The administration claims, at least, to be interested in two goals:
- Reducing U.S. dependence on oil.
- Addressing the threat of climate change.
No. 1 rules out imported fossil fuels; No 2 rules out coal. What's that leave? Renewable energy.
So WTF:
Congressional earmarks that redirected Energy Department financing last year slowed or even shelved many research projects, including ones to develop bigger and more efficient wind turbines, to make hydrogen power out of a mix of algae and water, and to plant matter.
Its scientists are also doing ground-breaking work on finding environmentally benign ways of generating electricity to produce hydrogen from water to power cars; they are working on new materials and designs to make devices powered by solar cells cheaper; and they are developing enzymes and more efficient machinery to convert switchgrass and corn stalks into biofuels to reduce oil consumption.
...
But it is hardly the kind of crash program that government labs have conducted in the past to build an atomic bomb or go to the moon. Rather, the lab gingerly hands over slices of its yearly budget of $200 million to a smorgasbord of programs in solar, wind, plant matter, geothermal, hydrogen and fuel cells, efficient buildings, advanced vehicles and fuels and electric infrastructure.
"Our budget is nothing compared to the price of a B2 bomber or an aircraft carrier," Rob Farrington, manager of the lab's advanced vehicle systems group, said.
Comments
View as Flat
bookerly Posted 10:29 am
29 Jan 2007
Or is it bait and switch? "Come into my renewables store people, oh you want some solar? We're fresh out, but here is some new clear coal!"
Watch and see if the Democrats do it differently, they have the power, will they use it? (I HOPE SO!).
Great post,
patrick
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amazingdrx Posted 12:48 pm
29 Jan 2007
Trying to change that with a state party platform plank and a referendum. It is an uphill battle educating our representatives, they hear the loud voices of cash carrying lobbyists for industrial coal and agribizz.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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Nucbuddy Posted 3:06 pm
29 Jan 2007
Nuclear power?
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/info.html
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planetthoughts Posted 7:01 pm
29 Jan 2007
I hope the Democrats will be more alert to the real situation. I am not sure, but it seems far more likely they will be listening to input from scientists, and from their own eyes and ears.
Sorry to politicize this, but it would be hard to be much worse than the current Administration on the environment. Maybe the rulers of China are... but they have far better car/truck mileage laws, and are beginning to turn around from their dark ages.
David Alexander
PlanetThoughts.org
Love your Planet.
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liquidwindows Posted 1:56 am
30 Jan 2007
See each day with the wonder of a child. But with wisdom - not like a horse with blinders.
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