Who's more to blame for the economy? Obama or Congress

[Revoltingest]

I'd agree with that. But since you brought it up, never!

I'm looking forward to a 12 month growing season here in Revoltingistan.
So drive big cars!

 

[Alceste]

Yes, he performs load shedding if the UPS kicks in. "Hotel load" is an old military term for the things that must be on. If he ran his dryer twice he'd probably only get a day. But coal has, eventually, got to go. It's just too dirty. There was talk of building a nuke in Northern Alberta, but the whole Japanese thing stopped that talk. I do think that eventually, it's the way we'll have to go.

What do you think of geothermal?


Hamilton: Geothermal could meet Canada

I think it's preferable to nuclear, due to the lack of waste and the lower risk of environmental catastrophe.

I don't think anyone disputes that coal fired electricity is the cheapest electricity and no matter how much you pay a month, you will be paying even more if we drop coal.

If someone is struggling with their coal powered electric bill, how will they come up with even more money? They will have to give up something. Food, clothing, medicine, their car perhaps.

Speaking of cars, I just have to laugh at people with electric cars patting their own backs about how green they are when actually many of their electric cars run on coal.

Our electric cars run on hydro.

Greener technologies won't get more competitive with higher fuel prices. An electric car still uses coal or oil for power through the grid. No private business can afford the money needed to make green tech profitable. It has to come from government. The rest of it, okay. Except the high density housing. Wanna live next door to Alceste? All that French Horn crap all night? Pass!

Ah you're from the east coast. You know you're dying to come to one of my kitchen parties.

I've no disagreement with the danger posed by a warming climate. But what is practical to mitigate it?
Whatever government subsidies we might see, a market oriented plan is still very much worth doing.

"The market" hasn't really been stepping up very fast from what I've seen. In fact, they've been downright obstructionist at times, disseminating misinformation to cast doubt on the fact of climate change as if their lives depended on it. I don't think the conventional energy sector should be rewarded with even more incentives, loopholes and tax breaks than they already enjoy. They've been naughty, naughty boys. They should be taxed to fund the adults who want to develop technologies that will help us move forward.

 

[esmith]

What do you think of geothermal?

Here in Idaho we have a excellent geothermal power generating plant with a 13MW net capacity and a 15.6 megawatts per square mile potential. The power is being sold to Idaho Power.
U.S. Geothermal Inc. / Raft River Project

There are many homes, businesses, and the college in Boise that are using geothermal heating. The project is the largest in the US.
Geothermal Heating District

 

[Alceste]

Here in Idaho we have a excellent geothermal power generating plant with a 13MW net capacity and a 15.6 megawatts per square mile potential. The power is being sold to Idaho Power.

U.S. Geothermal Inc. / Raft River Project

Awesome! I only wish my country would get busy building these things. I honestly don't understand why nuclear seems to be the preferred option when geothermal is possible.

 

[esmith]

Awesome! I only wish my country would get busy building these things. I honestly don't understand why nuclear seems to be the preferred option when geothermal is possible.

Added the geothermal heating district in Boise to my original post (forgot about it earlier). A lot of homes use well water to heat and cool their homes.

 

[Wirey]

Awesome! I only wish my country would get busy building these things. I honestly don't understand why nuclear seems to be the preferred option when geothermal is possible.

Geothermal would be great! I'm not sure why Canada is so far behind, but we are.

 

[Copernicus]

Added the geothermal heating district in Boise to my original post (forgot about it earlier). A lot of homes use well water to heat and cool their homes.

I think that geothermal energy is only practical where the Earth's crust is relatively thin or geothermal heat sources are otherwise close to the surface. Western states are at an advantage in that respect, and it also helps not to have a huge electricity-greedy population nearby to strain the resources.

The Pacific Northwest is also lucky in being able to take advantage of hydroelectric power. My grandfather, who lived in Caldwell, helped in the electrification of the Snake River and other areas in the region back in the early 20th century, but the ecological downside of hydroelectric was its effect on salmon runs, among other things.

There are no easy or perfect solutions, but it would help a lot if the US government did not continue to subsidize the "dirty" energy sources such as oil, gas, and nuclear fission. People think of those sources as cheap, in part, because the true costs they are paying are hidden from them.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think that geothermal energy is only practical where the Earth's crust is relatively thin or geothermal heat sources are otherwise close to the surface.

Ground source heat pumps are practical elsewhere.

 

[Storm]

Does anyone else find it gratifying that this thread somehow went from apportioning blame among politicians to the necessity and efficacy of various clean energy sources?

Conversational drift ftw!

 

[Reverend Rick]

Does anyone else find it gratifying that this thread somehow went from apportioning blame among politicians to the necessity and efficacy of various clean energy sources?

Conversational drift ftw!

It all started when you asked me to reply to your post. In a way, you are indirectly to blame here.

 

[Storm]

It all started when you asked me to reply to your post. In a way, you are indirectly to blame here.

Blame? I was celebrating!

So, thank you, but I can't take ALL the credit.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Blame? I was celebrating!

So, thank you, but I can't take ALL the credit.

This is true, enjoy your youth. When you get old like me your mind wanders quite a bit. I promise I don't do it on purpose. :no:

 

[Alceste]

Geothermal would be great! I'm not sure why Canada is so far behind, but we are.

I think there are two issues at play - the cost and efficiency of green energy technology and corporate resistance to the democratization of energy supply. We focus on the first without acknowledging how much the second really influences the debate. The reason hydrogen fuel cells and nuclear power plants are the preferred "solutions" for the economic and political elites in North America is that these technologies preserve public dependence on the energy industry to fulfill our energy needs. If you buy a solar array and use it to charge your electric car, and use geothermal to supplement your needs, where in the picture does Exxon Mobil get its cut?

In Germany, where the energy industry is not so politically powerful, we do see an accelerated take-up of clean, green, democratized energy supply.

The Great German Energy Experiment - Technology Review

 

[Thief]

You're not talking about history, you're talking about you. The machinery and jobs are still there, they're just in Mexico. And science fiction may occasionally be prophetic, but history is always right. It keeps happening. Technological advances benefit mankind as a whole. Sometimes there are people who must adapt, like a sailboat maker once steamships appeared, but that one guy losing his job is replaced by 50 building steamships. Mankind as a whole benefits, even though some people do suffer.

Oh, as to the Roosevelt thing: rampant speculation brought on by unregulated trading. That's what was going on. American innovation and drive was unaffected by the Depression. Within 15 years of it's beginning, technology had advanced into the Atomic Age.

Along with a brief mention of what is saw in conics as a child,,,,,
I tend to quote economic professors and international economic advisers.

So far, what I pay attention to has been right on the mark.

See Lester Thurow or Richard Wolff.