For every dollar, euro and ruble spent on armaments, the world invests about one cent in research and development dedicated to energy. And, mind you, in that penny there are also expenses related to activities on fossil fuels. Which means that the part that goes into research for CO2-free sources is even less. Even temporarily putting aside ethical and moral considerations – which is not easy if you consider that spending on armaments continued to grow even in 2020, the year in which the world economy was severely tested by the pandemic – the the ignorance of such a choice appears even more evident in the light of recent events. The invasion of Ukraine dramatically highlighted – if ever there was any further need – Europe’s enormous dependence on Russian gas and the strategic role of fossil fuels.
On average, the European Union purchases 41% of the gas it uses from Russia. Italy stands at 45%, a value that makes us very vulnerable and that has prompted our government to “authorize the advance, also for preventive purposes, of the adoption of measures to increase supply and / or reduce demand of gas provided in case of emergency “and to make” immediately possible, if necessary, the reduction of gas consumption of the power plants currently active, through the maximization of production from other sources and without prejudice to the contribution of renewable energies “. This means possible austerity in consumption and a return to coal – from an environmental point of view the least attractive of fossil fuels – for the production of electricity. Worse than us is Germany, with over 50% of gas imported from Russia. After the abandonment of nuclear power and pending the penetration of renewables, gas is a fundamental source for the German energy transition.
Considering the role of energy for the global economy and that over 80% of primary energy comes from fossil fuels, the fields of which are distributed on the planet in a highly uneven way, it is evident that gas and oil are real weapons. and tools of power. It is enough to recall the main conflicts of recent decades to understand how central energy is in international dynamics and how much not only the environment, but also peace and justice need a new energy basket that frees the world from the fossil yoke.
If Greta weren’t enough and the temperature of Planet Earth, which is growing relentlessly and will lead humanity to crash into the wall, the bombings at the gates of Europe require immediate international action on energy scenarios. Eliminating dependence on fossil fuels, controlled by a few, means removing tools from the hands of those who want to use them for purposes of power. Reducing the harmful role of fossils in international relations, in the inequalities between the North and South of the world, in the air we breathe and, incidentally, in our bills also means investing in science and technology applied to energy and the courage not to put head underground. We all want an electrical outlet always at hand for the mobile phone or to recharge the car: perhaps then Europe should critically reconsider a timed role for nuclear fission in the energy transition, a reflection that is being made in the process of definition of the energy taxonomy of the EU.
Fission has the inevitable and serious problem of long-lived radioactive waste, but pending the expansion of renewables and the advent of fusion – the process that powers the Sun and that will allow us to have electricity without waste for a long time. period and CO2 emissions – could be a tool to reduce dependence on gas and coal. Pure and applied research are fundamental to optimize and increase the exploitation of renewables, for new revolutions in the field of energy storage and energy infrastructures, so crucial for an electricity and hydrogen economy, to ensure that circularity permeates our progress. And, above all, also for a more peaceful and just world.