Comments on: Is Clean Energy Yet Another Culture War?

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:09:00 +0000

A lot of people in the middle of the country have learned that wind farms create jobs, produce income for ranch and farm owners, and increase tax revenue for state and local governments.

Recently we’ve see the Republican governors of two conservative states campaigning for continued federal support for wind farms. Legislation designed to limit wind farms in conservative states has failed.

Add to that the fact that many rural areas are starting to suffer from the impact of gas fracking. It’s one thing to drill for fuel, but when you can’t breathe the air and can’t drink the water from your own well attitudes change.

Drive through the countryside and you see warning lights being powered by solar panels. One small panel and that light blinks on and off all night long.

I suspect the wall has been breached….

By: Sacramento Solar Companies

Sacramento Solar Companies — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:53:00 +0000

The people to motivate aren’t those in government: it is the citizens themselves. When they are motivated themselves to work on promoting and practicing clean energy, the most work will get done.

By: jburt56

jburt56 — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:27:00 +0000

There is hope because many bitter clinger survivalists have discovered off grid tech and ground mount solar. Yaaaahoooo!!! P.S. Need any high-powered long range wifi with that?

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:25:00 +0000

That is a depressing article but I think it captures a perception that clean advocates and the Obama Administration need to get on top of.

It is not a given that renewable is or will always be more expensive than legacy, dirty power sources. Already there are instances of renewables winning even with the unlevel playing field of air pollution, environmental and health costs caused by dirty sources borne by wider society.

As clean energy technology improves, social costs are included and the price of diminishing easily exploitable fossil fuel goes up the relative cost position will change.

Also as is regularly pointed out the amount of ambient energy received from the Sun is vastly more than we currently need.

So we can have our cake and eat it. Clean power, cheaply and in abundance.

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:09:00 +0000

The absolute cost of petrol in the US is still half of what it is in London so they have great scope for savings by moving to more fuel efficient engines.

By: Hope

Hope — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:06:00 +0000

As someone that lives in London, and has visited America frequently in the past fifteen years for work and leisure, I can say with honesty now that America is worse than Europe.

Trips to America used to be suffused with cries of just how reasonable, nay cheap everything was. Not any longer.

I balk at Petrol prices, and the fact that half the cars on the road are still SUVs, or even just cars with V6 and V8 engines. Food prices are ridiculous, and consumer goods in general seem savagely overpriced compared to (where I live) London.