Posts Tagged by US energy policy
“Bad Socialism” at Work in US Energy Policy
| June 16, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Frequent commenter Cameron Atwood writes:
What really astonishes me is when people who claim to support a free market solution then complain about subsidies to truly clean and sustainable renewable energy, but fail to even mention the sturdy government crutches used by both the undead nuke plants and the muscular and well-heeled (but doomed) oil firms.
Yes, this amazes me too. The anti-socialists support the taxpayers shelling out tens of billions of dollars annually to support private enterprise (socialism). And it’s BAD socialism (supporting a public hazard, vs. a public good).
2GreenEnergy Video Report — Energy Policy and the Externalities of Fossil Fuels
| February 6, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Fossil Fuels |
In this episode of the 2GreenEnergy Video Report, host George Alger asks me about the externalities of fossil fuels.
Those are some big words we’re throwing around here! What do they mean? What needs to be done?
The Tragic Results of Political Compromise in US Energy Policy
| December 23, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
The results of political compromise — maybe by definition — are seldom satisfactory to anyone. But hasn’t this whole process recently gotten worse than ever before? The healthcare reform bill that the Obama administration put through was the product of a hammer and tongs fight from the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and the enormous money and power that they and their partners brought to the battle. Supported by a political machine that benefited from convincing voters that the whole idea of reform was tantamount to socialism, the bill that was ultimately passed is an utter disappointment — and may ultimately fall apart for any number of reasons, one of which is as basic as a successful constitutional challenge.
Closer to my home in the energy sector, I have to say that cap and trade legislation is a similar sort of disaster in the making. Anyone sincerely wanting to use the public sector to lead the way to a sustainable approach to energy has extremely clearcut tools at his disposal. How about the simplicity of a carbon tax? A feed-in tariff? What’s the matter with just pulling the subsidies on oil? If you really want clean energy, there are abundant and crystal clear ways to do it — instantly. Read More
US Policy on Clean Energy – The Road Not Taken?
| June 29, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
A friend from the UK asked for my take on a new Swiss movie on Jimmy Carter’s efforts to reduce the United States’ dependence on oil at the end of the 1970s. He points out, “I am sure it will not be well known in the States. Perhaps it should be.”
The movie in question, “The Road Not Taken,” is a documentary centering around President Jimmy Carter’s having a series of solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. At the time, he told the crowd gathered to mark the installation of the new units:
“A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people – harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil.”
A few years later, President Ronald Reagan famously had the solar panels removed.
I wrote back:
In my mind, there is no doubt that the conversation, mute as it is in the US, has already added luster to Carter’s star and, I suppose, some tarnish to Reagan’s. But I’m more interested to know what this means in terms of the future. We’re still subsidizing fossil fuels. There are still 7000 lobbyists cruising around the Beltway influencing lawmakers to ensure that that oil, coal, and gas remain at the core of our energy future until the last drop of crude is sucked out of the Earth, we’ve ripped the top off the last mountain, and fracked the planet’s crust to smithereens.
Having said that, there are hundreds of lively discussions in the blogosphere every day about the R&D for clean energy. Bill Gates’ 2010 TED talk is getting some very good distribution. Perhaps this stark dichotomy between these two US presidents and the concept of the “road not taken” will be viewed as an iconic piece of US history — and perhaps it can be spun into the idea that “it’s not too late to get back on the right road.”
We can hope.
