Techdiplomacy

The smokestack crew would like to share in the stimulus citing rising demand for electric power.
This group includes coal fired power stations, the oil industry, and all fossil fuel power plants. They are mobilizing their collective might in order to propogandize their Industry. Never mind the carbon dioxide emissions caused by their efforts.

We cannot forget the coal industry`s effort to market ‘clean’ coal which simply does not exist. The president once mentioned this myth while campaigning, he has not mentioned it since. I’m sure he was advised of the lack of veracity concerning ‘clean coal’. This effort by the coal industry shows the lengths they will go to in order to keep destroying our environment.

This industry has made some half hearted attempts to clean up some of their CO2 emmisions to no avail. There is no Incentive for them to do so. This is the problem, they have held sway for so long. Let me explain.

Coal fired power plants are not labor intensive, they are usually powered by a device called a programmable logic controller. This device is operated by one man in a control booth. Therefore the entire plant is operated by a single person. Not inducive to full employment is it? The power company charges top dollar and they have a small payroll to meet.

The renewable energy Industry is labor intensive. It has been shown that investing in renewables will create millions of jobs. The president has signed the stimulus and with help from a Colorado solar business operator has urged Americans to embrace renewable energy resources. We have no choice, we need to embrace solar, wind, and geothermal energy to power our society. There would be a resurgence of American pride in our accomplishments. Jobs would be created. Global warming could be stopped and the effects perhaps reversed. Careers could be made as we perfect this technology. The possibilities are limitless.

In order to get to the point, (I know it’s too late) I will paraphrase my title. The fossil fuel Industry will try to get a share of the stimulus package, and we should oppose that notion. They are desperate to maintain their windfall profits in the face of legislation requiring lower carbon emissions. We as a people need to keep this industry from benefiting from the stimulus package, fossil fuels are not the answer. Renewable energy is the only answer to America’s energy and economic needs. Write your elected officials!

Callaway Nuclear Power Plant Fulton, Missouri

The nuclear power industry is, in it’s effort to revive the building of new reactors, closing it’s eyes to the actual facts with regard to cost and safety.  Their opinion is that nuclear power must be included if we are to change our climate.  They see a nuclear renaissance as the number of applications for construction and operating permits rises.  This information comes from the nuclear regulatory commission, they have not seen this type of activity in over 30 years. 

The Department of Energy keeps a ongoing count of nuclear licensing applications.  The DOE is predicting 23 licenses for 34 reactors.  The industry hopes this will continue in 2009 in order to shore up their hopes in an effort to build new reactors.

The same climate change legislation that the renewable energy sector wants to see, the nuclear industry is counting on that very same legislation to get the country to back their efforts.  Nuclear is cleaner than fossil fuel, however it has been shown in several studies that any gain in cleaner emissions are offset by the dangerous process that is nuclear power.  The nuclear industry has started to release real prices instead of the low estimates that had been their stock in trade.  Now you see prices have doubled to well over 5 billion dollars per reactor which is double estimates from early 2008.  The DOE loan guarantee program would be new hope for these people.

It would be hope misplaced.  Nuclear power is not the way to go at this juncture.  High construction costs and complicated licensing procedures make this option economically not feasible.  There is no solution to this, we should use renewable energy sources to power our society.  The nuclear option should not be an option.  We need to view this option with extreme caution.  We don’t have a solution for the energy woes that we are experiencing now that could be solved by the nuclear power industry.  This industry touts itself as the new way to avoid CO2 emissions, although they have their share of this global warming causing element.  There is a movement among the utilities that operate nuclear power plants to grab a share of funds that would be better spent investing in clean renewable energy.

We have a new administration taking office this month and they will be deluged with requests for funding for various reasons.  The nuclear power industry not withstanding will make their demands for funds known and they will use the arguments that they have used for decades, clean power.  How about clean, safe power.  The industry said that waste storage is improving due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s reaction to the license application for Yucca Mountain.  The NRC did proceed with the docketing process and evaluations on items such as environmental requirements.  The general thinking is that geologic storage is necessary for nuclear energy’s future.  That does not solve any problems with regard to what is stored.  This is a problem currently and will continue to be a problem.  Some see the waste as valuable material and would like to recycle the material.

There are plans to build nuclear power stations in several states.  We as people with a desire to power our planet safely should protest this direction that these utilities are taking to provide electricity.  As we have stated here in the past clean and safe  renewable energy is the way to go.  Any thoughts on this?  Let’s hear from you in our comment section.  In the meantime work for renewable energy sources, new jobs, help for our failing economy and a clean environment are ours’ for the future.

The taxpayers of America (you and I) are subsidizing the fossil-fuel industry at the rate of over $220 billion dollars per year. Fossil-fuel subsidies are an archaic and out dated practice. At one time in this country we needed to develop oil and coal for progress. This is no longer the case, fossil fuel burning has become a threat to our very way of life. Subsidies have led to special interest groups (lobbies) whose only agenda is to keep the status quo. In the last decade of the last century oil and gas companies have $154 million dollars in campaign contributions in order to protect special tax rates that save them billions of dollars. The oil industry has larger tax incentives in relation to it’s size than any other industry. This is a vile and evil system that is rewarding those who would destroy our planet. We are not vile or evil people for the most part, let us get rid of the evil in our system. We however, are not the only ones subsidizing the fossil fuel dynasty. German subsidies for the coal mining industry is (in their minds) justified by saying it is a job protection measure. At it’s worst they were subsidizing that industry at $90,000 dollars per year/per worker. They could have paid each miner half of that money to stay home and not mine coal and come out ahead. There are hidden subsidies. The oil industry gets a tax break based on the fact that an oil field will eventually run out of oil! The U.S. military spends over $60 billion dollars per year (according to the RAND Corporation) to protect access to oil in the middle east. This oil is only worth around $25 billion dollars. The $60 billion will increase as long as we continue the senseless war in Iraq. Seven years ago a study showed that our government used taxpayer dollars to subsidize internal combustion engine automobiles. At that time the amount of the subsidy was around $257 billion dollars. Even if you do not own an automobile or are too poor to afford one, you are helping to subsidize those who do and can. We need to ask our leaders about this policy and change course. Now the automobile industry is requesting a $25 billion dollar bailout. They approached the congress and the senate without a viable plan and simply asked for the money. They are at the end of their reign, they should be forced to do what they could have done 10-15 years ago. They should not receive a bailout unless they acquiesce. These funds could subsidize clean and renewable energy sources, along with electric automobiles which would not destroy our environment. If that is not enough, this energy could be had at a small fraction of the cost of utilizing fossil fuels.