re: #188 Liberal Classic

The power has to come from somewhere. Unfortunately, solar, wind and hydroelectric power aren’t sufficient to meet our energy demands. Photovoltaics are only now becoming inexpensive, wind power is dependent on the weather, and hydro and geothermal sources are limited geographically. This is why we rely on nuclear and fossil fuels. I’m all for building wind farms and equipping buildings with photovoltaic window and roofs to supplement demand, but I don’t think these sources will supply our needs in the near term.

As for “we wouldn’t be in this mess today” I don’t necessarily agree. Even if, after the ‘73 embargo, had we moved aggressively into nuclear generation, we’d still be relying on fossil fuels for some legacy coal and gas fired plants, and for transportation.

Cutting oil dependence is good for all kinds of reasons. Safety, environment, foreign dependence. The hippies were yelling about this a long time ago. If we would have spent the effort then, we’d be a lot further down the road today. Certainly this spill doesn’t bode well for more “drill baby drill.”

I was a big proponent of solar panels, especially down in the south, but with hurricanes, it’s not such a good idea. They would have to design them so they can’t get blown off the roof. In Florida, I believe it costs about $30K and will virtually take you off the electric grid. But like I say, the hurricane problem is an issue.