Hermann Scheer argues that the reason why many still think renewable energy cannot replace fossil and nuclear power is because those working in these industries have made efforts to propagate the notion. Furthermore, a largely unsuspecting public seldom differentiates between a vested interest and an independent expert. Scientists and industrialists, dependent on nuclear and fossil fuel industries for their livelihoods, shun evidence that suggests a total shift to renewable energy is possible.
A Member of the German Parliament since 1980, Dr Hermann Scheer is also a Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He is President of the European Association for Renewable Energies, EUROSOLAR, and is General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy. Time Magazine honored him with the title Hero for the Green Century in 2002 and his books on the renewable energy transition include The Solar Economy.