Let's Kill fossil fuels

As I have stated many times, I believe the three major challenges of humanity are the following:

1. Excessive inequality of the distribution of wealth;
2. Excessive growth of world population;
3. The huge problems associated with fossil fuels (pollution, extreme weather phenomena,
  global warming, geopolitical instability, financing of Islamic fundamentalism...).

To the above challenges, in the last few decades (since the fall of the Berlin wall), 3 more challenges have emerged:

4. Islamic Fundamentalism (that has today ISIS as its major driver);
5. Chinese nationalism;
6. The “apathy” of the western world (meaning the loss of traditional values in favor of
  short term profit).

Humanity must win those challenges, and millions of individuals like us, as members of the most educated part of human society, MUST CONTRIBUTE TO AND MUST BE THE DRIVERS of this progress.

At least in one of these challenges we are winning: "Humanity"  has made in the last 10 years unbelievable progress towards winning point 3.  Energy generated by Wind, Solar PV, Solar thermal, and Geothermal, are all very competitive today with fossil fuels, if we charged fossil fuels with a "Carbon tax " of some 100 $ per ton of CO₂ generated by them, to compensate for the collateral damages associated with them.

We have today all the technologies needed to terminate the fossil fuels era in favor of renewable sources of energy. In only 20 years we can kill fossil fuels, particularly oil, and in the process also kill ISIS and all the financial sources that support Islamic Fundamentalism.

By winning point 3 we will be a long way ahead to winning also point 4.

In fact, I believe that ISIS is being already weakened much more by the LOW price of OIL
than by the bombing by the US, UK, France and Russia.

           NO OIL   =    NO ISIS
           NO ISIS  =     NO VIOLENT DRIVER OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM

Let's work towards a world free of fossil fuels and thereby contribute to a better world.

Another "energy revolution" has been ignited by Tesla with the introduction of a competitive electric car and the progress towards cheap batteries, as well as the no-driver car launched by Google, all of which are going to dramatically accelerate the end of oil in favor of electric transportation, fueled by electric energy generated by renewables.

Let's all work to kill fossil fuels, as a major step towards a better world.

How can we contribute as individuals?

Here are few ideas:

• apply systematically to our everyday lives the rule of the 3 Rs: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and cut the food waste that we, affluent society, generate every day; recycle everything you can (for example a ton of recycled aluminum uses 90% less energy than primary aluminum);
• minimize the use of private car transportation: use public transportation, bicycles, motorcycles, or walk;
• if you need to use a car, try to opt for a Plug-in Hybrid or full electric car;
• drastically reduce consumption of meat and fish: this will be good for your health and good for the planet. If you can, try to become vegetarian, or "near” vegetarian;
• "insulate" your house to cut energy consumption: an insulated "class A" house consumes one third of the energy per square meter of covered space of a non-insulated habitat;
• put photovoltaic solar panels on all available surface areas (on the roof of your house, on car park roofs, on a "photovoltaic " green houses...). Use also thermal solar panels for water and home heating.
• educate your family, friends and community to speed up the decarbonization of the economy.

The lobbies of traditional energy companies are slowing down the process of transition to a world with very low or no fossil fuels consumption.

We, millions of citizens, can win the lobbies with our daily commitment in our individual lives and in our interactions with the institutions that we elect.

Referendum Costituzionale confermativo - IO VOTO SI

 Il prossimo ottobre si terrà il "Referendum Costituzionale Confermativo " per ratificare la riforma costituzionale già approvata dal Parlamento.
Oggi si è aperta la raccolta di firme organizzata dal PD in diversi comuni d'Italia per raccogliere firme in supporto del " SI " al Referendum.

Io sono andato al più vicino "Gazebo" ed ho posto la mia firma a supporto del SI alla riforma costituzionale e mi auguro che milioni di cittadini in tutta Italia facciano lo stesso nelle prossime settimane.

Questa "Riforma Costituzionale" non è certo perfetta, ma segna comunque un grande progresso nel rendere la vita democratica più' EFFICIENTE, VELOCE, MENO COSTOSA.

È' UN GRANDE PASSO AVANTI per un'Italia più moderna e più giusta: non solo mi auguro, ma sono convinto che il Referendum di ottobre vincerà.

I punti salienti per cui voterò  SI sono:

• Eliminazione del bicameralismo perfetto tra Camera e Senato e quindi del ping - pong lungo e imprevedibile del processo legislativo
• Una legge elettorale che permette la governabilità: chi vince governa per 5 anni, come nella stragrande maggioranza dei paesi democratici, e poi si sottopone al giudizio degli elettori. Basta governi che durano uno o due anni, se non pochi mesi.
• Riduzione dei costi della politica grazie alla eliminazione delle Provincie ed alla riduzione dei parlamentari. Ed in questo modo riduzione anche dei potenziali punti di clientelismo e di corruzione.

Certo ci sono delle lacune e molti miglioramenti possibili: si faranno progressivamente in futuro. Ma intanto questa Riforma Costituzionale è un grande passo avanti per rendere il nostro Paese più' stabile, e la nostra democrazia più efficiente e più giusta, senza toccare i valori fondamentali della Carta Costituzionale attuale, che è stupenda, ma che risente del periodo storico in cui fu scritta ( dopo la caduta del fascismo ) e che ha bisogno dei necessari adeguamenti alle mutate condizioni storiche.