Daniel asks…
Why alternative energy sources will lead us nowhere…?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070220/us_nm/usa_gasoline_price_dc
Price of oil is dropping…yet gas prices are rising…??!!
Don’t get too excited about alternative energy prospects. Not only are the laws of physics non-negotiable, but the forces that be will make SURE anything that comes on mainstream will be MONOPOLIZED…see the increase in corn prices? Tied to Ethanol production(which is basically worthless “filler” to stretch out volume).
So if we go Solar to re-charge batteries for electric cars…a solar grid will NOW be…$10,000.
Look at the price of diesel…costs MUCH less to produce than gas(and they use a LOT of this stuff in industry), yet strangely enough, it costs about 50 cents MORE than a gallon of regular gas(Big-Oil did NOT want you to see any real savings in your MPG, so they took it out of your pocket right now).
I can ONLY imagine what a battery pack wil cost at the Toyota dealership when that Prius battery pack goes 86…half the cost of a car?
If you don’t get more out of the system than you put in…that’s a LOSS…regardless if it’s solar, wind, etc. This is Physics 101…
The Expert answers:
Brazil – Sugar based ethanol. Next question.
Charles asks…
any michigan residents who use alternative energy resources? especially the flint/saginaw area?
i read the mother earth news regularly. one thing i notice time and again with them are the great articles on alternative energy resources. i have never seen any of these great ideas in michigan and i am wondering if there are any folks in michigan who have utilized any system with an effort to get off the grid or at least significantly reduce thier need for grid energy. i’m especially interested in the flint/saginaw area (southeastern lower mich) since that is where i live. what system do you use? do you like it? was it expensive/worth the effort? ect.. we have five wooded acres to use and are trying to assist in our huge heating bills by heating with wood to help our furnace, but are interested in learning more about grid free living or the system that lets you sell your extra energy back to the grid. does michigan even have this available? please, no hecklers or nasty comments. thanks
The Expert answers:
The The Energy Office of Michigan website linked below offers tons of resources on “topics such as wind, solar or biomass energy, energy technology resources, and financial incentives that may be available to assist those interested in pursuing energy efficiency or renewable energy systems” in the state of Michigan.
Hope you find it useful.
Ken asks…
How is Obama’s push for alternative energy a bad thing?
I’m noticing that Fox News keeps mentioning that Obama is “exploiting” the oil crisis to push an alternative energy plan. How is this a bad thing when:
1) We really DO need to lessen our dependence on oil…and especially foreign oil
2) Crisis usually sparks change. 9/11 lead to the Patriot Act, but rarely is it argued that Bush “exploited” the tragedy of 9/11 in order to make it.
So why is Obama wrong for using this incident as an example for why we need to push for alternative energy faster?
So far, most of the answer refer to the “next step” as to what energy sources we should look into. Of course, nobody knows that yet and Obama’s not claiming to know….he’s saying we should push to make its discovery and use a priority.
MY QUESTION WAS: Why is Obama “exploiting” this crisis a bad thing, considering the 1) & 2) examples I gave?
The Expert answers:
If he was supporting a referendum or a official endorsement of alternative energy…fine.
What he wants to do (and it’s in the Carbon Tax bill coming up in the legislature) is to create carbon credits and tax carbon dioxide outputs. This is a horrible idea that will cripple and kill vast sectors of our economy.
Let the free market address the oil crisis. When gas went up a few years ago…a huge leap in energy efficent cars hit the market. The private market works!
Lets keep government to watching our enemies and enacting diplomacy.
James asks…
why does no one want to invest seriously in alternative energy?
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/world-oil-prices-more-than-two-us-dollars-higher-20081110-5ljq.html
further down in the story youll see opec are considering yet another production cut to manipulate crude price. surely this is enough of a reason to want alternative energy. even if you dont believe in global warming and all that surely you dont want to be held to ransom by oil producing countrys? so why does no government seem keen to seriously invest in clean alternative energy that is renewable and will be cheap as in the long run compared to the way oil prices are heading in the future
The Expert answers:
Are you one of those nutzos who figure that if we’d have spent $3 trillion on alternative energy instead of $3 trillion in Iraq we’d be energy independent by now???
KEEP DREAMING!!!!!
Jenny asks…
Is the Obama administration repeating the same mistakes as the Carter WH did, regarding energy policy?
The Obama administration is repeating the mistakes of President Jimmy Carter’s failed energy policies, which marred his term and stigmatized the 1970s. They are leading us straight into another national energy disaster.
Key members of the Obama administration believe this friction abroad underscores the need to move away from oil and gas entirely and shift to boutique forms of alternative energy. Their lack of political will to drill for oil and gas compromises our national security and jeopardizes economic recovery.
It skirts the colossal elephant in the room: Oil and natural gas produced here in the United States are likely to still account for at least 57 percent of domestic energy consumption by 2035. Not to mention that energy production here can relieve the U.S. from the dangerous grip of foreign petro dictators.
Unfortunately, this administration’s Department of the Interior, with the most anti-oil-and-gas record in U.S. history, is sabotaging any real chance of avoiding the pending energy crisis because of its continued hold on deepwater drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50417.html#ixzz1FSGhquxu
The Expert answers:
Carter had no Failed Energy policies. The 1970s Oil Embargo preceded his Administration. He wisely set forth new initiatives, that were, unfortunately, cancelled by Reagan.
Had we allowed Carter’s foresight to be followed through, we would be much more independent of foreign energy
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