Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy

Just as the world seemed poised to combat global warming more aggressively, the economic slump and plunging prices of coal and oil are upending plans to wean businesses and consumers from fossil fuel.

From Italy to China, the threat to jobs, profits and government tax revenues posed by the financial crisis has cast doubt on commitments to cap emissions or phase out polluting factories.

President-elect Barack Obama and the European Union have vowed to stick to commitments to cap emissions of carbon dioxide and invest in new green technologies, arguing that government action could stimulate the economy and create new jobs in producing sustainable energy.

But as the United Nations prepares to gather the world's environment ministers in Poznan, Poland, next week to try to agree on a new treaty to reduce emissions, both the political will and the economic underpinnings for a much more assertive strategy appear shakier than they did even a few weeks ago.
Read the full story here.

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Comments

[garbovatwins]

Do not let your lust for greed and material possessions stand in the way of change. The universe will insure that your world remains long after you have rendered it uninhabitable by your species. Your future remains unwritten, but time is rapidly running out for the human race.

[olephart]

Green energy cannot compete with fossil fuel at this time based on price alone. For intelligent people there are other considerations than price alone; climate change, security and balance of payments considerations to name a few. We have an opportunity to eschew the restraints of the "free markets" and replace them with focused economic pursuits. These pursuits should include energy security via domestic production and carbon friendly technologies. These will not come cheap.

Government subsidies must be invoked to both start and maintain this new energy paradigm. These fly in the face of the drill baby drill Nineteenth Century technology crowd. Good! Tax credits for wind and solar energy have been extended. These need to be vastly enlarged to include direct subsidies for individuals and businesses to go solar.

High gasoline prices brought about by rampant non regulated speculation had the fortunate side effect of reducing gasoline consumption. Now with prices falling this consumption may increase. A painful solution to both over consumption and funding for green tax subsidies is available for a politician with courage. A tax on gasoline large enough to reduce consumption can fund green energies. The monies would be sequestered from the general fund and restricted to rebates for individuals and businesses for green energy. You"d pay at the pump and get it back from wind generators or the solar panels on your roof. Eventually your plug in hybrid would largely free you from the pump. The by-product would be jobs.

[research]

It's only capital up front cost that is higher on solar and wind. The life cycle cost is much lower.

[HoraceOvidson]

Remember, the green economy will create jobs.

[marijam]

NO! We have to spend. If ever there was a time we have to spend, it's now. If we close off the government spigot, we'll go into depression for certain, not to mention that we HAVE TO get off of foreign oil.

[research]

NO!

DEFICIT SPENDING, "INVESTING" IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENERGY IS THE ONLY HOPE WE HAVE.

NOW IS THE TIME TO GO SOLAR AND WIND!

RIGHT NOW BUSH AND PAULSON ARE TRYING TO

bankrupt the US government

So you can drowned it in a bathtub.

That's what's happening, right in front of us, while

Bush Tap Dances to distract us.

NO! USE THAT MONEY FOR ENERGY AND PUBLIC WORKS!

Give those billions to the states, to the unemployed, to folks facing foreclosure. That money will go right back into the economy, unlike the waste on banks.

Pass anti Usury laws cap interest at 10%.

Order billions of dollars of offshore wind turbines and the grid.

give individuals and businesses huge tax credits for installing roof top solar.

Create an US Green Bank to help green companies with liquidity problems.

giving to the banks is insane! it's what Hoover did.

FDR clamped down on the banks like a ton of bricks.
Forced a bank holiday, broke up the big banks.

IF WE GIVE THE BANKS MORE MONEY WE JUST MAKE IT HARDER TO DIG OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.

HIGH INCOME TAXES DO NOT ADVERSELY EFFECT THE ECONOMY!

[HillbillyBob]

I agree, nationalize the oil holdings and auto makers, then start over with a new green based manufacture and energy production.
At our home we cannot afford to put up solar,yet .
We are doing small things to get more green.
We have already cut our fossil fuel consumption.
There are all these buildings that have huge roof spaces that could support large solar arrays, and windy spots that could support various sizes of wind turbines..
We have been trying to find small vertical wind, we were quoted a price of 800$, inside 6 months we were ready to buy the price had jumped to 3,000$. We cannot afford that.

[research]

Why Nationalize them?

Just regulate them.