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Author	Topic: Can the U.S. Match Germany's Energy Revolution?	Post a Reply Back to Topics

Eugenian Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,867 Points:363,105 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 5:56:06 PM Ignore Eugenian Report Abuse For a time, the United States led the world in developing renewable energy. At one point the Carter administration's Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) made the dream of a renewable energy economy so real that it set off alarms in the oil-rich countries of the Middle East. "The big powers are seriously trying to find alternatives to oil by seeking to draw energy from the sun," Saudi Arabia's oil minister Sheikh Ahmad Zaki Yamani warned his colleagues. "We hope to God they will not succeed quickly because our position in that case will be painful." Four years later, Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan. The new administration considered SERI a prime example of what it derided as "solar socialism." The budget of the world's leading solar institute was slashed and before long it was bac Visit Bloomberg for full article

Eugenian

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Oregon

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Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 5:56:06 PM

Ignore Eugenian Report Abuse

For a time, the United States led the world in developing renewable energy. At one point the Carter administration's Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) made the dream of a renewable energy economy so real that it set off alarms in the oil-rich countries of the Middle East.

"The big powers are seriously trying to find alternatives to oil by seeking to draw energy from the sun," Saudi Arabia's oil minister Sheikh Ahmad Zaki Yamani warned his colleagues. "We hope to God they will not succeed quickly because our position in that case will be painful."

Four years later, Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan. The new administration considered SERI a prime example of what it derided as "solar socialism." The budget of the world's leading solar institute was slashed and before long it was bac
Visit Bloomberg for full article

REPLIES (newest first)Ignore Short Messages

FluffyDogAttack Champion Author Riverside Posts:1,082 Points:96,920 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Nov 25, 2012 1:12:08 PM Ignore FluffyDogAttack Report Abuse "Green Energy" will work when it ACTUALLY works on every level, NOT when Government mandates it. Now, on the other hand, it's obvious that marketing "green" to the gullible masses is already working.
Ahking Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,507 Points:603,450 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Nov 25, 2012 12:38:53 PM Ignore Ahking Report Abuse The U.S. has more options to develop alternate energy than Germany & should develop the infrastructure more quickly.
leeac Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,601 Points:434,880 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Nov 25, 2012 6:56:43 AM Ignore leeac Report Abuse Where there is a will there is a way. The US should support Green Energy.
millerin Champion Author Orlando Posts:2,317 Points:482,340 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Nov 25, 2012 1:03:19 AM Ignore millerin Report Abuse might be
bston Champion Author Oklahoma City Posts:1,825 Points:643,250 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 10:53:12 PM Ignore bston Report Abuse Their energy needs are most likely different from ours.
evowner Champion Author Salem Posts:2,187 Points:360,235 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 10:17:28 PM Ignore evowner Report Abuse Political lobbying by big oil interests have been preventing the US from being a world leader in energy.
leraar2 Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:3,766 Points:788,595 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 6:11:00 PM Ignore leraar2 Report Abuse "solar socialism": sort of like the "communist" boogey man applied to the U.S. labor movement of the 1900-1940's. those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it. [Edited by: leraar2 at 11/24/2012 6:13:31 PM EST]
Radar1992 Champion Author Florida Posts:1,330 Points:311,140 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 8:41:45 AM Ignore Radar1992 Report Abuse I don't want the US to be like Germany...Unless you can make 'Green Energy' economically feasible and profitable then only gov't support will make it work. Look at recycling....we have been recycling Aluminum cans for years since it is cheaper to re-smelt Aluminum cans versus Bauxite ore...hence why we did it... Now recycling is the 'Green' thing and it is more expensive than landfills since more people touch the items and most of the stuff goes right in the landfill anyway... This is the same for 'Green' Energy.....
leeac Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,601 Points:434,880 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 7:07:01 AM Ignore leeac Report Abuse Yes we can. It takes investment and commitment. The President is doing his part.
Nancy&Len Champion Author Cleveland Posts:2,058 Points:1,946,790 Joined:Sep 2004	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 5:20:17 AM Ignore Nancy&Len Report Abuse Not with all the regulations that this administration keeps enacting.
djgunrunner Champion Author Salt Lake City Posts:10,104 Points:2,349,580 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 2:52:45 AM Ignore djgunrunner Report Abuse How much is Germany paying for their renewable. It usually costs four to five times as much as Coal produced energy and has to be subsidized by the Government. With that kind of a deal can we really afford to be that green?
Vette1967 Champion Author Albany Posts:5,972 Points:1,276,975 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 1:44:36 AM Ignore Vette1967 Report Abuse It didn't help when Ronald ordered the Jimmy's solar panels on the White House taken down.
GDAE Champion Author Wichita Posts:1,155 Points:221,875 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 1:34:00 AM Ignore GDAE Report Abuse I doubt it.
gcalleja All-Star Author Miami Posts:919 Points:550,945 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 1:18:21 AM Ignore gcalleja Report Abuse Interesting.
MAC48 Champion Author Dallas Posts:1,549 Points:767,005 Joined:Dec 2006	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 12:46:16 AM Ignore MAC48 Report Abuse As memory serves, there are signs in the wonderful world built by the Green Party in Deutschland that they have made very great mistakes in the plan to shut down their nuclear power plants and the plan that requires any who produce kWhs and puts their excess dWhs back into the national grid be paid because there comes a point where there are not enough paying in to provide money enough to cover the required pay outs.
LostInNY Champion Author New York Posts:1,721 Points:648,795 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Nov 24, 2012 12:09:36 AM Ignore LostInNY Report Abuse How can you compare? differences in size of country and available natural resources...
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,095 Points:1,623,180 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 11:50:17 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse Sure hope so!
Wally3023 Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:2,030 Points:540,200 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 11:34:42 PM Ignore Wally3023 Report Abuse Not looking
HorizonChaser Champion Author Montgomery Posts:1,989 Points:456,035 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 10:44:25 PM Ignore HorizonChaser Report Abuse Happy 49th Doctor Who Anniversary!
andy1024 Champion Author Allentown Posts:1,702 Points:448,150 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 10:20:58 PM Ignore andy1024 Report Abuse Hope US will catch up.
LetemEatCake Champion Author Oklahoma City Posts:5,596 Points:1,206,355 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 10:12:28 PM Ignore LetemEatCake Report Abuse Excellent article, thanks for posting Eugenian!
evowner Champion Author Salem Posts:2,187 Points:360,235 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 9:26:50 PM Ignore evowner Report Abuse If the energy policies of the Carter administration were not destroyed by the intellectually changed, think of the advanced society we'd be living in now.
jl1rp Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:1,818 Points:358,325 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 9:10:20 PM Ignore jl1rp Report Abuse good read.
badgames Rookie Author Albuquerque Posts:45 Points:935,605 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 8:19:12 PM Ignore badgames Report Abuse Germany is now thinking it was a mistake on their part, do we really want to follow them?
jjjleblanc Champion Author Rochester Posts:5,877 Points:1,519,305 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 8:16:46 PM Ignore jjjleblanc Report Abuse Shouldn't feel the need to.
sillywagon Champion Author New York Posts:14,891 Points:1,442,095 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 8:13:28 PM Ignore sillywagon Report Abuse If alternatives are so great... then why aren't many people pursuing them without taxpayer subsidies?
graceman Champion Author Baltimore Posts:4,968 Points:1,158,725 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 7:54:11 PM Ignore graceman Report Abuse Then the republicans won the President race.
comprof Champion Author Houston Posts:6,864 Points:1,357,725 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 7:28:06 PM Ignore comprof Report Abuse JDChefF: Best common sense reply I have seen today.
JDchefF Champion Author Lancaster Posts:1,050 Points:229,245 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 7:18:57 PM Ignore JDchefF Report Abuse We need to be oil and energy independent, but not waste money doing it.
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:34,260 Points:2,372,345 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 7:00:06 PM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse after germany said it was a mistake ?
jwkycola All-Star Author Columbia Posts:817 Points:533,150 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 6:57:41 PM Ignore jwkycola Report Abuse We need to continue to see if alternatives to oil can work.
ktbaeohana Champion Author Las Vegas Posts:2,311 Points:422,975 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 6:34:00 PM Ignore ktbaeohana Report Abuse watch and see.
fracknsave Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:1,666 Points:58,000 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 6:31:24 PM Ignore fracknsave Report Abuse Why would we want to . . . ?
TheRedFez Veteran Author Las Vegas Posts:341 Points:115,155 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 6:31:07 PM Ignore TheRedFez Report Abuse Proponents of alternative energy should establish themselves as separate from the politico-enviromentalists as much as possible. This would bolster the viability of their efforts, IMO.
YaBassa Champion Author Michigan Posts:2,435 Points:517,325 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 6:15:41 PM Ignore YaBassa Report Abuse Unfortunately no. With the political polarization we have in the country now it would be impossible.
dorisntx Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:2,079 Points:646,605 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 6:03:40 PM Ignore dorisntx Report Abuse The US should try anything that's cost effective, not politically motivated, and would give us energy independence. But what do I know??