Let's fix sights on energy, climate
New ideas really have to struggle to survive.
Copernicus was convinced the earth went around the sun and was not the center of the universe. For this, he was placed under house arrest until his death.
Einstein thought the physical world was governed by forces completely unheard of. He was maligned but later regarded as a genius.
The Wright Brothers were surely crazy but they introduced the new age of aviation. In more recent years, the Manhattan Project ushered in the Atomic Age and NASA transported men to the moon. The difference here was that teams of scientists with open minds were assembled with extremely difficult problems to solve and they succeeded. What they did was the "impossible."
Today we are faced with energy and climatic problems of enormous proportions and importance. The time has come to show what can really be accomplished if we explore existing possibilities, consider all new ideas even though at times they may seem questionable and push forward into unexplored territory.
By specifically applying our science, intelligence and imagination, practical solutions are possible.
The United States must immediately initiate a bold, major project to solve the energy problem and to control the course of climatic change. A unified, joint effort with other nations would be advantageous and multiply the projects' effectiveness. Together, talent exists to achieve these great goals.
The future of mankind on this earth may very well depend upon it.
David Toeppen
Mount Prospect