Finally, a SmartPlanet column that states the facts. Most of the growth in carbon emissions in the coming years will not be in America, where in fact it is falling to levels not seen since the early 1990s because cheap natural gas from fracking is replacing coal in electricity generation. This was happening even before the EPA got on the bandwagon and essentially outlawed new coal power plants.
The only problem I have with the article is that in the US the "subsidies" oil, gas, and coal receive are largely the same kinds of "subsidies" every business gets in the form of capital depreciation allowances. In renewables, it comes in the form of the government making wild bets on companies such as Solyndra and A123. And the conventional energy industry is many times larger the renewable energy industry. If you look at subsidies per unit of power produced, renewables receive much larger subsidies than conventional energy.
This doesn't mean that America and the world is awash in an infinite supply of oil and natural gas. In fact, the projection is that America will lead Saudi Arabia in oil production for only a short while. What it does mean is that we have time to come up with alternatives that are finally economically justifiable, and time to implement them. In particular, we need to come up with cheap energy storage for renewable technologies that produce power in unpredictable amounts.
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An honest look at the facts
Edited by zackers
Updated - 13th Nov
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US feed-in tariff
Posted by Paul kangas
27th Jan
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+9
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An honest look at the facts
Posted by zackers
Updated - 13th Nov
+4
Votes
Storage is Indeed the Issue
I totally agree with you zackers.
Closed systems using water pumps, water storage tanks and small hydro turbines would seem to be one good solution for handling demand imbalances on the Grid.
All this fracking and how it will effect future drinking water is very concerning.
It would seem, that all our efforts should be focused on strategies for renewable and storable energy if we want any hope of a healthy future environment.
Closed systems using water pumps, water storage tanks and small hydro turbines would seem to be one good solution for handling demand imbalances on the Grid.
All this fracking and how it will effect future drinking water is very concerning.
It would seem, that all our efforts should be focused on strategies for renewable and storable energy if we want any hope of a healthy future environment.
Posted by jrcrewe
13th Nov
-1
Votes
We could have, and should have, been energy independent
a long time ago, if it weren't for the environmental lobbyists and their complicit politicians in Washington, especially the liberals.
In fact, the oil and shale gas efforts that are producing great results, are in spite of all the attempts by the liberal and lobbyists to stop those efforts. Much of the progress being made towards independence is through private land which is not under the control of the federal government, otherwise, we would be even deeper in the whole when it comes to our dependence on foreign oil.
With Obama getting 4 more years at the White House, and with the senate still under control by the liberals, I have no doubt that there will be major efforts to try to stop that oil and shale gas production.
In fact, the oil and shale gas efforts that are producing great results, are in spite of all the attempts by the liberal and lobbyists to stop those efforts. Much of the progress being made towards independence is through private land which is not under the control of the federal government, otherwise, we would be even deeper in the whole when it comes to our dependence on foreign oil.
With Obama getting 4 more years at the White House, and with the senate still under control by the liberals, I have no doubt that there will be major efforts to try to stop that oil and shale gas production.
Posted by adornoe
13th Nov
+1
Vote
It's INSANE the amount of oil that we could be sitting on
with that find in Utah and Colorado.
Read:
An American Oil Find That Holds More Than All of OPEC
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/american-oil-find-holds-oil-opec/story?id=17536852#.UKK88YbhfNQ
Read:
An American Oil Find That Holds More Than All of OPEC
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/american-oil-find-holds-oil-opec/story?id=17536852#.UKK88YbhfNQ
Posted by adornoe
13th Nov
0
Votes
Sounds great but?
The practical benefits of energy independence are mixed. Oil is traded on the global market. The price of oil in the USA will only go down to the extent that selling domestically will bring more than selling to foreign buyers less the cost of shipping. It will improve the balance of payments, but that's not the biggest problem with the economy any more. It will move some jobs back to the USA, always a good thing. Over time, though, it's uncertain what the pay & benefits will be for these non-union jobs.
The USA will no longer have to defend the oil routes from the Arabian Peninsula to the USA. That would have been a big help during the Cold War when the Soviet Navy probably had more submarines than the US Navy could stop. There's no such opponent now. If the US Navy backs away from the Persian Gulf & the Straits of Malacca because little oil goes to the USA, will the Chinese Navy take its place? What will that do to the global balance of power?
The USA will no longer have to defend the oil routes from the Arabian Peninsula to the USA. That would have been a big help during the Cold War when the Soviet Navy probably had more submarines than the US Navy could stop. There's no such opponent now. If the US Navy backs away from the Persian Gulf & the Straits of Malacca because little oil goes to the USA, will the Chinese Navy take its place? What will that do to the global balance of power?
Posted by theotherwill
13th Nov
0
Votes
The Chinese will be buying oil from us, and we'll probably end up with a
surplus for a change when it comes to trade.
With lowered energy prices, people will be able to turn that money towards different purchases, such as clothing and computers and automobiles and many other things. And, if energy does become "cheap", then the cost of doing business here at home, will bring back millions of jobs from overseas.
It's a win/win all around.
With lowered energy prices, people will be able to turn that money towards different purchases, such as clothing and computers and automobiles and many other things. And, if energy does become "cheap", then the cost of doing business here at home, will bring back millions of jobs from overseas.
It's a win/win all around.
Posted by adornoe
14th Nov
0
Votes
Well, there goes the plan...
To drain Saudi Arabia and Venezeual dry while we sat on our oil.
Oh, well.
Oh, well.
Posted by bb_apptix
14th Nov
0
Votes
We'll still be able to do it, since, they will have to sell the oil cheaply
or they won't be selling at all.
If things do develop where we can dictate the prices, then, the OPEC countries will be trying to outdo each other in trying to sell to us.
If things do develop where we can dictate the prices, then, the OPEC countries will be trying to outdo each other in trying to sell to us.
Posted by adornoe
14th Nov
0
Votes
US feed-in tariff
The world out of clean air.
Children are dying at younger and younger ages from lung cancer,
caused by the US burning too much oil, too many people jet-setting to world green conferences, US oil wars that rape nations like Libya, etc. The US is the major air polluter. The US must stop burning all oil. The US needs a feed-in tariff policy requiring Utilities like PG&E to pay homeowners $0.54 kwh, who feed solar onto the grid.
Youtube: paul8kangas
Children are dying at younger and younger ages from lung cancer,
caused by the US burning too much oil, too many people jet-setting to world green conferences, US oil wars that rape nations like Libya, etc. The US is the major air polluter. The US must stop burning all oil. The US needs a feed-in tariff policy requiring Utilities like PG&E to pay homeowners $0.54 kwh, who feed solar onto the grid.
Youtube: paul8kangas
Posted by Paul kangas
27th Jan