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Alternative Energy Research vs Weight Loss Products {Infographic}

June 23, 2011 By 6 Comments
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This is a pretty shocking infographic I recently ran across. As you can see for yourself, if even a tiny percentage of the money spent on weight loss (or a number of other odd topics) were spent on clean energy, clean energy proponents would be ecstatic. I guess this shows us where our priorities are.

Alternative Energy Research Infographic (click to enlarge)

Infographic via WellHome Energy Audits

More infographics on CleanTechnica:

  1. Electric Motors Use 45% of Global Electricity, Europe Responding {+ Electric Motor Efficiency Infographic}
  2. Energy Use of Different Modes of Transport {Infographic}
  3. Energy in an Hour {Infographic}
  4. Are E-Books Really Green? [INFOGRAPHIC]
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About Zachary Shahan

If you couldn't guess, I spend most of my time on CleanTechnica and Planetsave. I'm the director/editor of both sites and am a little obsessed with them and the topics they cover. I'm also Publishing Services Manager at Important Media, which means that I do everything I can to support other Important Media writers, editors, and directors (as well as the network as a whole) in the good work they are engaged in. You can also find my work on Scientific American, Reuters, Change.org, most of the sites in the Important Media network, & many other places. For more, or to connect, go to zacharyshahan.com

  • Alexandra Radu

    Well if you think about it, americans are stuggling with weight loss and since they are a powerful state you should considerthe fact that they dont want their people to die and remain just a little hand of persons because then how can they be one of the most important powers of the world, sites such as http://biggestloserclub.com.au/ seem to have a goal in making people less fat so that means that they are trying to help you to live longer right?

    • Anonymous

      sure, decent points. but, basically, the secrets to weight loss are not
      secrets, completely simple, and CHEAP. exercise (free); eat simple,
      wholesome foods; and don’t eat too much

  • John

    I agree with Daniel.  The scale is neither linear nor properly logarithmic.

    The presumption of the author is breathtaking.  I may not choose to spend my money on some of those things, but who is to say what are ‘non-essential products and services’?  Overdraft Fees are not exactly discretionary payments for many people.

    Spending on Lotteries is in large part redistribution of wealth, as the gamblers receive money back as prizes, and the beneficiaries would otherwise have to raise funds by some other means; only the administration costs are actually ‘spent’.  

    In the President’s 2012 budget proposal released in February, the Administration recommended spending $8 billion on “clean energy and technology programs”, from a total Department of Energy budget of $29.5 billion (http://www.energy.gov/news/10064.htm).  This seems to have been left off the so-called ‘infographic’.

    Spending on research does not automatically lead to scientific developments.  Some problems do yield to ‘blood and treasure’, but sometimes spending all the money there is will hardly accelerate progress.

    Hydrogen research globally has been running at nearly $1 billion per year for the last decade or so; the US government has spent billions on it.  To date, it has produced precious little to show for this.  There are those who would argue that even $0 is too much, and the money would have been better spent on tanning, psychics and weight loss.

    • Anonymous

      I appreciate your comments and don’t deny this is a bit of apples & oranges
      here. I thought the same, of course. It puts things into context, though,
      which is why i found it interesting. And the truth is, we go up in arms
      about taxes (for things like energy research) and yet waste (yes, i’m going
      to be outright again and continue my previous assertion) money on things
      like lottery tickets (which are a total rip-off of an idea and make the poor
      poorer), tanning (I’m sorry, not necessary), weight loss (when people could
      just use their legs a little more and eat whole foods, & eat less).

  • http://www.facebook.com/pauloone Paulo

    Shame on our collective fat asses!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KBYM37QEABM6E2754OVYVQVV5Q Daniel

     Totally apples and oranges.  One is the amount of money that the US government spends on research in those areas, and the other is total consumer spending.  Also the scale is nearly unintelligible.