Grace Jeffrey

8 September 2019
Renewable Energy Systems A

Hermann Scheer Essay

As a noun, Merriam-Webster gives the word “power” nine separate definitions, with

connotations ranging from mathematics to religion. However, since the Industrial Revolution,

two of these definitions have been inextricably linked: definition 6a, “a source or means of

supplying energy, especially electricity” and definition 2a, “possession of control, authority, or

influence over others.” Essentially, human society is one in which he who holds power, has

power. Hermann Scheer’s A Solar Manifesto addresses exactly this, asserting that the world must

recognize energy as a political issue. Scheer’s writing is simultaneously provocative and

progressive, constructing a new paradigm for the world to use in analyzing energy use.

Specifically, he weaves together historic, economic, and political evidence to frame energy as the

root of society (and, consequently, all of society’s problems). By walking through the past, he is

able to advocate for a future where solar energy (consisting of all renewable sources beyond tidal

and deep-geothermal energy) is the sole solution.

Scheer begins his introduction by hinting at a future collapse, noting that a failure to shift

paradigms is largely responsible for world governments’ failure to find solutions for our rapidly

declining climate. In reference to Agenda 21, he criticizes the document’s structure, claiming “If

there are 31 focal points then, in reality, there are none” (5). Scheer outlines the focal points,

linking them back to his central claim: every single societal problem is an energy issue. In

Scheer’s eyes, problem-solving must be hyper-focused, targeted to a root cause rather than any

of the symptoms. Even for problems that seem economic, he points to a domino effect where a

conversion to solar energy would create the necessary changes. He concludes his introduction
with a discussion of “Unreal Realism,” showing that a paradigm shift and a complete

restructuring of political thinking are necessary before a shift to solar energy can occur. Scheer

claims, “[political action] fails as soon as the political answer to real problems demands

questioning these structures and moving beyond them” (12). This is consistent with this course’s

discussion of geopolitics—when laws, regulations, and entire socio-political systems are built

around fossil fuels, the existing systems are not sufficient to even begin the conversion to

renewables.

Next, Scheer moves into his first chapter, detailing the interdependence of energy and

society, dating back to the Industrial Revolution. Scheer asserts that “Earth is, in its totality, an

energy conversion system,” and the remainder of the chapter reinforces this (14). At the time of

its inception, the Industrial Revolution represented a maximization of productivity through an

optimization of energy use. When social movements pushed for better treatment of workers, new

innovations were created to reduce/replace human labor, another form of energy conversion (17).

In Scheer’s eyes, increases in productivity lead to solid economies, which in turn lead to political

stability—at the root of all of this is energy. To best understand this, people need to approach

energy statistics differently; current energy statistics fail to recognize passive solar energy or

energy conversion (particularly through the forms of food, animals, etc.). Generally speaking,

mankind’s tendency to detach the natural world from the technological world has led to a

fundamental misunderstanding of what energy is and how it works.

Continuing this chapter, Scheer dives into issues that feel more directly political,

specifically migration, imperialism, and international relations. In the “Energy Supply and

Migration Movements” section, he shows the link between energy and population growth,

especially within the lesser developed world. When countries suffer from energy shortages, they
must compensate in the form of human labor, leading to “population explosions (even with low

life expectancy), poor national product, a high share of agricultural production and a rural

population, and poor water supply” (19). This directly reinforces the points he makes in the rest

of the chapter where energy-related issues, in particular energy dependency, reinforce poverty in

less privileged nations. At the baseline, energy is the primary means for Western nations to

exploit weaker nations; though imperialism no longer exists in the form of colonialism, it has

“been replaced by an energy imperialism” (23). Those who have access and authority over

energy hold power over those who do not. Even seemingly positive organizations like the World

Bank and the International Monetary Fund maintain the North vs. South status quo. Financial

loans to support improved energy systems force lower income countries to be indebted to higher

income ones, creating financial and energy dependency. Scheer concludes the chapter with a

warning against Western centrism. Like any cross-cultural study will reveal, using the West as

one’s predominant schema is fallacious and dangerous. An international shift towards non-

destructive energy requires a change much more radical than can be provided by the Western

status quo. In conclusion, Scheer reminds the reader that energy is power, and the diffusion of

energy (and subsequent diffusion of power) is key to preventing the whole world from collapse.

When I finished reading A Solar Manifesto, I was immediately stricken by Scheer’s

foresight. As Scheer mentions, humans’ relationship with the climate/energy dates all the way

back to the Industrial Revolution, but the need for renewable energy is now more urgent than

ever. If society had listened to Scheer at the time of the manifesto’s publication, would we be in

as dire of circumstances as we are now? Who’s to say? Nevertheless, his cautious

prognostication is a more than ample reminder of the immediacy of our energy crisis and the

responsibility my generation will hold to solve it. Some politicians seem to understand this;
Elizabeth Warren’s response during the recent CNN forum on climate change reads like Scheer

for the millennial ear:

“This is exactly what the fossil fuel industry wants us to talk about. ... They want to be

able to stir up a lot of controversy around your lightbulbs, around your straws, and

around your cheeseburgers, when 70 percent of the pollution, of the carbon that we’re

throwing into the air, comes from three industries [building, electric power, and oil].”

Though I remain quite anxious about the future, politicians like Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria

Ocasio-Cortez ease some of the fears I have.

On the other hand, the thought of energy being linked to control deeply frightens me

when I consider the world’s current leaders. Like Scheer said, even converting 50% of the

world’s energy to renewable energy will be insufficient—only 100% conversion will be

effective. With Jair Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, Rodrigo Duterte, and other authoritarian leaders

gaining power across the world, I fear that the international collaboration necessary for a

worldwide transition may be impossible. Despite this, I feel empowered by the broader

implications of Scheer’s writing. Energy is not the only issue in which we must collectively

target the root cause—this applies to countless other global issues, and we should continue

aiming to eradicate sources instead of symptoms.

However, I have a slight qualm with Scheer’s claim. Though many of our societal

problems can be traced back to energy issues, I think he fails to address intersectionality. Poverty

may relate to economic development, but it also links back to the legacies of systemic

oppression, whether racial, religious, or sexist. Energy is not sufficient to explain the rising rates

of violence against the transgender community, nor can it explain police brutality and

institutionalized racism. I’m certain there is some sort of mental gymnastics that can link
everything back to slavery, which Scheer mentions as an energy issue, but I cannot sit

comfortably with the idea that white supremacy could merely be an energy issue.

Overall, I feel that A Solar Manifesto achieves everything Scheer hoped it would,

reaching the reader through logic, emotion, and, most of all, justice. Though it certainly did

nothing to ease my climate-related anxiety, it truly changed my perspective. Rather than seeking

compromised, I feel emboldened to advocate for radical solutions, to seek out solar energy, and

to fight for a fair balance of power.