General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat if solar got the same subsidies as fossil fuels? Well...
Tip of the hat to The Pragmatic Progressive: https://www.facebook.com/PragProgPage
stevedeshazer
(21,653 posts)I really despise that particular meme. I sent this to my rightie coworker who tries to argue this crap with me.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/09/13/317594/timeline-bush-administration-solyndra-loan-guarantee/
^snip^
Exclusive Timeline: Bush Administration Advanced Solyndra Loan Guarantee for Two Years, Media Blow the Story
By Stephen Lacey and Climate Guest Blogger on Sep 13, 2011 at 11:10 am
by Stephen Lacey and Richard Caperton
Its often claimed that the Solyndra loan guarantee was rushed through by the Obama Administration for political reasons. In fact, the Solyndra loan guarantee was a multi-year process that the Bush Administration launched in 2007.
Youd never know from the media coverage that:
The Bush team tried to conditionally approve the Solyndra loan just before President Obama took office.
The companys backers included private investors who had diverse political interests.
The loan comprises just 1.3% of DOEs overall loan portfolio. To date, Solyndra is the only loan thats known to be troubled.
stevedeshazer
(21,653 posts)Thanks, Johnny!
alittlelark
(18,890 posts)Lucky Luciano
(11,262 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)for those invested in fossil fuels. May all investors live in a bubble of smog; they deserve it.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)qb
(5,924 posts)TheWraith
(24,331 posts)RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)It is only because they haven't built one nuke plant in the US in thirty years. No reason for a subsidy when there is no growth. Duh~
However, if one nuke plant here does like Fukushima, the subsidy to that nuke plant will be the biggest pile of subsidy, ever. Did i say "if"? I meant when.
TheWraith
(24,331 posts)The complete cost of Fukushima--an event which is basically impossible here due to a conspicuous lack of tsunamis--is still less money than goes into fossil fuels in the US.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)so the idea that a Fukushima like event is "basically impossible here" is naive.
Besides, Three Mile Island already happened and "The China Syndrome" was based on an actual event in/near Detroit.
It can happen here.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)...decommissioning these plants,
and the ongoing problem of What in the Holy Hell will we do with the contaminated WASTE?
I Gare-ON-Tee!
TheWraith
(24,331 posts)Also, spent fuel rods aren't a problem for Europe because they recycle them. We're simply too cheap to do that since it's less expensive to store them and buy fresh uranium.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)I also KNOW how things work in 21st Century America.
If you believe that "they" won't find a way to weasel out of paying these costs
and abscond with the cash in the decommissioning accounts,
or that Wall Street won't "lose" it somewhere,
or that (SURPRISE) the actual cost of decommissioning turns out to be
MORE than "anyone could have suspected",
I have some swamp land near Fukushima you can buy.
Rosa Luxemburg
(28,627 posts)TheWraith
(24,331 posts)For one thing, it counts only subsidies directed at solar power, and none at wind or hydro, both of which have much stronger deployment in the US, since they're far superior economically to solar power.
It also doesn't note that Germany's use of coal-fired electricity is extensive and growing.
cheapdate
(3,811 posts)But the general point is essentially valid.
stevedeshazer
(21,653 posts)I'm glad you agree that my point is valid.
stevedeshazer
(21,653 posts)The Republican machine is ginning up a campaign to smear alternative energy. We have to counter it. All are fair game.
uponit7771
(90,367 posts)...don't point towards carbon capture either.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)We are sick and tired of and from the small-minded oil billionaires, who think they have the god given right to poison to our environment and bodies and work to keep people enslaved. These "stupid" people, as Eisenhower called them, need to be arrested tried convicted and punished for their crimes against humanity.
lsewpershad
(2,620 posts)Something to think about.
badtoworse
(5,957 posts)That is only meaningful way to compare