Biden’s Clean Energy Speech: US Will Lead the Global Clean-Energy Revolution. Great! Can We Get Started Soon?
Joe Biden believes that the US, armed as it is with its “entrepreneurial spirit and innovative national labs,” will “lead the global clean-energy revolution and reap the economic and environmental benefits that go with it.” At least, this is what he told an audience that packed an auditorium at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) earlier this week.
Damn! I’m so sorry I missed that speech, as I’m sure it was grounded in solid fact, as most political speeches are. Hey, he didn’t happen to mention when all this was supposed to get started, did he?
Democrats make empty speeches about US leadership in clean energy. But I suppose that’s marginally better than Republicans, who have relatively little to say on the subject other than convincing voters that environmentalism is bad for the economy, that the imperative to move away from fossil fuels is over-hyped, and that the super-profitable oil companies still need huge subsidies from taxpayers.
However, while we here in the US are busy talking about renewables (or remaining silent about it, as the case may be), the Chinese and others are actually making it happen. China has a large and ever-widening lead in global clean energy investment; according to Bloomberg, they’ll spend 5 trillion yuan (nearly $740 billion) over the next 10 years on renewable energy projects.
America lives with constant uncertainty and the vigorous flip-flops that immediately follow every two-year election cycle. While all this makes for lively debate, which I suppose is good for voter turn-out and approval ratings, understandably, it renders investors quite nervous. In fact, it means death to any hope for the solid stream of capital formation that will be necessary to make clean energy a reality.
We’re good at rancor; we’ve proven that, year after year. Now we need something that we’ve not yet been able to demonstrate: a commitment to go beyond the name-calling and gross over-simplifications — the strength to build a consensus that will move us forward in an effective and practical manner.
But does there really seem to be any change on the horizon? If there is, I sure don’t see it. I liken this to the alcoholic who, until he hits rock bottom, refuses to cart himself off to rehab and clean up his life. I see the same situation for clean energy in the US; we haven’t sunk low enough to create the necessary motivation.
Unless there is a dramatic shift in our approach, in about a decade Americans will wake up one day to realize that the country they love is now number three or four in clean energy – an industry that will have come to dominate the world economy. We will have lost the most important economic battle in the 21st Century. Maybe better said: we will have sat on the sidelines and watched the rest of the world fight the most important economic battle in the 21st Century.
I predict that this tragic event will spawn some real change in leadership, albeit too late, as we’re a nation that really doesn’t like to lose. I’m reminded of the words of George C. Scott as General George Patton: “Americans love a winner, and they will not tolerate a loser.”
Yes, Americans will eventually place a limit on their tolerance for failure and humiliation. But wouldn’t it be easier to fight hard and win now? Perhaps a timely question to ask, as we memorialize the millions of fallen soldiers and the sacrifices they made to keep America strong.
Germany has recently committed itself to phasing out nuclear power and increasing renewable energy sources. It will be interesting to see how that works out since they already have solar and wind energy installations which are not producing enough power to be very useful. Probably they will increase their use of fossil fuel (coal and imported gas) and the amount of nuclear-generated power from France. I expect that eventually they will return to nuclear power, but use a safer and more economical nuclear technology than they presently use.
Hydroelectric power seems to be the only renewable source of power that is economically acceptable. Unfortunately, its available is geographically limited so while some countries have abundant hydro power available, most countries do not have nearly enough available to meet their needs. Also, it is not always environmentally friendly, even though it is clean. For example, it can keep salmon fish from swimming upstream to spawn thereby reducing the salmon population; that has been a serious problem in some areas. I expect that eventually most countries will come to depend on nuclear power, but not using uranium since thorium is a more economical and safer alternative which eliminates most of the objections to pressurized water thermal reactors which use uranium. China is already committed to nuclear power and has committed itself to developing liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) technology. Meanwhile, it can make considerable money selling wind and solar systems to other countries.
Craig, your post reminds me of a quote by Winston Churchill-
“Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…after they have exhausted all other possibilities.” Most people won’t change until they feel the need (because of some pain) or until they are forced to (because of some pain). Car makers are only changing because of the pain of falling sales of gas hogs, fuel mileage standards and the specter of bankruptcy. Until we can bring about some equivalent motivations to other elements of our society, change will just continue to lope along at a snails pace in this country. Altruistic behavior is a rare and wonderful thing. Of course $6 a gallon gas would really help accellerate change, wouldn’t it? . 🙂
$6 gas would really accelerte change?
Of course it would but you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the green coalition to support it if it was sudden.
If nothing is changed on the national level, gas will eventually go to $6 and more. Alternatives will make even more sense than they do right now at $4.
Plug-in hybrids, compact cars, solar and wind installatons are coming on line rapidly. Government knows best has not worked very well in the past and is not likely to promote a smoother transition to the next energy paradigm. jmo
I just hope enough of us decide to leap out of the water and turn down the heat before we’re all boiled frogs. Complacency can be quite lethal (and lethal to more than just the complacent).
Why do you think we will wake up when we realize we are down to number 3 or 4? We are down to below number 20 in schools and they (mostly republicans) are slashing school budgets.
I’m losing my faith in democracy. It is never going to move anywhere if we keep flipping and flopping every two years and the republicans keep blocking any progress even when they aren’t in the majority. Besides it’s really a plutocracy anyhow with the wealthy really pulling the strings of power.
Sorry to be saying this on Memorial Day, but all those brave soldiers aren’t really getting what they sacrificed so much for.
I second Cameron’s comment. By the way my old PC was only a 2GB system and it crashed (probably due to all the good information and dis-information I had stored on it started a chain reaction and it over heated). Anyway my new email address is LesBlev@gmail.com since Windows 7 doesn’t accept Outlook Express which I had been using.
The end game of (oil and energy) addiction may well be projection of blame, as is usually the case. Nationally, we may forced to follow the leaders, as clueless as they be. Wars world wide may well result. The military establishment in this country has great inertia and influence. Do not doubt it.
We may be well advised to examine the purpose of government, since we have run out of new countries to succeed to. Government is not to insure the profit of the wealthy, but the welfare of all equally. When a soverign government has its own welfare secured, then it may generously extend that welfare to other countries in kind. if they fail to , barbarism in insatiable confusion results because of lack of competent wisdom for the common good. When people believe they are bodily entities alone, they will see themselves as threatened and at risk from all manner of ills. When it does not come from outside, which has been easy to manipulate publically, it will be manifested from within. Tyranical political figures gain easy traction in a truthless society without wise and reasonable peaceful guidance. Religions, like political parties, are mass egos looking to decieve to sustain themselves. Any questions so far?
There may be an answer in the Green Party. With the demublicans and republocrats in such corrupt disarray, the time has never been more available for needed change, but mass conciousness may not be possible.
The US is us.
How come there are giant hit shows on American TV where all the energy is focused on giving a kid a chance to become the next “American Idol” and there are NO shows on Anerucan TV about giving a kid a chance to become employed in the Clean Energy field? When you figure that one out, you will have your answer about America’s future in the next decade as far as holding its own as a super power.
Maybe it is because RE is not fantasy, but reality, and not the reality as defined by the illusion of TV.
its true when the day comes TV shows of America or elsewhere alike if there is some challenges posed to innovators and an individual to take the challenges for the Clean tech there is no future perfect we all going to see in our near future for sure Because every other establishments,org’s and the global company alike says something when it comes to their news of their company such as GE ‘s ecomagination committed some $5bn TO $15bn while it reaped the profits and what the common man got it so others do get in such prize money offer go no where time has come to find a real innovator who not needs any seed money for a start up nor he feels he is totally wiped out from the real challenges but one plat form Him/her and the rest of the best minds who ever think they can challenge the REAL INNOVATOR and I feel there is no expert panel to judge nor any super duper groups who does not know the real innovations such has even this is not a real innovations of Mark Zuckerberg he out smarted those two brothers and made his fortune called Facebook social net there may be some copy cats but the domination what Mark Zuckerberg weilds even Google and Microsoft couldnot match here no experts groups sat to judge his web site but its thus he got out his empire of success thus I know many innovator for the lack of funds are wiped out from the scenes and this is a madness of intellectual peoples side of weired actions that never allowed any decent real innovators and for the second Dave B askings
May 30, 2011 at 1:39 pm
I have a question for someone to answer. If China invests 750 billion in renewable energy sources, how much does the US spend in tax incentives per year?..kBN ORTS TRUE THE DAY This will put every one into shame and astonishments that about CHINA’s power on global tech especially in CLEAN TECH as Dave B 750 Billion USD or its own currency what ever its just ahead of all and its a matter of time it will for sure can be trusted as far as cheapest manufacturing capabilities it can/and will serve the whole worlds energy technology if its hands falls on to such technology of its kind I reminded in my previous reply blog of Craigs survey after the same I wish to repeat here for you all take my opinion seriously and nothing to be scared when it brought the Solar Photovoltaics price down it means business never belive any company or the news of greedy business models are promoted by TOM and HARRY bUT WHATCH FOR CHINA’s emergence but the ultimate we must be get out from false promises and get into common causes of globals problem this is not any country specific nor its any AMERICAN’s huge profit making technology as some trade pundits asking US Government to invest some $Trillion gone mad to fool the American public believe me I wish not to take name game nor any controversy to get fame or get promote my interest but its pity to see such trade pundits/Gurus any made few billion dollars when they come out with such plans their own interest can be seen but no more their plans will as problems surmounting people lost their patience I hope better sense prevail and things of serious nature sorted out no more science and the technology can be considered a private property for the few to rake wealth but its now a globals humans sufferings sooner the better solved collectively by every learned Intellects responsibility with I look for good sense among us all13.13hours.31May Tuesday.2011
I have a question for someone to answer. If China invests 750 billion in renewable energy sources, how much does the US spend in tax incentives per year?..
Good question and no easy answer. If it were simple and transparent, it wouldn’t be occuring. Ask rather (your Senator or Representative) where those incentives go, or to whom. In the USA much is invested in RE also, mostly at corporate and Utility levels for production development and larger RE implementations. China is only beginning to invest in domestic involvement since most production equipment is exported. They are now the lead in large wind generators also. One key is to look at the median age of the people in charge of government programs. All the fossils in the US aren’t just in the western arid lands.
Churchill was correct, The Yanks will do the right thing, but not until they try everything else.
Try something else, Utilities are in business to make money, Just having a Meter at your home even with no usage costs between $10 and $50 each month. (Yes for electricity, water, sewage, and gas.) But utilities didn’t make this nation Great, That is atributable to American Farmers. Distribute our residences, and factories out of the cities, eliminate most of the crime and taxation the easy way, “Get Out of Town.”
I just moved 35 miles out of the city, the air is cleaner, the trafic is ten cars an hour the water from a 200 ft. deep well tasts great, (From the Zepherhills Aquifer) and tested bacteria and polution free. The septic tank and drain-field distributed waste after digestion by “Friendly” bacteria to the lawn which is a beautifus green and converts those environmentally active materiaks into grass blades to trim and enjoy the smell of the grass, and beauty of all that green expanse.
I have seen the depths of Hades, it is city living, Get out, get out, get out.
” Change is inevitable in the world, no matter how the world attempts to stop the need and growth of man to acquire the knowledge of new sources of energy it will not STOP”. My comparison is that of the computer era entering the world and today man cannot almost anything without computers. In the same way for our health, wealth and our prosperity in this we strive to rectify the errors our forefathers have made and dedicate our lives to a CLEANER GLOBE. Economist will realise these inventions are more than just lucrative but also man’s tenacious ability to make our world a better place. Time is the only answer that will answer all our prayers. Not our time but God’s time.
Grumble, mutter, rant, snort, rant, plutocrats, republicans, TV, mutter, USA is finished. rant rant….
The Peoples Republic of China is not an environmental example for anyone to follow. The PRC invests very little money in creating or developing technology. PRC either buys, copies or simply steals technology.(or a combination of all three)
The PRC will build and complete 821 new coal-fired power stations over the next 7 years, roughly doubling the world climate change emissions. In addition India will exploit it’s considerable brown coal reserves. India must exploit this energy resource if it’s economy is expand, while the PRC is a ruthless exploiter of raw materials and energy resources on a world scale, regardless of the environmental consequences. 80,000 PRC special “internal security troops”, are presently brutally suppressing the Mongolian ethnic minority in Inner Mongolia. The Mongolians are protesting, among other concerns, the environmental destruction of their homeland. (Notice the absence of NATO Jets!)
It’s all very well quoting Churchill, but JFK’s challenge is still more appropriate when he urged, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”!
Hands up all those who drive a Nissan Leaf, Volt or even a hybrid?