Dem
47
GOP
53
We often think these days of the line attributed to Galileo: "Eppur si muove." That means, "and yet it moves," and it is supposedly what the great scientist uttered after being forced by a Catholic tribunal to recant his heliocentric theory. The story is probably apocryphal, but it still makes a useful point about those who rage against changes that are inevitable.
Donald Trump, of course, hates green energy. Part of that is probably that the thought of global warming frightens him, and it's easier for him to bury his head in the sand. Part of it is probably that he's been bought and paid for by Big Oil. And part of it is probably that Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), etc., like green energy, and he reflexively hates anything they support.
Trump, in particular, hates wind energy. Not only is that green energy but, on top of that, there's a pretty well-established story (which we've mentioned before) that he felt the view at his golf course in Scotland was being ruined by not-that-nearby wind turbines, and he tried and failed to get them removed. And so, wind power became a permanent bugaboo for him. With any other president, we would have great difficulty accepting that story. With Trump, it tracks.
The fundamental problem, for Trump's "side," is that green energy isn't just political anymore. It is, as we have written many times, a question of economics. Coal is already far more expensive to produce and use than green alternatives, and petroleum is headed on that path, too. And so, even corporate interests—which are bound to make decisions primarily with an eye toward the bottom line—are gravitating toward green power sources, including wind.
Today's example is DHL, which does a brisk business in less-than-container-load (LCL) freight. Basically, that means stuff that is too big to ship via the various postal services, but too small to ship on those giant container ships. We're talking things like pallets of pharmaceuticals, cases of wine, specialized airplane parts, things like that.
Looking to cut costs and emissions, DHL has just announced a partnership with a French company called VELA, which manufactures wind-powered cargo trimarans. In a development that sort of recalls the age of the caravels, the trimarans are partly sail-powered. The sails are aided by some green-powered engines, which also serve to keep the refrigerated portions of the ships properly cooled.
The first regular route for the new ships will be from Caen-Ouistreham, France, to New Haven, CT. DHL and VELA estimate the trip can be completed in 15 days. If everything goes according to plan, the costs will be lower than that of a gas-powered trip, the ships will last longer and emissions will be cut by 99%. That's a win, win, and win, which is a sequence the wind-hating Trump rarely experiences.
Have a good weekend, all! (Z)