Making a Change in Energy Policy
One hears a great deal about the cyclical rebound in many of the phenomena we come across in our lives – especially political and financial. I’m always amused by the consultants who urge us to invest in blue chip stocks like General Electric and so forth, on the basis that they’ve taken a momentary downturn, but they always come back. Hey, don’t panic, kid — it’s business as usual — it’s feast and famine. But stop and think. Do you know the normal consequence of famine in nature? It’s Death. It’s Extinction.
My point is not to depress you. I don’t think of myself as a cynic; I think of myself as a pragmatist. I’m here to point to what’s real. And that reality is that we are all directly and systematically oppressed. We are all being deliberately lied to and confused by the energy industry.
OK, but what’s new here? Hasn’t the common man been on the receiving end of the deceit of the super-rich pretty much throughout recorded history? As far as I can tell, the answer is yes. But a hundred years ago when we suffered under the exploitation of the great robber barons, the consequences of those lies by the powerful and ruthless people of the day were monopolies and economic depressions. But now, the consequences are the ruination of our oceans, our atmosphere, and the generally hospitable climate on the only planet we have.
So here’s my point. Don’t expect a miracle. In fact, I have a prediction: There will be no miracle. If there is a chance for us, it will come from you and me with our sleeves rolled up, working hard to expose the facts, and make big changes — fast. We live under tyranny – a tyranny of corporatocracy and corruption, where the huge interests of the energy industry are determined to do everything they can to defeat renewables. Why? Why are money and power so alluring to some people who live on the same dying planet with you and me? I don’t know. That’s beyond me. Ask them if you get a chance and let me know. All I’m trying to say that this: if you and I don’t create a huge impact on our way of life right now, we will not get another chance.
Henry Kissinger said not too long ago that if it weren’t for the opposition of the common American to the war in Vietnam, we’d still be there. That’s amazing, isn’t it? An admission of the truth: By the early 1970s, the war had become so unpopular that our leaders in Washington were forced to take a different course.
The situation now is the same. The great oil, coal, and nuclear energy companies and the lobbies that own the congressmen who create the policy at their behest will turn this planet into a wasteland in which only the super rich will have any real quality of life – unless we do something.
Over the coming weeks, you’ll see more functionality here on 2GreenEnergy that will enable us all to become more vocal and more active in making a real change in world energy policy. Let’s hope there’s still time.
Well stated. Whether it be wars, alternative health, energy and/or other issues that affect you and me individually or collectively, it really does boil down to citizens taking a proactive view of our world to effect improvement that serves the interests of people, as opposed to the vested interests of corporate and government institutions.
Good to hear the truth. About all we can do is make ourselves as energy green as posable with what we have to work with and leave the rest to our
God. About all one person can do to change something is speak the truth and hold to our convictions to do what is right and fair.
Calvin in Florida
The monopolies he mentioned were to a significant degree, controlled for a while by anti-trust legislation. The first anti-trust law was the Sherman Anti-Trust act of 1890 which, over a period of decades, was followed by other anti-trust acts. The breakup of AT&T, the telephone monopoly, was the result of enforcing already passed anti-trust acts. Unfortunately, anti-trust acts have not been enforced by decades.
Experience clearly indicates that companies will not act in the public interest unless they are forced by law to do so. Part of the solution to many of our problems is to act on that experience by enforcing anti-trust laws and enforcing laws against pollution.
This should not be construed as an attack on our capitalistic system, but rather, as the recognition that laissez faire capitalism, i.e., capitalism with no regulations or controls, results in having business and industry acting in ways detrimental to the public interest.
One of the best ways to facilitate change is to support the companies that are enabling it. The solar, wind, geothermal, smart grid, energy efficiency/conservation, run-of-river hydro and marine energy companies. I can’t go out and build a geothermal power plant, but I can support a geothermal company by investing in it. I can’t build a 3MW wind turbine, but I can support the company that’s fighting questionable NIMBY issues by politically-influential people in Cape Cod and those with vested interests in coal in West Virginia. Certainly the oil, coal and nuclear folks have plenty of supporters doing this for their cause. We must do the same for ours.
You’re absolutely right, Jeff. I want to speak you about this further; I’ll shoot you an email. You’re obviously on the right track here.
Energy cost are the biggest issue with consumers, utilities and our US energy security. We import over 65% of our oil today. It makes our weak economy even weaker.
Only renewables help us, the world and security. We are finally starting to move ahead but at a very slow pace. Don’t wait for the govenment or others. Do it yourself. I installed a grid tied solar system myself in 2001 here in sunny arizona. I also have a plug in prius that can get over 200 mpg and go 40 miles all electric. It’s the best investment I have ever made.
“Any true environmentalist would commit suicide.”
I think the human race is learning to be environmentalists.
Most of the solutions being presented still Believe Hard in the concept of Progress and Technology. There is still way too much talk about “improving the economy”, when the economy we need is much smaller than the one we have. More activity will not solve a problem caused by too much consumption unless that activity is a “World Made by Hand”.
Driving a more efficient car to work at the advertising agency is a classic example of people missing the gist of the problem.
Stay home. Screw the economy any way you can. Turn off the TV. Buy less, grow your own. These are the forces that make corporations serve you instead of you serving the corporations. Make them come to you on their knees, not on your TV.
Other things we can and should do that will make more of a difference include making out houses more efficient, using water much more efficiently ( seventy percent of the cost of water is electricity) and buying on the outside edge of the grocery store and avoid packaging. We can change the fact that we flush our toilets and water our grass with water purified to drinking standards.
I have been receiving info and opinion from this site for awhile now and enjoy very much.
Agree with majority of comments regarding solar,wind etc.
Residing in Canada, am a firm believer of Electric vehicles for short city commutes and farther in the near future.
Own 2 electric bikes; 1 scooter style and other Chopper style.
Awaiting our provincial government’s approval of electric cars which is VERY slow in coming !
Best to all.
Hello Craig,
Thanks for the “Making a Change in Energy Policy”.
In my point of view, Mr. Obama has the best place to perform the required big changes.
I am only a surviver since 1946 and in that condiction all I can do is to beliave in my self, to understand the past and the present in order to adapt to the future. Regarding to Energy Policy, what is good to the people is not good for the big companies and vice versa. The best to the people is the Energy decentralization. It means to be at the same time a consumer/producer. This can be achived via the micro renewable sources.
The micro renewable energy sources are almost invisibles, which is very good in present time.
Pls disregard my other post sent by mistake.
Thanks, Best Regards.
Manuel Gama
I happen to agree with the gist of this article. I quit putting money in mutual funds a long time ago. What I replaced that investing with is reducing debt and building my own energy system. The debt reduction plan is doing fair, but for the moment my solar energy system is turned off. The local utility will not allow it to be grid tied. I am working with a sympathetic newspaper reporter to try to affect change locally. I am also saving to buy the components to make my solar array a battery backup grid tied system, so I can connect to Arab (Alabama) Electric Cooperatives power only when I have to. That is coming along, albeit slower than I’d like.
Craig, it was interesting to see you agreeing with Jeff when in my mind I was thinking about GE as a company that builds wind turbines, geothermal turbines, etc. to produce energy as efficiently as possible and appliances that use as little as possible. Although corporate boards demand profit that doesn’t necessarily preclude serving the public interest.
Our big mistake in this country was in giving corporations the right to be involved in politics. That alone won’t have been so bad if all the citizens were informed and voted but we can’t expect that. Unless corporate boards get committed to the long term health of the world instead of the next earnings report our only hope is the personal choices route.
The first rule for decreasing our impact is conservation and I know that many people spend large sums on high tech before they’ve insulated their window coverings. In fact many people don’t have or don’t use window covering let alone ones that insulate. An IR barrier of foil/poly laminate added to a snug-to-the-wall conventional drape or blind is the easiest way I know to triple your window’s “R” value.
At 64 with no pension but more solar hot water than I use, I’m reducing my risks somewhat. Rather than investing in “alternative energy” companies (which have lost me money in the past) I’m happy that some of my savings are in GE (which I think will come back to profitablity as a stock holding soon). It takes large resources to to bring large improvements into production.
p.s. Two of my last tree homes had PV electric. This one will before I invest in more stocks
Hi, Rico, and thank you for being so environmentally concerned.
I actually just chose GE at random as a bluechip stock. And you’re right; they will do whatever they can to turn a profit for shareholders — which, btw, is why they’re getting into renewables in a big way. There are elements of this industry that are already profitable, and it didn’t take GE long to figure that out. Coincidentally, the blog post I’m working on for tomorrow deals with this directly.
It’s interesting you mention the involvement of corporations in politics. You might have see this post dealing with the subject: http://www.2greenenergy.com/bill-moyers-and-renewable-energy/763/. The US Supreme Court is dealing with “as we speak.” Soon we’ll see if corruption is protected under the first amendment as “free speech.”
Investing in “BlueChips” will remain necessary as alternatives to self employment. The hazards of business management for profits may not be mastered by all. Some are just ‘not cut out’ for it.