If We Can Put a Person on the Moon, We Can Solve Our Energy Dependence

By Dean Muller, President, Wisconsin for Environmental Justice 

The phrase “if we can put a man on the moon” has long been a shorthand for achieving the seemingly impossible. It evokes the ingenuity, determination, and collaborative spirit that propelled humanity to an entirely different celestial body. Today, as we grapple with the pressing challenges of climate change and energy insecurity, it’s time to invoke that same spirit and apply it to an equally monumental task: ending our dependence on non-renewable energy sources.

For too long, our world has been powered by a finite supply of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. While these resources fueled industrial revolutions and economic growth, their extraction and combustion have come at a tremendous cost: environmental degradation, air and water pollution, geopolitical instability, and the accelerating crisis of climate change. The science is unequivocal: continuing business as usual is not an option.

But here’s the optimistic truth: the technological prowess and collective will that landed humans on the Moon are precisely what we need to transition to a sustainable energy future. Consider the parallels:

• Ambitious Goals: The Apollo program wasn't just about launching a rocket; it was about orchestrating a complex web of scientific breakthroughs, engineering marvels, and human coordination. Solving our energy dependence requires a similarly bold, overarching goal – a global commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency.

• Innovation and Research: From developing heat shields capable of surviving re-entry to creating life support systems for extended space travel, the lunar missions pushed the boundaries of scientific and engineering innovation. Today, we are witnessing an unprecedented surge in innovation in renewable energy, with solar panels that are cheaper and more efficient than ever, advanced wind turbine designs, breakthroughs in battery storage, and promising developments in geothermal, hydro, and even fusion energy.

• Collaboration and Investment: The Apollo program was a massive undertaking, requiring significant government investment, private sector participation, and international scientific collaboration. Addressing our energy crisis requires a comparable scale of investment in research and development, infrastructure upgrades, and policies that encourage the rapid deployment of renewable technologies. This isn't just about government; it's about businesses, communities, and individuals all playing their part.

• Overcoming Obstacles: The journey to the Moon was fraught with challenges, failures, and setbacks. Yet, each obstacle was met with analysis, adaptation, and renewed determination. Similarly, the transition to a renewable energy future will encounter hurdles – economic shifts, technological refinements, and political resistance. But like the engineers at NASA, we must learn, iterate, and persist.

We already have many of the solutions at our fingertips. Solar and wind power are becoming increasingly cost-competitive with fossil fuels, and advancements in energy storage are making them reliable sources of energy around the clock. Electric vehicles are rapidly gaining market share, and innovative grid technologies are optimizing the distribution of energy. The challenge is no longer whether we can do it, but how quickly we can scale these solutions and integrate them into a comprehensive, resilient energy system.

Just as the sight of a human walking on the Moon inspired a generation, a world powered by clean, abundant, and renewable energy can inspire hope and prosperity for generations to come. It’s a moonshot worth taking, not to explore a distant world, but to secure our health and the future of our own. If we truly channel the same audacious spirit that took us to the Moon, we can solve our energy dependence. The countdown to a sustainable future has already begun.