Sachs, the Optimist

I find it interesting that Sachs focuses not on alternative energy sources (he discusses them, of course, saying that there's a "reasonable chance" that we might need solar & nuclear power), but instead on how to use fossil fuels in a better manner. He states, "The challenge for this century will not be in the limited availability of fossil fuels, but in their safe ecological use and in the timely investments needed to ensure that the right kinds of fuels are available at the right times and places" (p44). He emphasizes that we should not be worried about running out of natural resources. Instead, we should shift our focus on how to be able to use fossil fuels in a sustainable manner. The solution? Carbon sequestration, of course! We have all heard about this idea before - storing CO2 underground, so that we can have the luxury of continuing on with the same source of fuel while mitigating the consequences. It sounds almost too good to be true! In fact, it pretty much is at this point.

Sachs' argument on this issue seems to be vulnerable to an Easterly-esque critique: he says, "A fascinating alternative, which could prove to be a breakthrough technology, would be to capture CO2 directly from the air through special chemical processes and then sequester the captured CO2" (p101). I read on, eager to hear of which scientists were on the verge of uncovering a technology that would be such a panacea to our energy problems. Sadly, this never came. Sachs discusses how engineers have pointed out the advantages of capturing CO2 from the air, but progress on the R&D seems to be null. This makes me question the feasibility of this "Planner" argument. We could all name many "fascinating alternatives" to worldly problems - wouldn't it be cool if we came up with a technology that could distribute mosquito nets to those in need in malaria prone regions of Africa? or how about a technology that would get us all jobs/into grad school? Clearly, I do not see the connection between feasibility, or even a hint of practicality, and Sachs' idealism in this case.

However, there are instances that defy Easterly's "planner" critique of Sachs. For instance, I am impressed by the Millenium Village Project- it seems to incorporate a healthy balance of both planner strategy and searcher detail. In particular, the fact that the project chooses villages in part based on how receptive local governments are to the strategy, and then incorporates participation of locals into the project is encouraging.