Ohio Takes Step Backwards

[LuisDantas]

Can we trust "everything else" to be survivable, though?

 

[sun rise]

Dottie if you believe we have a moral imperative to go green why not start with yourself?

Do you drive a hybrid? If not why?

Don't you think if we are going to spend a huge amount of money we should reap some results other than feeling all warm and fuzzy?

I would rather see us provide clean drinking water to every person on the planet for example.

It's not a choice between two different things. Our house has drip systems with almost no lawn left, water conserving toilets and clothes washer and a high efficiency furnace and air conditioner. And we're thinking about how we can do more given that we're retired now.

One of the reasons I'm so fond of social entrepreneurs is that there's a feedback mechanism where they can measure the results of their actions. Scientific and technical research are just starting to change the world one example being clean water.

I'm not a fan of "5 year plans" and government mandates about how to do something. I am in favor of government mandating what needs to be done and letting people figure out how to get there.

 

[Triumphant_Loser]

Renewable energy attacked in Ohio by Libertarians, conservatives. Jobs, savings, and the environment take a hit.




Please discuss.

I'm curious to know what Libertarians have to do with this. The title seems to be a bit misleading.

 

[4consideration]

Dottie if you believe we have a moral imperative to go green why not start with yourself?

Do you drive a hybrid? If not why?

Don't you think if we are going to spend a huge amount of money we should reap some results other than feeling all warm and fuzzy?

I would rather see us provide clean drinking water to every person on the planet for example.

Are you talking to me? If so, I haven't said anything at all about the things you indicated here.

Do we have someone else on this thread by the same name?

 

[Dirty Penguin]

You completely miss my point, we may have expensive renewables here some day but China and India will still burn coal and make everything on the planet.

This is kinda like you recycling while I burn trash next door, the neighborhood still stinks.

You want to solve a global problem with a symbolic effort in a few countries.

Best to start.....anywhere than to never start at all....

 

[Sunstone]

I'm curious to know what Libertarians have to do with this. The title seems to be a bit misleading.

You don't think the Koch brothers are Libertarians?

 

[Dirty Penguin]

The California economy might be leading the nation but the States check book is in the red.

Yes people come to Cali to make their fortune but don't stick around to pay the draconian taxes for too long.

What are you going on about....aren't they maintaining a comfortable budget surplus at the moment...And I recently read that there are plans going forward is to invest in early childhood education and infrastructure which is projected to create more jobs in the state.....

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Your comparison falls flat. We can refrain from killing each other by Nobel actions alone.

No one needs other folks money to stop violence.

Renewable energy requires money we just don't have.

The fact that I live green changes nothing.

The fact that if our nation became green changes little.

Big difference spending money we don't have and controlling our behavior.

The money is there and it's always been there....The political courage to act is what's missing....

 

[LuisDantas]

About money, there is some interesting data to be found here:

980: Money - explain xkcd

The data at the right bottom corner seems to support the idea that while installing solar and wind energy plants may well be (comparatively) expensive, it is certainly not pointless.

 

[Quintessence]

Are you talking to me? If so, I haven't said anything at all about the things you indicated here.

Do we have someone else on this thread by the same name?

I assumed Rick was intending to address me and that was a slip of the keyboard, but I honestly don't know. XD

Regardless, if other people don't want to change, that is their choice. Though more honestly, in many cases there is very little choice involved. The way national infrastructure is set up, plus the nature of a country's politics, along with social/cultural norms provide major obstacles.

Just today on NPR I was listening to a story about the housing market. Now, but the story they told was pretty much the "woe is the economy and housing market because young people can't get into the new home buyer market and are living with their parents" as if this is a bad thing. But this is a cultural narrative we tell ourselves: we have this cultural expectation that enshrines the single-family home - a model which, let's be honest, isn't exactly environmentally-friendly - and ignore other possibilities. I really hope that the younger generation readjusts cultural norms and embraces the idea of cooperative living with multiple families or having roommates.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Germany sets solar record, meets half of electricity demand (Wired UK)

Germany's investment in renewables has seen the country set the world record for photovoltaic energy generation at 22 gigawatts per hour -- or approximately 50 percent of German electricity demand.

And I hear they don't even get as much sun on a daily basis like we do here in the states....So just imagine if we ramped up on solar use here....on homes, businesses, government buildings, schools etc....

WOW...!!!