---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why would we build as unequal a renewable…"
description: "\"Why would we build as unequal a renewable energy sector as we have built a fossil fuel sector? The nice thing about renewables is they're everywhere, s..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png"
---

#  Why would we build as unequal a renewable energy sector as…

![“Why would we build as unequal a renewable energy sector as we have built a fossil fuel sector? The nice thing about renewables is they're everywhere, so you don't have to have monopoly control in the same way.” quote by Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png)

> “Why would we build as unequal a renewable energy sector as we have built a fossil fuel sector? The nice thing about renewables is they're everywhere, so you don't have to have monopoly control in the same way.”

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Renewable energy can be decentralized, avoiding monopolies unlike fossil fuels, leading to a more equitable sector.

**In simple terms:** Renewables enable decentralization.

Key Takeaway

Support distributed clean energy.

Themes

energy decentralization equity

Mood

hopeful determined

Type

activist analytical

When to use this quote

- community solar
- grid independence
- policy advocacy
- investment decisions

Key Concepts

climate policy market structure

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we ensure renewables remain accessible?
- What policies prevent monopoly control?

A Different Perspective

Transition challenges can create new inequities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Build Unequal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build-unequal-3061736/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Energy Sector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-sector-322500/) [Fossil fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuel/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Renewable energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renewable-energy/) [Thing Renewables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-renewables-3061737/) [Unequal Renewable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unequal-renewable-3061735/)

## Related quotes

> [I think the fossil fuel industry is genuinely freaked out by the combination of the price collapse, the divestment movement, and that fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-the-fossil-fuel-industry-is-genuinely-freaked-out-by-the/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Fossil fuels are - they're inherently centralized. And you need a lot of infrastructure to get them out, and you need a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/fossil-fuels-are-they-re-inherently-centralized-and-you-need-a-lot-of/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Our dependence on fossil fuels amounts to global pyromania, and the only fire extinguisher we have at our disposal is renewable energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-scheer/our-dependence-on-fossil-fuels-amounts-to-global-pyromania-and-the/)

[Hermann Scheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-scheer/)

> [In reality, Republicans have long been at war with clean energy. They have ridiculed investments in solar and wind power, bashed energy-efficiency standards, attacked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/in-reality-republicans-have-long-been-at-war-with-clean-energy-they/)

[Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/)

> [If we want energy security, then we have to reduce our appetite for fossil fuels. There's no other way. Other issues may crowd the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/if-we-want-energy-security-then-we-have-to-reduce-our-appetite-for/)

[Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/)

> [The sunshine that strikes American roads each year contains more energy than all the fossil fuels used by the entire world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/the-sunshine-that-strikes-american-roads-each-year-contains-more/)

[Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/)

> [This curious faith is predicated on the notion that we will soon develop unlimited new sources of energy: domestic oil fields, shale oil, gasified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/this-curious-faith-is-predicated-on-the-notion-that-we-will-soon/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [Renewable energy fits well into the conservative mindset by allowing competition into the energy markets so that consumers have choice. The system as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/renewable-energy-fits-well-into-the-conservative-mindset-by-allowing/)

[Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/)

> [I think a revolution transitioning from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy - somebody's going to be the 21st-century clean-energy superpower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-a-revolution-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-clean/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [I think that the world is in the middle of a huge transition that we have to make to renewable energy. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/i-think-that-the-world-is-in-the-middle-of-a-huge-transition-that-we/)

[Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/)

> [While we've doubled renewable energy, it was only a tiny portion of the energy portfolio to start with. But what we did was totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/while-we-ve-doubled-renewable-energy-it-was-only-a-tiny-portion-of/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [Renewable energy is far more labor-intensive than fossil fuel production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/renewable-energy-is-far-more-labor-intensive-than-fossil-fuel/)

[Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/)

> [While the agreement signed in Paris between 195 nations to combat climate change was historic and significant, it's still vague and lacks the ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-quigley/while-the-agreement-signed-in-paris-between-195-nations-to-combat/)

[John B. Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-quigley/)

> [There's a lot of wishful thinking that somehow we'll replace fossil fuels with alternative energy sources, but they remain far from reality. We're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/there-s-a-lot-of-wishful-thinking-that-somehow-we-ll-replace-fossil/)

[James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/)

> [I know that nuclear is better than fossil fuels when it comes to carbon dioxide, but nuclear energy is by no means clean. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-crow/i-know-that-nuclear-is-better-than-fossil-fuels-when-it-comes-to/)

[Sheryl Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-crow/)

## More by Naomi Klein

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [As I explored Trump's inextricable relationship with his commercial brand, and its implications for the future of politics, I began to see why so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/as-i-explored-trump-s-inextricable-relationship-with-his-commercial/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Fury is an entirely appropriate response to a system that sends young people to kill other young people in a war that never should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/fury-is-an-entirely-appropriate-response-to-a-system-that-sends-young/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Since the 1980s, we've been living in this era, really, of corporate rule, based on this idea that the role of government is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/since-the-1980s-we-ve-been-living-in-this-era-really-of-corporate/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [We live in a society that is powered by fossil fuels, but for the meantime, we're in it. Maybe there's, like, five people living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/we-live-in-a-society-that-is-powered-by-fossil-fuels-but-for-the/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [I can tell you Donald Trump's products may not be made in America, but Donald Trump was made in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-can-tell-you-donald-trump-s-products-may-not-be-made-in-america-but/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Africa is poor because its investors and its creditors are unspeakably rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/africa-is-poor-because-its-investors-and-its-creditors-are/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [“It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-is-a-civilizational-wake-up-call-a-powerful-message-spoken-in-the/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [“You have been negotiating all my life.” So said Canadian college student Anjali Appadurai, as she stared down the assembled government negotiators at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/you-have-been-negotiating-all-my-life-so-said-canadian-college/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [There's a property in Panama where Trump has collected somewhere around $30 million just from selling his name to this property - it's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/there-s-a-property-in-panama-where-trump-has-collected-somewhere/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [When I went to Australia, I had this feeling, like, 'Wow, this is really a different country.' I think that feeling of genuine foreignness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/when-i-went-to-australia-i-had-this-feeling-like-wow-this-is-really-a/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [I think there has been this really bad habit of environmentalists being insufferably smug, where they are sort of saying, 'This is the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-there-has-been-this-really-bad-habit-of-environmentalists/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [GLHR... has used Greenpeace-style media antics to draw more public attention to the plight of sweatshop workers than the multimillion - dollar international trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/glhr-has-used-greenpeace-style-media-antics-to-draw-more-public/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

[Explore all 291 Naomi Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

## More Climate quotes

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [In the current climate, things that are true, brave human stories become political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/in-the-current-climate-things-that-are-true-brave-human-stories/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/)

[Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/)

> [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/)

[Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/)

> [There are many more traits that the climate deniers share with the creationists and Holocaust deniers and others who distort the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-r-prothero/there-are-many-more-traits-that-the-climate-deniers-share-with-the/)

[Donald R. Prothero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-r-prothero/)

> [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/)

[Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/)

> [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/)

[Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/)

> [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/)

[Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/)

> [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [Fossil fuels, including oil, are running out and supplies are getting harder to find. If we do nothing, prices will continue to rise and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/fossil-fuels-including-oil-are-running-out-and-supplies-are-getting/)

[Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/)

> [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [We live in a state with a wonderful climate and plenty of natural beauty, from the shores of Cumberland Island to the Chattahoochee River…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-barnes/we-live-in-a-state-with-a-wonderful-climate-and-plenty-of-natural/)

[Roy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-barnes/)

> [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

[Browse all 8,549 Climate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Why would we build as unequal a renewable energy sector as we have built a fossil fuel sector? The nice thing about renewables is they're everywhere, so you don't have to have monopoly control in the same way.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Naomi Klein"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewable-energy-sector-as-we-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Climate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewable-energy-sector-as-we-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c9/naomi-klein-1072_climate_why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewabl_1936625.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Why would we build as unequal a renewable energy sector as we have built a fossil fuel sector? The nice…” — Naomi Klein",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Naomi Klein",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Why would we build as unequal...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewable-energy-sector-as-we-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/why-would-we-build-as-unequal-a-renewable-energy-sector-as-we-have/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
