tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post4252165454855409595..comments2024-03-14T11:09:32.759-05:00Comments on Falkenblog: Obama's Alpha DelusionEric Falkensteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07243687157322033496noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-65912088728407382002009-11-01T14:36:28.191-06:002009-11-01T14:36:28.191-06:00This is just silly.
Fossil fuels are now signific...This is just silly.<br /><br />Fossil fuels are now significantly more subsidized than alternative energy sources. <br /><br />Interesting that NYC is now recognizing that at some point, they may have to build a sea wall around the entire metropolis to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. So it's ok to spend money on anything that retains the status quo (artifically propping up housing prices, sending trillions of dollars in funding for military actions in regions that just happen to have most of the world's oil, saving banks run by idiots that almost destroyed our economy with other people's money, etc.) If you really believe that things should be truely run by the free market, then lets turn every road into a toll road and equip every car with a transponder. A study was once done that showed that every doubling in output of pv's leads to a 10% reduction in their cost. Of course, you need to develop a certain economy of scale before a technology can compete. Fossil fuels run the world, and scientists almost unanimously agree on some level, that ultimately, they have the potential to destroy it. There is NO legitimate reason why the government shouldn't invest a LOT MORE into new technologies to power our planet. It's the only way to move toward leveling the playing field. Fossil fuels have many unfair advantages right now. <br />I'm amazed by educated people that can't see this. If those that voted in and support obama are blind followers, then those that bow at the alter of b.s. right wing or libertarian economics are deaf, dumb and gagged by ignorance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-2591458795988055752009-10-31T23:01:28.358-05:002009-10-31T23:01:28.358-05:00Eric, as the principals secretary said about Ferri...Eric, as the principals secretary said about Ferris Bueller -- you are a righteous dude!<br /><br />Ton anonymous's point about the commons tragedy and role of government, government's responsobilities are general safety, basic infrastructure, and common defense.<br /><br />Meat should be free of e-coli, nuclear powerplants should have safeguards, and car gas tanks should not explode in a fender bender.<br /><br />After than, it's every company for itself.<br /><br />Government should never EVER be in the business of picking winners and discarding losers. EVER.Karl Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-31780840080368955642009-10-29T14:47:18.662-05:002009-10-29T14:47:18.662-05:00I quite enjoyed the rant. However, government doe...I quite enjoyed the rant. However, government does have a role. I am influenced by the "tragedy of the commons" argument. There is a cost to having dirty air. There is a cost to having impure chemicals in the drinking water. These, to the market operator are real externalities. Here, there should be government focus, and it can indeed be beneficial to the society at large. Take an extreme case. A company in the next state decides to build a nuclear power plant, but their CEO decides the odds of a meltdown are slight, (and he lives far away), so he goes bare bones on disaster planning. Without government, this happens, but it is not optimal for me. I bear a huge risk based on his development for which I am not compensated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-78351495452426367942009-10-29T14:11:07.442-05:002009-10-29T14:11:07.442-05:00Excellent! except what was a 1000 page plan has in...Excellent! except what was a 1000 page plan has increased an order of magnitude and has become a 2000 page plan! Wait until the House and Senate get to conference committee and see if the bill can increase an additional order of magnitude!userhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16009003648684626619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-37077846315624627172009-10-29T08:46:17.964-05:002009-10-29T08:46:17.964-05:00Eric, the standard hand-wave in response to your a...Eric, the standard hand-wave in response to your argument is to say "externalities" and then move on to do whatever it was you wanted to do in the first place. For example, if I was an Obamanaut, I would say that there are positive externalities created by better batters and negative externalities imposed by storing energy in gas tanks, and that the market does not prive these. <br /> <br />The second handwave is foriegn competition - those crafty Europeans and Brazilians have public support, against which our fragile local capitalists cannot hope to compete.<br /> <br />(I don't buy either argument of course, but wanted to be the first to make them).J Mannnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-70576690966858393642009-10-29T00:06:22.088-05:002009-10-29T00:06:22.088-05:00If this is right, you chose a bad time to complain...If this is right, you chose a bad time to complain about the failure of battery power - and public/private partnerships:<br /><br />http://www.technologyreview.com/business/23812/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com