Somewhere along the way, fossil fuels have gotten a bad rap. Coal, oil, natural gas — you name it. We use fossil fuels for everything from creating electricity, warming the shelters we live in and scooting around town. Burning fossil fuels has become a necessity for our way of life.

The following remarks were made regarding the article “Decarbonization and electrification — are we there yet?” written by Julius Ballanco, P.E., CPD, F-ASPE, president of J.B. Engineering and Code Consulting, published in the May 2022 issue of PM Engineer:

My grandparents lived in Saint Clair, Pennsylvania, which is in the heart of the anthracite coal region. Pop-Pop had a Westinghouse Appliance store and serviced everything they sold. In addition, he had helped to wire homes when electricity first became available and serviced lots of coal boilers. 

Ever notice how new words or phrases continually slide into our social vocabulary? Here are a few examples that pertain to energy and buildings: Sustainability, energy justice, climate justice, beneficial electrification and decarbonization.