- Energy Economics, Political Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Sociology of Risk, Women's Rights, Political Ecology, and 30 moreEnvironmental Economics, Energy and Environment, Critical Environmentalism (Architecture), Environmental Studies, Critical Theory, Energy Production & Consumption, Pedestrian Walkability (Architecture and public spaces), Environmental Politics, Environmental Justice, Sociology of Technology, The Politics of Gender and Health, Women's Empowerment, DeGrowth, Conservation Biology, Conservation, Wildlife Conservation, Biodiversity, Ecology, Science Communication, Environmental Education, Human-wildlife conflicts, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Networks, Databases, Software, Sociology of Knowledge, Social Theory, Sociology of Science, Science, Technology and Society, and Environmental Sustainabilityedit
- Ozzie Zehner is a visiting scholar at Northwestern University and author of Green Illusions (GreenIllusions.org). He... moreOzzie Zehner is a visiting scholar at Northwestern University and author of Green Illusions (GreenIllusions.org). He has written for academic and mainstream publications including Christian Science Monitor, The American Scholar, The Hill, UTNE, Truthout, ARTE, IEEE Spectrum, Women’s Studies Quarterly, and other publications. He regularly guest lectures at universities and serves as a reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Ozzie is also a founding collaborator for a research and media nonprofit that will launch in San Francisco in 2015.
Ozzie primarily researches the social, political and economic conditions influencing energy policy priorities and project outcomes. He studies the symbolic roles that energy technologies play within political and environmental movements. His other areas of interest include habitat conservation, consumerism, urban policy, international human rights, and forgeries.
Ozzie Zehner graduated from Kettering University (BS - Engineering) and The University of Amsterdam (MS/Drs – Science and Technology Studies). His research was awarded with honors at both institutions.edit
This paper contrasts green energy expectations with material factors to develop unasked questions about potential: urban myths (e.g. solar cells are made from sand), assumptions (e.g. alternative energy is of comparable quality to fossil... more
This paper contrasts green energy expectations with material factors to develop unasked questions about potential: urban myths (e.g. solar cells are made from sand), assumptions (e.g. alternative energy is of comparable quality to fossil fuel energy and can offset its use), strategic ignorance (e.g. solar cost drops reflect Moore’s law), and trained incapacity (e.g. solar and wind energy is low- or zero-carbon).
Purpose: This research presents uncomfortable questions about the viability of alternative energy technologies, which arise during economic contraction and degrowth but are scarcely addressed within media and academia.
Design: The author identifies and graphically illustrates differences between media expectations for renewable energy production versus energy reduction strategies.
Findings: Compared to energy reduction coverage, journalists cover energy production using 1) more character-driven storytelling, 2) about twice the promising language, and 3) far more references to climate change and energy independence. These observations help loosely illustrate a pervasive energy production ethos, a reflexive network including behaviors, symbols, expectations, and material conditions.
Social Implications: Fascination with alternative energy may serve as a form of techno-denial to avoid facing the uncertain but inevitable end of growth in consumption and population on our finite planet.
Originality: This paper offers journalists, policymakers, researchers, and students new, unasked, questions regarding the expectation that alternative energy technologies can replace fossil fuel. For instance, if wind and sunlight are free, why are wind and solar energies so expensive, requiring billions in subsidies? Where do solar cell and wind turbine costs ultimately arise, if not from fossil fuels (via labor, materials, etc.)?
Purpose: This research presents uncomfortable questions about the viability of alternative energy technologies, which arise during economic contraction and degrowth but are scarcely addressed within media and academia.
Design: The author identifies and graphically illustrates differences between media expectations for renewable energy production versus energy reduction strategies.
Findings: Compared to energy reduction coverage, journalists cover energy production using 1) more character-driven storytelling, 2) about twice the promising language, and 3) far more references to climate change and energy independence. These observations help loosely illustrate a pervasive energy production ethos, a reflexive network including behaviors, symbols, expectations, and material conditions.
Social Implications: Fascination with alternative energy may serve as a form of techno-denial to avoid facing the uncertain but inevitable end of growth in consumption and population on our finite planet.
Originality: This paper offers journalists, policymakers, researchers, and students new, unasked, questions regarding the expectation that alternative energy technologies can replace fossil fuel. For instance, if wind and sunlight are free, why are wind and solar energies so expensive, requiring billions in subsidies? Where do solar cell and wind turbine costs ultimately arise, if not from fossil fuels (via labor, materials, etc.)?
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Sociology, and 9 moreSocial Psychology, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development, Energy, Energy and Environment, Environmental Sustainability, and Sustainable Architecture
Purpose: This research presents uncomfortable questions about the viability of alternative energy technologies, which arise during economic contraction and degrowth but are scarcely addressed within media and academia. Design: The... more
Purpose: This research presents uncomfortable questions about the viability of alternative energy technologies, which arise during economic contraction and degrowth but are scarcely addressed within media and academia.
Design: The author identifies and graphically illustrates differences between media expectations for renewable energy production versus energy reduction strategies. The author contrasts green energy expectations with material factors to develop unasked questions about potential: urban myths (e.g. solar cells are made from sand), assumptions (e.g. alternative energy is of comparable quality to fossil fuel energy and can offset its use), strategic ignorance (e.g. solar cost drops reflect Moore’s law), and trained incapacity (e.g. solar and wind energy is low- or zero-carbon).
Findings: Compared to energy reduction coverage, journalists cover energy production using 1) more character-driven storytelling, 2) about twice the promising language, and 3) far more references to climate change and energy independence. These observations help loosely illustrate a pervasive energy production ethos, a reflexive network including behaviors, symbols, expectations, and material conditions.
Social Implications: Fascination with alternative energy may serve as a form of techno-denial to avoid facing the uncertain but inevitable end of growth in consumption and population on our finite planet.
Originality: This paper offers journalists, policymakers, researchers, and students new, unasked, questions regarding the expectation that alternative energy technologies can replace fossil fuel. For instance, if wind and sunlight are free, why are wind and solar energies so expensive, requiring billions in subsidies? Where do solar cell and wind turbine costs ultimately arise, if not from fossil fuels (via labor, materials, etc.)?
Design: The author identifies and graphically illustrates differences between media expectations for renewable energy production versus energy reduction strategies. The author contrasts green energy expectations with material factors to develop unasked questions about potential: urban myths (e.g. solar cells are made from sand), assumptions (e.g. alternative energy is of comparable quality to fossil fuel energy and can offset its use), strategic ignorance (e.g. solar cost drops reflect Moore’s law), and trained incapacity (e.g. solar and wind energy is low- or zero-carbon).
Findings: Compared to energy reduction coverage, journalists cover energy production using 1) more character-driven storytelling, 2) about twice the promising language, and 3) far more references to climate change and energy independence. These observations help loosely illustrate a pervasive energy production ethos, a reflexive network including behaviors, symbols, expectations, and material conditions.
Social Implications: Fascination with alternative energy may serve as a form of techno-denial to avoid facing the uncertain but inevitable end of growth in consumption and population on our finite planet.
Originality: This paper offers journalists, policymakers, researchers, and students new, unasked, questions regarding the expectation that alternative energy technologies can replace fossil fuel. For instance, if wind and sunlight are free, why are wind and solar energies so expensive, requiring billions in subsidies? Where do solar cell and wind turbine costs ultimately arise, if not from fossil fuels (via labor, materials, etc.)?
Research Interests: Sociology, Social Psychology, Political Economy, Communication, Technology, and 14 moreMedia Studies, Architecture, Renewable Energy, Sociology of Knowledge, Computer Networks, Political Science, Energy, Energy and Environment, Renewable energy resources, Databases, Software, Solar Energy, Public Policy, and Science and Technology Studies
Research Interests: Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Political Sociology, Geography, Environmental Geography, and 10 moreAnthropology, Sustainable Transportation, Environmental Studies, Environmental Anthropology, Economic Growth, Political Science, Urban Studies, Ecology, Urban Sociology, and Environmental Sustainability
We don’t have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what’s wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem.... more
We don’t have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what’s wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem. Though we generally believe we can solve environmental problems with more energy—more solar cells, wind turbines, and biofuels—alternative technologies come with their own side effects and limitations. How, for instance, do solar cells cause harm? Why can’t engineers solve wind power’s biggest obstacle? Why won’t contraception solve the problem of overpopulation, lying at the heart of our concerns about energy, and what will?
This practical, environmentally informed, and lucid book persuasively argues for a change of perspective. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus away from suspect alternative energies and toward improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women’s rights. The dozens of first steps he offers are surprisingly straightforward. For instance, he introduces a simple sticker that promises a greater impact than all of the nation’s solar cells. He uncovers why carbon taxes won’t solve our energy challenges (and presents two taxes that could). Finally, he explores how future environmentalists will focus on similarly fresh alternatives that are affordable, clean, and can actually improve wellbeing.
This practical, environmentally informed, and lucid book persuasively argues for a change of perspective. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus away from suspect alternative energies and toward improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women’s rights. The dozens of first steps he offers are surprisingly straightforward. For instance, he introduces a simple sticker that promises a greater impact than all of the nation’s solar cells. He uncovers why carbon taxes won’t solve our energy challenges (and presents two taxes that could). Finally, he explores how future environmentalists will focus on similarly fresh alternatives that are affordable, clean, and can actually improve wellbeing.
Research Interests: Urban Geography, Architecture, Renewable Energy, Conservation, Computer Networks, and 15 moreUrban Planning, Energy Policy, Urban Studies, Air pollution, Urban Sociology, Pedestrian Walkability (Architecture and public spaces), Water Pollution, Databases, Software, Urban Design, Solar Energy, City and Regional Planning, Bicycling, Groundwater Quality, and Science and Technology Studies
Alternative energy fetishes such as solar cells and wind turbines have become spectacles that do nothing to offset coal use. Instead, these technologies serve mostly as symbols that distract Americans and prevent them from considering... more
Alternative energy fetishes such as solar cells and wind turbines have become spectacles that do nothing to offset coal use. Instead, these technologies serve mostly as symbols that distract Americans and prevent them from considering cleaner and more affordable solutions to climate change and other environmental problems.
Research Interests: Energy Economics, Environmental Education, Science Communication, Conservation Biology, Renewable Energy, and 11 moreConservation, Conservation Ecology, Energy Efficiency Buildings, Ecology, Energy and Environment, Biodiversity, Human-wildlife conflicts, Nuclear Energy, DeGrowth, Steady-State Economy, Degrowth, Ecological Economics, Evolution of Economics, Sustainable Lifestyles, Behavioral Change, Human Development, Evolution of Consciousness, Intentional Communities, Grassroots Movements, and Electric Cars
Like the 28 governors and numerous environmental groups currently scrambling to extend wind power subsidies, I long assumed that wind turbines and solar cells offset fossil fuel use. They probably don’t.
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Green technologies (e.g. wind turbines, solar cells, and biofuels) and initiatives (e.g. efficiency, recycling, and organics) yield distinct unanticipated consequences that can partially or fully offset intended environmental benefits.
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(Russian language article on electric cars) Мы привыкли думать, что негатив в использовании автомобиля связан с его выхлопной трубой. И электромобиль, который не производит выхлопов, кажется многообещающим. Нам хочется верить, что... more
(Russian language article on electric cars) Мы привыкли думать, что негатив в использовании автомобиля связан с его выхлопной трубой. И электромобиль, который не производит выхлопов, кажется многообещающим. Нам хочется верить, что автомобильные перевозки могут быть экологичными - и очень легко поддаться этой удобной иллюзии.
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Electric vehicles don’t eliminate the negative side effects of vehicular travel. They simply move the problems elsewhere – often to contexts where they become more opaque and difficult to address. When we start to exchange one set of side... more
Electric vehicles don’t eliminate the negative side effects of vehicular travel. They simply move the problems elsewhere – often to contexts where they become more opaque and difficult to address. When we start to exchange one set of side effects for another, the exchange rates become confusing. This opens a space for public relations firms, news pundits, environmentalists, and others to step in and define the terms of exchange to their liking.
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A year after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan, prospects for the nuclear power industry worldwide are far from certain. This article assesses the key economic, environmental, political, and psychological hinges on which nuclear... more
A year after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan, prospects for the nuclear power industry worldwide are far from certain. This article assesses the key economic, environmental, political, and psychological hinges on which nuclear power’s future now swings.
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Numerous environmental theorists characterize human population growth as an unsustainable pandemic accountable for a variety of ecological problems. However, regional consumption patterns amplify the environmental impact of a population,... more
Numerous environmental theorists characterize human population growth as an unsustainable pandemic accountable for a variety of ecological problems. However, regional consumption patterns amplify the environmental impact of a population, making the two factors (consumption and population) difficult to evaluate separately. Many environmentalists advocate for wider distribution of family planning services, contraception, and sexual education to prevent population growth. Meanwhile, some rights advocates insist that population growth is the symptom of larger cultural injustices and that contraceptives are inappropriate tools to address these underlying inequities.
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We increasingly trust alternative-energy technologies to solve our environmental challenges even though we might alternately view the roots of these challenges as social, economic, and political. Before contemplating the future of energy,... more
We increasingly trust alternative-energy technologies to solve our environmental challenges even though we might alternately view the roots of these challenges as social, economic, and political. Before contemplating the future of energy, we’ll first have to face some ghosts from our past.
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By 2100, one aspect of our world will have become apparent: While populations and economies can grow exponentially, the planet’s resources cannot. Nevertheless, as this simple realization unravels over coming decades, it will not be... more
By 2100, one aspect of our world will have become apparent: While populations and economies can grow exponentially, the planet’s resources cannot. Nevertheless, as this simple realization unravels over coming decades, it will not be plainly visible. It will manifest in less-obvious ways.
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Ozzie Zehner argues that, far from being better for the planet than conventional cars, electric cars in fact cause more harm. And for governments to be ploughing vast amounts of money into encouraging their development is not just... more
Ozzie Zehner argues that, far from being better for the planet than conventional cars, electric cars in fact cause more harm. And for governments to be ploughing vast amounts of money into encouraging their development is not just short-sighted but fundamentally misconceived.
Abstract: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are highly efficient, durable, and long lasting lighting devices. Since a fifth of electrical generation goes toward lighting, LEDs hold the potential to greatly reduce energy use. However, energy... more
Abstract: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are highly efficient, durable, and long lasting lighting devices. Since a fifth of electrical generation goes toward lighting, LEDs hold the potential to greatly reduce energy use. However, energy efficiency rebound effects could partly or entirely offset these savings.
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In considering contemporary development of alternative energy technologies, is it not also appropriate to consider the meanings applied to and implicit in the development of these technologies? The development of energy technologies,... more
In considering contemporary development of alternative energy technologies, is it not also appropriate to consider the meanings applied to and implicit in the development of these technologies? The development of energy technologies, whether designed to produce energy or reduce energy consumption, is not simply a story of technological possibility, inventors, scientific discoveries and profits. It is a story of meanings, metaphor and human experience as well.
I show that these semiotic associations differ between energy-production and energy-reduction mechanisms. These differences are apparent in political agenda-building and are manifested in energy policy. Energy semiotizations are legitimated through a series of performances, whereby requests are made (by citizens), acknowledged (by policy-makers), fulfilled (by technologists) and displayed (in media and physical icons such a solar panels).
With the positive-valence symbolic associations with wind, solar, biomass and other alternative forms of energy, congruence can be achieved between people’s desires and their support for sustainable choices. In this way, consumption patterns are reinforced and given the power to symbolize that which they are not. Alternative energies, in part, then become commodified manifestations of an identity.
I show that these semiotic associations differ between energy-production and energy-reduction mechanisms. These differences are apparent in political agenda-building and are manifested in energy policy. Energy semiotizations are legitimated through a series of performances, whereby requests are made (by citizens), acknowledged (by policy-makers), fulfilled (by technologists) and displayed (in media and physical icons such a solar panels).
With the positive-valence symbolic associations with wind, solar, biomass and other alternative forms of energy, congruence can be achieved between people’s desires and their support for sustainable choices. In this way, consumption patterns are reinforced and given the power to symbolize that which they are not. Alternative energies, in part, then become commodified manifestations of an identity.
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Any environmental book beginning with an injection of prose on the slaughtering of children by Roman troops, isn’t going to be your standard Sunday brunch talk-about. Yet it is on this macabre scene where White begins, as he holds our... more
Any environmental book beginning with an injection of prose on the slaughtering of children by Roman troops, isn’t going to be your standard Sunday brunch talk-about. Yet it is on this macabre scene where White begins, as he holds our hand and guides us through the haunted house of human history to search for the origin of our environmental ills.
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As rumor has it, Seamus McGraw’s rough draft of The End of Country ignited a bidding war among New York’s leading publishing houses. It doesn’t take more than the first few pages and an ounce of business acumen to see why. McGraw brings... more
As rumor has it, Seamus McGraw’s rough draft of The End of Country ignited a bidding war among New York’s leading publishing houses. It doesn’t take more than the first few pages and an ounce of business acumen to see why. McGraw brings us to the front lines of the U.S. energy revolution to deliver an honest and humbling account that could hardly possess greater relevance. His narrative of a natural gas discovery in a small town anticipates coming struggles to assess the global risks and benefits of cleaner energy practices.
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Any farmer can attest to the impact that soil and environmental conditions have on crop yield. Acidity, nitrogen content, pests, moisture and other factors combine to create a favorable, or not so favorable habitat for developing... more
Any farmer can attest to the impact that soil and environmental conditions have on crop yield. Acidity, nitrogen content, pests, moisture and other factors combine to create a favorable, or not so favorable habitat for developing seedlings. Ashok Chakravarti analyzes international aid with an analogous approach. Mainly, planting seeds of aid in countries with effective civil, government and economic institutions will likely yield success. But, planting aid in countries without these preconditions is a waste of scarce resources and time. Founded on this reasoning, Chakravarti builds a powerful argument to develop preconditions for growth, which include a free press, civil liberties, a peaceful-voting democracy, education, low inflation, low government consumption, property rights and effective bureaucracy. While none of this seems radical, his plan to till the soil of governance is.
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Imagine being told by a doctor that a twin, one you never knew you had, exists inside you. It is well known that fraternal twins arise from two fertilized eggs that develop into nonidentical siblings. Less well known is that these two... more
Imagine being told by a doctor that a twin, one you never knew you had, exists inside you. It is well known that fraternal twins arise from two fertilized eggs that develop into nonidentical siblings. Less well known is that these two zygotes sometimes overlap and fuse so completely as to develop into one body with two distinct sets of DNA, a phenomenon called tetragametic chimerism (Tippett 1983). We explore how this rare occurrence exposes complex links between understandings of DNA, human subjectivity, and definitions of motherhood. We focus on cases in the United States of two chimeric women, Lydia and Karen, who were subjected to genetic tests for parentage and subsequently deemed by medical authorities not to be the mothers of their children. The stories of these two women offer opportunities to investigate how definitions of motherhood are constructed, legitimized, and contested by and through science.
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Ozzie Zehner asks provocative questions, and he says environmentalists need to do that as well. It’s long been known that electric cars aren’t totally green. The electricity needed to power them is largely generated by polluting coal and... more
Ozzie Zehner asks provocative questions, and he says environmentalists need to do that as well. It’s long been known that electric cars aren’t totally green. The electricity needed to power them is largely generated by polluting coal and natural gas plants. But Ozzie says that subsidizing plug-ins also encourages America’s love affair with cars in general. His article has fueled a firestorm.
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/07/29/electric-cars-green
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/07/29/electric-cars-green
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"Ten years from now, will we think of renewable energy as clean and green? Emerging research on the side effects and limitations of solar cells, wind turbines, biofuels, electric cars and other alternative energy strategies will likely... more
"Ten years from now, will we think of renewable energy as clean and green? Emerging research on the side effects and limitations of solar cells, wind turbines, biofuels, electric cars and other alternative energy strategies will likely transform conventional wisdom about what's green, and what's not. Which players will be left in the dust? Who will innovate the next green revolution? And how?
The Sunday Times describes Ozzie Zehner an "an academic who is causing shockwaves." He is the author of Green Illusions and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. He lectures at universities and public policy organizations."
The Sunday Times describes Ozzie Zehner an "an academic who is causing shockwaves." He is the author of Green Illusions and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. He lectures at universities and public policy organizations."
Research Interests: History of Science and Technology, Computer Science, Information Technology, Environmental Economics, Philosophy of Technology, and 13 moreTechnology, Computer Engineering, Wind Energy, Environmental Studies, Computer Networks, Science, Technology and Society, Environmental Sustainability, Alternative Energy, Nuclear Energy, Databases, Software, Solar Energy, and Science and Technology Studies
Ozzie speaks about electric cars on the Joy Cardin Show
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Ozzie Zehner may speak at the University of Virginia School of Law and is accepting requests for other engagements in the region. Stay tuned for details…
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Discussion of the drawbacks of solar cells and explore why architects will be central in combating our energy challenges. This talk was jointly hosted by Congress for the New Urbanism.
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A lecture as a part of the UBC Reads Sustainability author series with a 1 hour Q&A. See also www.GreenIllusions.org. Official description as follows: Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and hosted by the UBC... more
A lecture as a part of the UBC Reads Sustainability author series with a 1 hour Q&A. See also www.GreenIllusions.org. Official description as follows:
Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and hosted by the UBC Reads Sustainability Lecture Series. Ozzie Zehner is the author of Green Illusions and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. His recent publications include public science pieces in Christian Science Monitor, The American Scholar, The Humanist, The Futurist, Women's Studies Quarterly and The Economist as well as educational resources in Green Technology (Sage, 2011) and Green Culture (Sage, 2011). Zehner's research and projects over the previous two decades have been covered by CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, Science News Radio, The Washington Post, Business Week and numerous other media outlets. He also serves on the editorial board of Critical Environmentalism. Zehner primarily researches the social, political and economic conditions influencing energy policy priorities and project outcomes. His work also incorporates symbolic roles that energy technologies play within political and environmental movements. His other research interests include consumerism, urban policy, environmental governance, international human rights, and forgeries.
Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and hosted by the UBC Reads Sustainability Lecture Series. Ozzie Zehner is the author of Green Illusions and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. His recent publications include public science pieces in Christian Science Monitor, The American Scholar, The Humanist, The Futurist, Women's Studies Quarterly and The Economist as well as educational resources in Green Technology (Sage, 2011) and Green Culture (Sage, 2011). Zehner's research and projects over the previous two decades have been covered by CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, Science News Radio, The Washington Post, Business Week and numerous other media outlets. He also serves on the editorial board of Critical Environmentalism. Zehner primarily researches the social, political and economic conditions influencing energy policy priorities and project outcomes. His work also incorporates symbolic roles that energy technologies play within political and environmental movements. His other research interests include consumerism, urban policy, environmental governance, international human rights, and forgeries.
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A talk at the University of California – Davis Center for Science and Innovation Studies.
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A discussion with double Sony Award-winning host, Malcolm Boyden, about electric vehicles and plans to introduce electric buses to the streets of London.
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Ozzie Zehner speaks with public radio Morning Show host Shelley Irwin
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Ozzie Zehner spoke with Jim Lynch, host of WUSB’s program Everything is Broken.
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Ozzie Zehner will appear on a segment about energy and the future of environmentalism hosted by EMMY Award nominee Patrick Center
A Q&A with graduate students and faculty about the big environmental questions facing humanity during a fireside chat at Green College.
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Ozzie Zehner delivered a visiting scholar lecture on sustainability and design
A discussion about electric cars, solar cells, population growth, and capitalism with Brian Edwards-Tiekert is a radio journalist who has won multiple awards for his feature reporting and radio documentary work on environmental issues.
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Ozzie gave a talk entitled ”Solar Cells and Other Fairy Tales,” co-hosted by the UC Berkeley Center for Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society and the UC Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative
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A discussion of consumerism and the environmental impact of advertising to youth in the United States at a student question-and-answer seminar.
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We’ve imagined for several decades that in an ideal energy future we’ll have solar panels on every building and wind turbines accompanying the corn on rural farmland. Yet, is our energy context ready for photovoltaic modules and wind... more
We’ve imagined for several decades that in an ideal energy future we’ll have solar panels on every building and wind turbines accompanying the corn on rural farmland. Yet, is our energy context ready for photovoltaic modules and wind generated electricity? Who doesn’t love the idea of harvesting solar energy that would just hit the planet whether we use it or not? Will renewable energy technologies replace our oil infrastructure or will environmentalists need to tackle many other issues before we should even start talking about renewable energy?
In Extraenvironmentalist #42 we hear from Ozzie Zehner about his new book Green Illusions which discusses the ecological impacts of manufacturing a renewable energy future. Ozzie tells us about his research into the stories of renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines. Are solar panels on a rapidly decreasing cost curve? Do wind turbines reduce carbon emissions of electricity generation? We also ask Ozzie what environmentalists should advocate for if they aren’t pushing for renewable energy.
In Extraenvironmentalist #42 we hear from Ozzie Zehner about his new book Green Illusions which discusses the ecological impacts of manufacturing a renewable energy future. Ozzie tells us about his research into the stories of renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines. Are solar panels on a rapidly decreasing cost curve? Do wind turbines reduce carbon emissions of electricity generation? We also ask Ozzie what environmentalists should advocate for if they aren’t pushing for renewable energy.
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Ozzie spoke about bicycling infrastructure on the radio show Outspoken Cyclist.
University Press Books, Berkeley – Ozzie introduced Green Illusions and answered questions about alternative energy technologies and the future of environmentalism.
Solar cells are embraced not because they are more effective or less expensive than the alternatives, but because they have become a symbol for something much grander. References to solar energy conjure up visions of a clean environment,... more
Solar cells are embraced not because they are more effective or less expensive than the alternatives, but because they have become a symbol for something much grander. References to solar energy conjure up visions of a clean environment, energy independence, and utopian possibilities. Solar cells have become an identity-tool embraced by politicians to assure their favorable standing in ecological debates. Corporations can also tap into the ready-built associations that their customers make with solar cells. More broadly, the promise of alternative energy acts to prop up and stabilize a productivist mentality, one that insists we can simply generate more and more power to satisfy our escalating cravings for energy. If clean energy is in the pipeline, then there is little motivation to use energy more effectively.
Goodreads Top-20 Nonfiction 2012 | 2012 Readers Choice Award Semifinalist | Selection: University of British Columbia Reads Sustainability | We don’t have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes... more
Goodreads Top-20 Nonfiction 2012 | 2012 Readers Choice Award Semifinalist | Selection: University of British Columbia Reads Sustainability |
We don’t have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what’s wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem. Though we generally believe we can solve environmental problems with more energy—more solar cells, wind turbines, and biofuels—alternative technologies come with their own side effects and limitations. How, for instance, do solar cells cause harm? Why can’t engineers solve wind power’s biggest obstacle? Why won’t contraception solve the problem of overpopulation, lying at the heart of our concerns about energy, and what will?
This practical, environmentally informed, and lucid book persuasively argues for a change of perspective. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus away from suspect alternative energies and toward improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women’s rights. The dozens of first steps he offers are surprisingly straightforward. For instance, he introduces a simple sticker that promises a greater impact than all of the nation’s solar cells. He uncovers why carbon taxes won’t solve our energy challenges (and presents two taxes that could). Finally, he explores how future environmentalists will focus on similarly fresh alternatives that are affordable, clean, and can actually improve wellbeing."
We don’t have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what’s wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem. Though we generally believe we can solve environmental problems with more energy—more solar cells, wind turbines, and biofuels—alternative technologies come with their own side effects and limitations. How, for instance, do solar cells cause harm? Why can’t engineers solve wind power’s biggest obstacle? Why won’t contraception solve the problem of overpopulation, lying at the heart of our concerns about energy, and what will?
This practical, environmentally informed, and lucid book persuasively argues for a change of perspective. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus away from suspect alternative energies and toward improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women’s rights. The dozens of first steps he offers are surprisingly straightforward. For instance, he introduces a simple sticker that promises a greater impact than all of the nation’s solar cells. He uncovers why carbon taxes won’t solve our energy challenges (and presents two taxes that could). Finally, he explores how future environmentalists will focus on similarly fresh alternatives that are affordable, clean, and can actually improve wellbeing."