Posts Tagged by role of government
With a Level Playing Field in the 21st Century, Nothing Is Impossible
| February 20, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Reg Wessels of South Africa’s Earth Corporation writes about my piece on the uncertainties of investors in renewable energy:
I often watch this debate with dismay, and as a non-American (but hugely supportive), I can’t help being frustrated by the US having to dance with the enemy. Whatever the solution, the free world looks to America with hope and admiration. Was this not the country that had the courage to pool all its resources for common purpose when the smoke had cleared over Pearl Harbor? Is this not the country that leads the world in innovation and technological expertise? Is this not the country that has shown ‘nothing is impossible’?
Reg: What a good point you raise here. I too wonder where my country has gone wrong, and I have to think I’m not alone here. Read More
Role of Government in Migrating to Clean Energy
| February 5, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Fossil Fuels |
I was delighted with the discussion pursuant to my piece on moral philosophy and energy policy. I note that most comments support my beliefs that a) young minds should be exposed to man’s great questions, b) we all do, in fact, share a set of duties and responsibilities, and c) the way in which we generate and consume energy figures prominently here, as the externalities of burning fossil fuels are causing a considerable number of harmful effects – both to us here on Earth now, and to future generations.
The discussion was by no means unanimous, however. Someone wrote in, taking a run at me for my position that government needs to play an important role. I’ve lost the email, but as well as I can remember, it read:
“No, impressionable minds should NOT be exposed to your braying about the importance of big government.” Read More
It’s Fashionable To Hate Government, But…
| January 31, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Here’s a good article for those interested in global climate change and the role of government in our lives. Journalist Christian Parenti points out that private sector interests alone will do very poorly in dealing with the enormity of the challenge facing us all in the form of extreme weather events created by global warming.
He notes, for instance, that 2011 was the driest year in the recording history of Texas, resulting in wildfires that consumed more than four million acres. He points out that the cost of repairing the damage to the thousands of homes and buildings, and rebuilding the agriculture businesses lost in the fires, is an estimated $5.2 billion—not something that the private sector can easily absorb. And of course, the Texas drought was just one of many individual extreme weather events whose frequency is expected to increase over time.
For my money, Parenti does an excellent job in putting this issue in perspective: it’s fashionable to hate government, but without some teeth in the public sector, our planet will soon lie in ruins.
The Proper Role of Government in the Migration to Renewables
| November 10, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
If you’re willing to take part in a very brief survey, I think you’ll find this one particularly interesting. Here, in our continuing quest to understand why the world (especially the U.S.) is moving so slowly in the direction of clean energy, we explore the proper role of government in engineering such a transition. Thanks for your help; I’ll make sure the report of the results is made available to you as soon and I knock it out.
John Locke and the Role of Government
| August 29, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Here’s a post on philosophy — relevant to our discussion as it deals with the proper role of government in defining policy and in our lives more generally.
It happens to be the birthday of John Locke, 17th Century British “empiricist,” meaning that he believed that all knowledge is derived from the senses. He’s actually better known for his political philosophy; Locke was one of the first to assert that all people had different classes of rights, and that the role of government was to protect those rights. His thinking figured prominently into our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution about 100 years later — and for that, we all owe him our gratitude. Read More
Paul Scott on the Role of Government in the Migration to Electric Vehicles
| June 2, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
Another clip of Paul Scott’s appearance on The 2GreenEnergy Report. Here, the subject is the role of government in the migration to electric vehicles.
Full 30-minute show on electric transportation here.
Role of Government in Forming Energy Policy
| April 3, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Craig Shields, former Libertarian, speaks on the role of government should play in energy policy, citing the need for a level playing field for renewable energy.
