Able Quote by Charles Krauthammer
“There's no free lunch. If you want an industrial economy, you need energy. If you want energy, it will produce pollution. You can have it in two forms. You can have it dissipated in the atmosphere - like carbon dioxide - which then you cannot recover, or you can have the waste concentrated in one small space like nuclear. That is far easier to deal with. The idea that you can be able to create renewable energy at a price anywhere near the current price for oil or gas or coal is a fantasy.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: The Wall Street Journal, 2008, Energy Policy Commentary
Industrial economies depend on abundant energy, which inevitably creates waste; managing that waste efficiently is crucial.
In simple terms: Energy needed, waste produced, manage waste.
Key Takeaway
Choose waste‑concentrated solutions.
Themes
energy
environment
economics
policy
technology
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
policy
economic
environmental
When to use this quote
- government policy
- industrial planning
- environmental regulation
- energy investment
Key Concepts
externalities
resource allocation
trade‑offs
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance energy demand with environmental health?
- What policies could make clean energy competitive?
A Different Perspective
Renewables may become cheaper with innovation, challenging the claim.
