Renewables stir strife over jobs
New energy technologies bring many benefits, but employment effects must be managed
The conflict between renewable energy and coal in SA was illustrated recently by coal truck drivers flexing their perceived might at the possible loss of jobs. Technological change worldwide is moving apace, with the result that the interface between job loss and creation has to be carefully managed. What is SA’s government doing about it? Job loss and job creation in society as a result of technology innovation are part of the competitive nature (efficiency) of the capitalist marketplace. The Luddite hostility of the truck drivers needs attention as the global energy sector is undergoing rapid change, with the effect of renewable energy (decarbonising electricity) and the electric motor car with its associated battery technology. Also worth mentioning is the development of LED technology, for which the 2014 Nobel prize for physics was awarded. A US department of energy report estimates that the ongoing change of all lights to LEDs by 2030 in the US would save something like 1.8-bil...
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