Clean Energy Will Help Our Economy Recover
Written by Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director
The best way to recover our economy is by becoming energy independent in ways that create new American jobs. This will require a massive undertaking to make America’s energy supply cleaner and America’s energy use more efficient – an undertaking that will create millions of jobs and a new economic engine for the 21st century.
By retrofitting buildings to increase energy efficiency, expanding mass transit, constructing “smart” grid transmission systems, and expanding clean energy such as wind, solar and biofuels. We could create millions of new jobs and would yield a total economic return much greater than a comparable investment in the oil industry.
Both presidential candidates talk about energy independence – but only Barack Obama’s plan has the right policies and smart investments--$150 billion for clean energy—to actually put us on the road to energy independence. McCain merely offers more oil, more nuclear power, and more coal—the same energy mix that has left us dependent on hostile regimes and put our economy at risk.
Instead of bailing out Wall Street’s recklessness, these investments will pay for themselves, put Main Street back to work and America back on the path to prosperity. Repowering America will allow us to spend hundreds of billions a year on homegrown, job-creating clean energy, energy efficiency, and the efficient vehicles of the future here in the U.S. instead of sending it overseas to buy oil.
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The writer a Sierra club frantic wants America to pay for his 5000 sq doot cabin in the rocky mountains where he can see and walk the woods free of the poor rabble who paid for the whole thing. Once long ago the Sierra Club was actually a force to save the wild lands from development. Now it is an elitist organization intent on keeping the rabble, that means us, out of the woods we own. Not content with that they want us to pay for their solar panels, hybrid cars , hi tech windows, wind turbines, and other toys. The only thing not needing our money , nuclear power plants are shot down, solar in the desert is shot down, power lines are shot down, every thing that might benefit the rabble is shot down by this elitist holier than thou group. Lets tell the Sierra Club crowd to take a hike to mars and never come back.
No Nuclear power plants - stopped by environmentalists.
Solar power in the desert - No think of the desert tortoise.
Power lines to the city - Not if it has to go through the woods.
Wind turbines - But the birds
Well said. The worst thing that ever happened to America was the environmental quality act which has allowed every tom dick and harry to say NO NO NO NO NO NO..... If we wish to be a third world country for our children just let things continue as they are.
The USA is not dependent on the importing of foreign fuels in most energy sectors. The transportation sector is where most all of our dependencies lay. As of now, however, there is not much of a viable alternative to petroleum based transportation fuels.
Fuel cells are too expensive and too complicated to be viable. Add to that the fact that Hydrogen (the fuel cell's fuel) can not be mined, but must be produced (traditionally using Methane) which is an energy consuming process.
Biofuels are available, but the current fuels result in rising food prices, as corn and other feed is sold in the energy sector. Switch grass base biofuels may have a future, but it is still too early to tell. So far, Brazil is the only nation that I think has done it right. They use sugar cane refuse (something that they have a lot of) to produce biofuels and most cars run on a flexfuel system.
One common misconception is that cars can be powered by solar/wind, but the average consumer would like the ability to drive more than 40-100 miles on a single charge, which is they best that most electric cars can do.
The real key is battery technology . The problems facing current batter technology are that it is either; too expensive, too heavy, takes too long to charge, and/or does not hold enough energy to travel long distances. Imagine, however, that a better battery could be manufactured. One that overcame the issues that we see today. That would be the holy-grail of energy independence. The give us the ability to displace current petroleum base transportation sector with a transportation sector that is powered by a diverse collection of fuel sources. After all, you can make all of the electricity that you want from solar, wind, nuclear , coal , etc. but if you can't power a car with it, you are no where closer to energy independence then you are now.
Let me finish by saying, I am a fan of Obama. I think that he has an ambitious agenda and if we could only get some bipartisan legislation we may be heading in the right direction. That being said, it appears to me that his priorities on energy independence are misplaced. Retrofitting houses, although it reduces overall energy consumption, does nothing for energy independence (we are not hurting for domestic sources of coal). Increasing car MPG standards reduces the dependence on foreign oil for the short term, but does nothing to solve the long term problem, and the same is true of drilling domestically. The only way to really solve the problem is to implement a new energy carrier for the transportation sector and, in my opinion, batteries are the lowest hanging fruit.
What Mr. Pope says is very appealing but, in my opinion, is not very practical or true. Take this statement for example,
"By retrofitting buildings to increase energy efficiency, expanding mass transit, constructing “smart” grid transmission systems, and expanding clean energy such as wind, solar and biofuels."
Retrofitting buildings, wind and solar energies, etc. are extremely expensive and the technologies are simply not there for the level of energy output that this country needs. And if 750 billion was needed for the current bailout- 150 billion isn't going to scratch the surface towards completely revamping our energy sources.
And this statement:
"We could create millions of new jobs and would yield a total economic return much greater than a comparable investment in the oil industry."
There is no way that underdeveloped resources could, at this moment in time or in the foreseeable future, be considered a "comparable investment" to the oil industry. There is nothing comparable about it. The oil industry has the technology and the infrastructure. Clean energy does not.
Clean energy is certainly a goal that needs to be realized and not just talked about. But realistically speaking, drilling for oil is an exigent move for our country's pressing needs and security.
Not only is it not practical, except for conservation, it isn't even cost effective. If any item needs our tax money to make it work than it is a lose lose lose for the taxpayer since every dollar in taxes takes out 5 dollars in spending by the private sector paying the tax.
And Wendy where do you get such info?
RE already in many ases the low cost energy supply. While I agree present commercial RE isn't cheap, but that's because it's in low production, not mass production.
First reducing your energy needs is quite easy. Americans are so wasteful that they can reduce energy needs by 50% or more with little cost, just some thinking and doing things differently. Jusy $10 worth of CFL's can reduce your electric bill $6/month.
I can build a 1kw windgen for about $300 in parts and a 3kw electric, 10kw heat s forolar thermal generator that supplies hot water and heat too with a biomass/NG, waste veg oil, wood pellet backup burner about $2-3k. These 2 would serve an eff home and charge an eff EV. Under mass production can be profitable at about $8k-10k for 50 yrs of 'free' energy. In many states even get money from the utility for excess power.
Sadly now you have to build your own but that';s not hard and pays very well. Info needed on the better RE lists from those already doing it.
RE this way will cost less than oil, coal over the next 10yrs.
Retro fitting buildings can pay off in under 5yrs if done right and create millions of jobs now putting the laid off construction workers back top work. Especially here in Fla where a new shell both energy eff and hurricane protection upgrade would bring us out of the recession. Add the new RE jobs instead of sending our money to Iran, Russia, Venezuela, ect is a national, economic security goal.
The only problem RE has is all the subsidies, direct, indirect oil and coal get which would double their price no even including CO2 costs. Had these costs been in them instead of in our income, ect taxes then RE would have already been here.
Anyone who has studied the facts know oil has peaked in July, thus the peak price, will only go up as the economy recovers. If we don't become energy independent then we will be broke.
Nukes, coal plants now cost the same as RE or less to build and don't need fuel sources mostly so over the long run less costly/kwhr.
Obama says he will give loans for this and if he does I'll go in the business creating quite a few jobs myself. Now I just build, convert cars, trucks to EV's.
Many now live without fossil fuels, check them out on the web instead of spouting misinformation.
jerryd
Jerry, I love it when you say "instead of sending our money to Iran, Russia, Venezuela", why is that that we find ourselves doing that at this particular point in time? it is because Leftists have succeeded in preventing us from drilling here, they have prevented us from building Nuclear power plants.
Nobody on my side opposes any reducing energy consumption efforts or alternative sources but I can not for the life of me figure out why we have in the past and continue to refuse to produce our own energy regardless of what it is, oil, nuclear, wind mills, coal, etc..
The notion that we are dependent on foreign oil because we had to is an all out lie, this has been a choice that we have made over the last 30 years!
Didn't you read my above post? We don't have the oil as verified by the Economist, WSJ, Oil and Gas Journal, CIA among many others who actually know. Just what are your sources, Rush? The lie is we can just drill our way out of this mess. You do know the US reached peak oil in 73 don't you? Do you understand what that means?
Off the coast of Fla for example where I am they say is vast oil reserves but we have drilled for 50 yrs and little was found. The 181 tract sold 4 yrs ago, the most promising area off the panhandle and little oil or even drilling has been found/done, why? We don't want drilling because tourism makes us much, much more money than the pitiful amounts of oil we'll find at most a couple months worth. A 1mpg mileage increase for a couple yrs would produce much more..
I'm not a leftist but a centrist/ fiscal conservative who goes by facts, not blind ideology like you. I'm for no subsidies of energy and let the results fall where they may..
Nukes cost too much and their fuel costs have doubled and will again. I, utilities can build RE for 1/2 that amount.
You are joking that repubs are for conservation? Then why did they just force a $10B tax break for oil companies before they would let the last energy bill pass the Senate? Why haven't they let a higher mileage standard pass?
Until the full, true cost of oil, coal is in their price instead of in our income taxes subsidizing them we'll continue to get screwed. I thought you repubs were suppose to be for a free market? Yet you continually subsidize fossil fuel, nukes. Why? Shouldn't they and those who use them pay their true costs? Wouldn't that be true conservatism? Isn't their subsidizing them socialism? or fascist?
There is plenty of energy out there, we just need to harvest it. But since RE is spread out and best made by the user, homeowner not big business they put out lies and fools like you believe them.
Your last statement is true but not in the way you think. If 30 yrs ago we had moved to RE, EV's, eff cars we wouldn't be in oil wars, our waters so polluted from mercury from coal we can't eat the fish but 1/wk, ect and paying to support Russia, Iran, Venezuela, oil dictators and terrorists now.
And who stopped us doing it, your side by blocking RE and subsidizing fossil fuels. Real free market?. Yeah right!!
You are not a real conservative but a reactionary fool being played by the rich, big business. Way to go. You should be proud of your ignorance you've shown. How about being a real patriot and learn the real facts?
Luckily we now have an adult patriot in the Whitehouse to fix the mess your fools got us in and bring the US back to greatness.
Then I have one very simple question for you, why in the world do you support laws that prevent drilling if there is no oil to drill for?
Is that not just a waste of legislative time to write those laws and enforce them since you are suggesting that there never was any to begin with.
"oil wars" - where is all that oil we got from Iraq since it was an Oil war?
You ask "Why haven't they let a higher mileage standard pass?" I simply do not support passing laws requiring things like that, this is a free country, let's fight to keep it that way. I support conservation by choice not force!
You refer to us subsidizing Oil yet Exxon paid $30 billion in taxes in 2007 (actually we paid that by buying their product). Find me another company out there that paid more than that and I will start worrying about oil subsidies.
Jerry, i'd really appreciate it if you were to stop referring to our position as "just drill our way out of this mess", that is a lie and a falsehood, you can go out there and produce a better source, please do! Just because I do not support preventing drilling does not mean that I oppose everything else.
You say, "I'm for no subsidies of energy and let the results fall where they may.." then you turn around and say "adult patriot in the Whitehouse"; if you support Obama then you also support taking my money in the form of taxes & directly funding and giving to his favorite energy RE sources, not only a subsidy, but direct funding!
"You are not a real conservative but a reactionary fool being played by the rich, big business"; Wow, spoken like a true lib! Jerry, if I am a fool and you are so smart why is it that you haven't put these big evil companies out of business yet with your smart solutions & enlightened ideas?
Why do you sit around waiting for Government to provide the answers, if that is what made this country great then we wouldn't even have cars to begin with because everybody thought Herald Ford was a nut case, they through the guy who invented TV in an insane assylum for even suggesting the notion.
We simply need more smart people like you to be more entrepreneurial! Why don't you go out there and become the next Henry Ford of Energy Jerry? We might all benefit from it and you could put them evil, big companies out of business!
I'm not against drilling except in certain areas where it cause more problems that it's worth. Also I'd like to see some left for our children for making chemicals instead of wasting it burning.
Iraq is an oil war and if you can't see that you are blind but most repubs are or at least have narrow blinders. Iraq probably has more oil than Saudi's do and unlike what is left in most of the world, it's sweet, not sour. You do know what that means don't you?It's the only kind our refineries can use. And it's oil company contracts which were almost totally given to formally American companies recently. Oil is fungible too if you know what that means.
You are free to drive what you want but should pay it's full price for it's fuel instead of being subsidized with my income taxes to the tune of $1.50/gal as it is now. And you'll be supporting oil dictators, terrorist and our other enemies. And Exxon didn't pay taxes on much more they made which they instead hid in tax loopholes made by repubs.
Excuse me but Drill, baby, Drill !!! was McCain's, repubs slogan. And where was their policies to do other than drilling? Their oil, coal subsidies are why RE isn't here now. It's hard to compete when oil, coal gets 50% price reductions we pay in our income taxes. Obama is making oil, coal pay their true cost and using that for RE, ect. Why should we support oil companies? Isn't that socialism?Fascism? That's just what repubs have done. If you support those subsidies then you too are fascist, socialist. I didn't fight social welfare to give it as corporate welfare.
I'm not waiting for gov to provide answers, I push them to the answers just as I do here. I just want a level playing field with no subsidies for anyone is fine by me.
As for doing solutions I'm now building custom EV's and trying to get a really cool $15k, 100 mile range, 80 mph EV sportswagon into production. And if the oil, coal subsidies are removed, will bring solar thermal engines and river/tidal generators online now Fla has passed net metering so I can put them on the grid and get a reasonable return..
But the big evil business's have stacked the deck against competitors in energy by the subsidies, regulations and in cars as start up costs are $20M for a 4wheel car. So I'm doing a 2 front wheel, 1 rear version I can start up for under $100k.
I also teach others how to build such RE, EV equipment for themselves or production.
Because I drive my EV and conserve I have little living costs of $250/month for everything but pleasure so I don't have to work much, only 4hrs/wk about for that and own my home free and clear. I have a 100% old growth forest coverage so can't use RE. Because of that low living cost I'm not a slave to big oil, business. How much do you work/slave?
But thanks to Obama's new energy policies both EV's and RE are on a more even playing field so a couple of start ups are in my future.
And when the economy recovers from the mess the repubs energy, war, tax and lax regulation polices got us into, the price of gas will hit $5/gal and I'll still be paying about $.50/gal equivalent for my energy, EV. What will you be paying? My present EV gets 400mpg equivalent.
So be a good little slave and pay the oil companies their subsidies but I won't. Nor will I support terrorist, our enemies like you do. What do you call someone who supports them? Look up Fungible.
"So be a good little slave and pay the oil companies their subsidies but I won't. Nor will I support terrorist, our enemies like you do. What do you call someone who supports them? Look up Fungible."
Kind of funny, I don't have a car Jerry, I live in downtown SD, CA so I do not subsidize anything very much, but again, Exxon paid more taxes to the Gov. that any other Company out there so the subsidies they get can't be that good.
But one thing I know for sure Jerry is that we had enough oil on our soil and the ability to build enough nuclear power plants that, had we tapped these resources starting in the 70s we would not even need to buy 1 drop of oil from the Middle East as quite of big chunk of the oil we do import comes from Mexico and Canada.
So the question remains, how we got here today? the Gov. preventing us from developing our own resources by force of LAW. I think that much is indisputable.
Also, Europe seams to be moving towards Nuclear power now after their huge investments in wind that turned out not to be too efficient, will we end up doing the same in the long run?
It is nice to see that you are driving an EV, how much does it cost to build one of those things amd how far does yours go before needing to be recharged?
Don't have a car PC, that's good. You are lucky to live somewhere that has mass transit good enough not to need one. I'm SE of Tampa and get bus service only 6x's/day!!
But still 5% of your income taxes go to oil companies by way of military protection in the middle east, sweetheart royalty deals, tax breaks, depletion allowances, ect according to the Economist, WSJ, CIA, ect..
While you may know for sure that there is enough oil, you are still wrong, look it up under US oil reserves. Many, many creditable sources and they all but a few deluded ones say the same thing, we have little oil left. In the world we discover 1bbl for every bbl we use. We can only produce 40% of our oil needs now. Only 50% if all the restricted sources were used and then for only 10 more yrs before we drop off a cliff in oil production. Time is now to switch before the price of oil hits $10/gal in 5 yrs or so.
The gov is only protecting a limited amount for ecological or national security reasons like the naval reserves in your state as emergency use in time of war. Total protected is less than 1 yrs worth of US needs. As I said before there are oil sands/shales but they are expensive and the rock from them is 1.5x's as big after processing so we'd have muliple new mountains of waste if we use them. For much less cost we can switch to electric, NG, ect for our transport needs.
I build windgens though not commercially but for myself. Europe is using them well and one day this yr windgens made all the electric they needed. But because windgens are not steady, callable they can only be about 30% of a countries electric grid. But they to that point are very eff. On a home it's hard to beat wind power for low cost. I build 1kw units for about $300 in parts which 1 or 2 supply most eff home with all the electric power it needs either with batteries or hooked to the grid.
My present EV is a MC trike made from a golf cart transaxle and a MC frame/front end. I built it for only $150 because I had a lot lying around. One like it go 45-55mph with 72vdc and larger wheel from a trailer or VW Rabbit on the rear. Get a dead Golf cart and a dead MC, weld the rear of the MC frame to the GC seat area, put in some batteries, normally 6-12 units. I like used Cell phone tower UPS batts as they are very cheap and you have a nice 3 person EV trike that costs very little to keep, drive, well under $1/day. Mine with 4 batteries gets 40 mile range.
But they can be designed for most any range. I like doing mine in wood/epoxy even making an aero cabin for high speed work which looks great finished clear epoxy and the aero shape greatly increases range at speed. Using available used parts and some new ones you should be able to build one for $300-800 depending on your scrounging skills. I use mine to tow a trailer to pick up lumber, plywood, ect too. You can build a generator for unlimited range if you want for those times when you need more range.
Google Freedomev and email me if you like or join one of the EV, 3wh lists I'm on that pop up.
I'll even send you my ph number if you are interested in EV's.
You have several EV clubs near you that would be happy to help you make one up. They as many other are online under EV clubs and are there for people just like you. Ev's are easy if done right and they will help you do it right. Tell them I sent you. Most know me. I believe you have good tax breaks in Cal for EV's and get to use the car pool lanes with only 1 person. Here in Fla you get no sales tax and feds give a 10% on conversions, MC's or $7500 on new 4wh EV's built from scratch.