Personal Politics and Renewable Energy

Curt writes:

… Though I have my political opinions, which (thankfully) have evolved over the years – I’m more interested in not knowing the political opinions of people as it can create tension in progressing together towards a common cause of better energy technology making it to the market place. …. Is personal politics going to be a unpleasant but necessary ‘evil’ we must be prepared to deal with? …. I’m here to learn and reply to others opinions on this and future topics.

Thanks so much for writing, Curt. You bring up some really neat points in your much longer and wonderfully astute comments to my piece on John Paul Stevens that I’ve excerpted above.

First, let me point out that I think long and hard before entering my personal politics into the discussion — and for the exact reason you mentioned. Also, I’m completely through bashing the (GW) Bush administration. My rancor on this subject was enhanced by my interviewing 25 people for my book on renewables, most of whom were themselves pretty rancorous about the effects of those years. But carrying on like this is hitting a man when he’s down, and tacitly embracing one form of unseemly power politics while condemning another.

However, I want to point out that it’s impossible to add insight into the migration to renewables while ignoring the politics surrounding the energy industry. Government plays an enormously important role in our energy policy – even it’s just to maintain the status quo, by offering up countless billions of dollars in subsidies to the oil, gas, and coal companies. I know that my own politics – or anyone’s politics for that matter – are going to rankle some people — but I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that. I’ll just try to be fair-minded, call ‘em like I see ‘em, and, as always, vigorously and honestly encourage divergent points of view. I’ve never censored a comment regardless of hard its author slapped me, and I don’t plan to make any changes in that policy.

Thanks again for writing. I’m glad you’re here.