...on whether or not the final version of the bill gets the energy credits stripped or not, please!

I certainly hope the the clean energy and renewable credits gets passed but you got to know the tax rebate to stimulate the economy is not going to be very green. If the intent is to put some money into the U.S. economy this bill will be a flop. I would be hard pressed to take 600 dollars and go find american made products to purchase. The money will go to Walmart or someother company selling the chinese products that dominate our economy. They will be manufactored by dirty manufactoring processes probably fed by coal powered electric power stations and be shipped here in polluting ships across the pacific ocean. This will neither stimulate our economy or be very green. It will only give a little psychological boost to the markets and keep them from crashing until after June or July when it becomes obvious that the stimulus did nothing to stop the economy from spiraling out of control. Insanity, keep doing the wrong thing over and over in hope that it will somehow work this time.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.

...in the way of economic revival, as Pompey Road pointed out, then the least we can hope for is that it'll do some good for the greens and the renewable economy.  Since the bill as a whole is a dud anyway, let's hope they keep the renewable credit extensions in, that way there'll be at least somethin' to cheer on about!

Look, I'm sorry to be so cynical...but we're spending like a trillion dollars on "defense" this year.  And five point something billion on solving the worst crisis the world will ever see...

I can guarantee you all right this moment that there are probably more than a dozen Pentagon projects in the pipeline right now that have been given more than 5.7 billion just for R&D.  We need a major change in priorities people.  

Where do you think we could save a few bucks in the federal budget so that we could afford a REAL stimulus package?  Hmmmm....we've got a carrier group 365 days a year in the Persian Gulf that must cost us like 30 billion a year.  That 30 billion dollar expense is essentially an "externalized" expense that Shell/Exxon and all the other oil companies would have to pay for if they hired their own mercenary armies to guard their oil pipelines.

No, the taxpayers are paying hundreds of times more FOR global warming than they are to combat global warming.  So what can we do about it?  I'm searching for some kind of secular word for "crusade" or "jihad".  But we need to have that kind of mentality...and I think it has to start by tossing off the yokes and getting rid of our two Party! system.

Shu pas a vende.

with the Sierra Club, it's constantly applauding the little things that go along with pumping up the militant dirty industrial world economy.

Today's headline of obscene 41 billion profits by just Exxon Mobil from sales of greenhouse gas producing fuel, staggers me.
Now this supposedly generous prospect of 1/8 that amount nationwide to jump start clean renewable energy. Sorry I am entirely underwhelmed.  How can our senators think this is anything but a token gesture.
The whole stimulus package concept aside from the green energy investment (which would better be done based on a carbon tax rather than public debt increase) is a joke.  Run up our national debt more to keep this stupid overconsumption going.  The savvy advice to the struggling middle class is to save any rebate money not spend it-- since the employment and health care safety net is frayed if not broken.  Only fools will spend the money and if it is not used to pay utility bills, it will  be on imported junk.
At this time the meaningful state incentives for renewable energy investments are unevenly distributed; mine has zero other than net metering availability. Coal and nuclear dominate my local grid options.  How we need a "change" around here.

Moving toward sustainability with hopefulness, one revolution at a time.

John is right of course, no bid contract to Haliburton dwarfs the alternative energy package. McCain wants to keep us involved in the energy wars for the next 50 years and yes Exxon should be footing the bill. I have said for years basing your energy needs on a region that does not have the means to secure production or transportation is crazy. The house of Saud should be sending us a check to rent that fleet with, instead of trying to buy our financial institutions. The peace dividend from winning the cold war did not last long. We spent trillions then we turn around and help a communist country pollute the planet and buy up all the oil reserves left with our devalued dollar. Building a military with Walmart money and stolen technology that will kick our but if some of that R&D don't pan out. The 2.3 trillion missing from the Pentagon budget is probably off budget black box projects of some kind. Rumsfeld said it was an accounting error, then they quit having hearings on it. Have not heard much about it sinse then. If the accounting is no better for green technology than it is at the pentagon we better hope evolution gives us the ability to metabolize Co2 and feel comfortable at the new room temperature of 98 deg. fahrenheit. I can speak in terms of eons because that is about how long it takes congress to act.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.

Sounds like John is promoting a new independent movement, if he is sign me up!

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.

My portfolio is heavily invested in the "Green" sector especially the startups in alternative energy and nanotech.   There are stocks that are freely available in which even the smallest investor can fund alternatives.  CMGI is one of my favorites because they invest in a lot of other start ups.

5.7B is a drop in the bucket.   I would prefer that Government continue to fund the more groundbreaking research, rather than grandstanding after the race is over (Green won) and trying to glom their names onto a horse that already reached the finish line (that would be you, Senator Cantwell).

Restore the Kuomintang!

The Army's recruiting budget is more than this stimulus for alternative energy.  Please...can we elect some politicians that actually do what they're paid for?  (by us, not the lobbyists)

Shu pas a vende.