What Are We?

Reconsider your identity

Oct 11, 2025

Part 1: What are you?
Some of you may remember my friend Frank from outer space. Before he left to explore, to search for a more intelligent species, he asked me some questions:

Frank: What are you?
Me: I am a human being - an animal living on the Planet Earth.

Frank: But aren’t you an “American?”
Me: Of course, but America is a very new experiment. And it is struggling now.

Frank: That’s tough. How are you dealing with that?
Me: I do what I can to help the experiment along. It has great promise. But my identity is greater than a piece of land.

Frank: Please explain.
Me: America is a chunk of the Earth. A fairly large chunk. But still only 6% of the landmass on the planet and only 4% of the Earth’s population.

Frank: As I review the digital activity of your planet using my special sensors, I measure various countries “world views”. Americans seem to think of themselves as the most important - as exceptionally special.
But I recently read an interesting book (we read them all in seconds). The author compared the U.S. to other developed countries. Based on environmentalist and author James Gustave “Gus” Speth’s 2012 book America the Possible, the United States frequently ranks last among developed countries (members of OCED) in key indicators of well-being, while leading in undesirable ones.

Comparing the U.S. to 100 “peer” developed nations

Me: Yup, it is true. We tend to think we are the center of everything and that we are exceptionally special. Despite our rather continuous habit of fucking things up.

Frank: Well that’s a little embarrassing and not too helpful. How are you coping? Do you have a way to get through this without just sinking into a hole of shame and disgust?
Me: Those of us who think about this stuff (we are many) just do the best we can in America to try to right the capsized ship. We are resisting the insane authoritarians and fascists who are in charge now. Hopefully, someday, they will be vanquished.

Now, I find it helpful to look into what the other 96% of us are doing. I am pleasantly surprised at what I have found.

Frank: Show me!
Me: Read on :)

Part 2: America follows…
Let’s look beyond the chaos and deliberate destruction launched by the Trump/Vought/Miller administration. While we are preoccupied with the Fascist takeover of our nation, the rest of the world is moving forward with a revolution in energy production. The tide is turning!

Through another Substack author (thank you Kathleen Weber!) I found a source of information that ought to be featured in every major media outlet.
The Weekly Anthropocene by Sam Matey

In this weeks edition he declares:

This is shockingly good news. Why is this happening? Improved technology and scaling. Simple economics. Solar and wind with battery backup for round the clock reliability are simpler and cheaper to install and cheaper to maintain. The world is embracing them at a breakneck speed because they are logical, sensible and cost efficient. The fact that they emit almost no carbon is our big bonus.

Eventually, Americans will realize they are being left in the dust. Sometimes we wake up and realize we are slow to catch on.

Toyota achieved sales of 50 million cars in 2021

Japan showed us how to make inexpensive, quality autos that sipped gasoline. The energy crisis and escalating gas prices sent Americans into Toyota, Honda and Datsun (Nissan) showrooms. It took some time, but Detroit woke up. But by then the Japanese (and Koreans) had gained a solid foothold in the American market. Many people were like me. For decades, the idea of buying an American made vehicle was ridiculous.

BYD Seagull - Priced under $10,000 with a 300 mile range

China is showing the world how to make inexpensive electric vehicles with great range and now…some that will fully charge in minutes. Detroit has a slew of new electric vehicles coming soon. But again, we are following.

Kamuthi Solar Park in Tamil Nadu, India provides power for 750,000 homes

From Sam’s Substack:
“Growth in wind and solar generation (not capacity!) together amounted to 109% of global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025, essentially providing all new electricity then cutting into fossil fuel incumbents. Solar alone met 83% of global electricity demand growth. China added more new solar & wind than the rest of Earth combined, and its fossil fuel generation dropped by 2%. India also decreased its fossil use, while the U.S. saw an increase. World coal generation fell by 0.6%, as renewables overtook coal as humanity’s leading energy source. WOW! The revolution advances.”

Part 3: A future America
I hope that someday, we will join the nations of the world that are embracing new energy tech that make our lives more affordable and are healthier for the planet.

The “Moon Shot” speech electrified the nation

Currently:
“The Trump administration has already added nearly $40 billion in new federal subsidies for oil, gas, and coal in 2025, a report released Tuesday finds, sending an additional $4 billion out the door each year for fossil fuels over the next decade. That new amount, created with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act this summer, adds to $30.8 billion a year in preexisting subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. The report finds that the amount of public money the U.S. will now spend on domestic fossil fuels stands at least $34.8 billion a year.” Yale Environment 360

A wise and inspiring president, on day one, would announce a sustainable energy program that would seek to compete with other nations with green energy and lower costs. Shift Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies to rebuilding an aging, crumbling energy grid.

This program could parallel the excitement of JFK’s “Space Race”. It would create jobs, it would unify us, it would make us proud.

In 2023, wind produced 59% of Iowa’s electricity needs. (No crazy whales here)

I look forward to being proud of American again. In the meantime, the rest of the world is getting it - and getting it done. Just something hopeful for your day. We are more than Americans. We are Earthlings.

What Are We?

Reconsider your identity

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