The Biggest Myth of Economics
In terms of where the energy grid is getting its power, my understanding is coal, oil and natural gas each represent a bigger pie slice than solar at the current time.
But then there’s also off grid, plus in any of these discussions, people tend to neglect that agriculture is all solar powered. Photosynthesis. But then so is wind. Ultimately, the fossil fuels are believed to come from organic matter once on the surface (solar again). The oceans, and all the fish, depend on solar.
The planet is kept alive by the sun on a daily basis, on a scale humans can’t touch with their own technologies.
Economics, as a discipline, tends to neglect these thermodynamic realities and suggests all “value added” is of human origins (not only Marxists recite that mantra). Nothing could be further from the truth.
The convenience of this axiom of “only human” origins of wealth (life support) is it reinforces the idea that all wealth is owed to owners somewhere, the ones who added all that value. Taxpayers or whatever. Whereas no amount of taxes will ever repay the sun for any of that free energy. Likewise, you don’t owe your privilege of being alive to the human authorities (the authorities will tend to disagree).
