing replacements for our coal power plant, putting the whole issue into a positive light.

With this, I am not saying that burning coal for electricity is a good thing. Coal produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in addition to sulfur dioxides that pollute the environment. Coal ash contains toxic chemicals such as mercury. The problem is, coal provides a source of electricity that is always available and is cheap. Replacing coal with wind or solar power introduces problems, because the power is not available when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. Natural gas is cleaner, but still produces carbon dioxide, as does burning biomass. Nuclear power brings fears of radiation and meltdown, though it doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide. Our energy situation is more complex than many may think, with everything having disadvantages. Burning coal may be a bad thing, but having cheap electricity all the time is a good thing.

My point with all of the above is that the sustainability movement in general, and ActivUs in particular, should focus more on how we will replace coal, rather than just saying coal is bad. I believe this will bring about more results, as well as educating the public better so that all of us can make informed decisions.