Monday, October 31, 2011

America at the Crossroads

What kind of America do you want? One extreme is a country with little government, more freedom for individuals (now including corporations), and little regulation and control over economic, environmental, health, and social issues.
The other extreme is more government meddling into everything that is for the "good" of society as a whole.
Who do you want butting into your life? Either way, someone is going to have a say.
Interesting:

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Dragon is Coming

It’s just inevitable…another chink in the greatness of America, leading us down the road to being a third world country.

http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LSLQCV0YHQ0X01-3V6EHKITVV3V3OMIAQ4KI0OVOL

Invest $15 billion in the wind industry? Hell no! They are probably bigger crooks than all those in the solar industry. Push GE to really get serious with their wind…oh no…Imelt is an Obama supporter…can’t do that! It would make the President look good.

So, we’ve wasted three precious years, and will waste even more while we sit around like babies in the sandbox throwing words, accusations, lies, etc. at each other, arguing over just how big a tax break the super rich should get, so they can eventually have enough money to eventually invest in American jobs and technology.

Obama is definitely to blame…he has not stood up to his promises and convictions. The Republicans are to blame for paralyzing this nation’s political mechanism from moving forward. The American people are to blame…the 1%ers for being greedy, and the other 99% for being ignorant and duped and stupid.

Monday, October 10, 2011

This Week's Thoughts

All the Solyndra hype has escalated the 1%ers continued misleading and lying to the American public that solar and other renewables can’t give us affordable, clean energy and jobs. I (we) have been arguing against this mistruth for a long time now, and the answer has always been (as Bush so boldly said) “it would destroy our economy.” Go figure!

Here is the technology that we invented and sold (gave) away to the rest of the world. They would have us believe that we can’t do it, afford to do it, or now even want to do it.

http://www.solarbuzz.com/our-research/recent-findings/china%E2%80%99s-feed-tariff-policy-stimulates-14-gw-photovoltaic-project-pipeli

14GW…equivalent to 14 nukes…we are still struggling (6 years later) to get approval and federal loan guarantees to build ONE. Go figure!

On the nuclear front, we will continue to see more and more costs exposed from the “big lie” that nuclear electricity is cheap. Here, the stranded costs (the costs subsidized because deregulated electricity came in cheaper than nuke electricity) are starting to be addressed.

http://www.chron.com/business/steffy/article/Paying-for-the-ongoing-mistakes-of-electric-2197679.php

Good thing we have the best and brightest in the nuclear industry…just like PG&E’s Diablo Canyon.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/cleaning-up-a-diy-repair-on-crystal-river-nuclear-plant-could-cost-25/1195782

A serious accident can’t happen in the US……

http://www.abc3340.com/story/15651235/4-generator-failures-hit-us-nuclear-plants

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view.bg?articleid=1371687&srvc=news&position=recent

http://enenews.com/michigan-nuke-plant-releasing-radioactive-steam-environment-after-unplanned-shutdown

These 100+ plants are approaching 30 years and the realistic end of their lives. License extension? Squeeze a few more rate-payer dollars out of them? You bet!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The rains begin...

Seems the Republican Party is the party of denial…climate change, personal rights, equity and fairness for the people, and most importantly, the ability of America, as a leader in the industrial world, to lead. It would cost too much….destroy our economy….blah, blah….

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), who chairs an energy and commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations, originally supported the renewable loan guarantee program when Congress created it…. “We can’t compete with China to make solar panels and wind turbines,” Stearns says.

Seriously. We invented the modern solar cell, but after that, the Republicans say, Americans can’t compete. Ten years from now we will be moaning and groaning about importing “solar and wind energy” from China, like we moan and groan about importing oil from the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Germany is moving ahead with an eventual phase out of nuclear, and a concerted push for renewables.

“The great advantage we have in Germany at the moment is we really have the broad consensus in society that corresponds to the size of the task we face,” said Ulrich Luscher, who represents the CDU, the conservative party, on energy issues. “I definitely agree … that we have enormous possibilities for the economy in that [clean energy] sector.

We don’t have the situation like you have in the U.S., where you have this Koch brothers,” Untersteller said, referring to the billionaire heirs of Koch Industries.

Here are some quotes today from the “leadership” in the Republican Party on the Wall Street Protests:

CAIN: “I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration. Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself!

TRUMP: “Nobody knows why they’re protesting, but they’re having a good time,” he insisted.

ROMNEY: “I think it’s dangerous — this class warfare,” Mr. Romney said.

It’s all so stupid…but the 1%ers want us to remain stupid. This is just the tip of the iceberg…just like Egypt, Libya, Syria….the social movement is just starting here. It is going to be interesting at the Republican Convention this summer. Remember 1968? Power to the People!