Photo: Ostia Antica, Italy - Lois Barber
June 2022 - When Russia invaded Ukraine, the US and Europe responded with military aid and sanctions, some of which bar European countries from sending money to Russia to buy its oil and natural gas. But many Europeans, especially Germans and Italians, are dependent on Russian fuels and face a cold winter in their homes and places of work. The climate activist Bill McKibben has suggested a proposal, supported by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and others. It asks Pres. Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to engage America's vast manufacturing capacity to make electric heat pumps to sell to Europe to reduce Europe's reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
A heat pump works like a freezer. A freezer takes the cold air in the food compartment and cools it further by taking some of the heat out of the cold air and pumping that heat out of the freezer. Similarly, in winter, a heat pump takes in cold outdoor air, removes some of the heat out of it, and then pumps that heat into the house. Oh, the wonders of Thermodynamics! A heat pump is more efficient than a furnace in generating heat. In the summer, the heat pump is switched to act as an air conditioner. McKibben’s proposal would have three major benefits:
- It would reduce Russia's income and thus its financial capacity to attack Ukraine.
- It would give a fast boost to American industry as it gears up for the climate crisis challenge as Americans also change over to electric heat pumps.
- It would generate lots of well-paying American manufacturing jobs.
This fits right in with an overall climate plan of total electrification powered by fossil-free electricity. The technology is there. We just need to use it.
ACTION: Urge Pres. Biden to use his presidential authority under the Defense Production Act to institute an emergency program to build heat pumps in the USA to sell to Europe to assist Europeans in not buying Russian fuels.
CONTACT: President Biden
- Web: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ (leave a message)
- Tel: 1-202-456-1111 (leave a message)
- Mail: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20500
Please forward this email to family and friends and/or write a letter-to-the-editor on this important issue. It is a good way to educate others and build support for needed policies.
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