Author Topic: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth (Read 51650 times)

AGelbert · « **Reply #120 on:** June 18, 2015, 07:45:00 pm »

More Truth in this comment than in the article it references.

June 17, 2015

Bruce McFarling says:

The thesis that a carbon price is unwinnable seems to be based on a premise that winnable fights have to be on grounds that can be "bipartisan" ... and that is the premise that resulted in the politicizing of science and renewable energy policy, since you only have to turn it into a partisan issue to close the door on that bipartisan approach.

Quote

"At the national level, the effort by the extreme right to politicize science funding is a deep threat to progress in developing renewable energy technology. I think de-politicizing and increasing basic science funding and funding renewable energy research and development are winnable battles at the federal level."

The threat to progress in developing renewable energy technology is a large point of the point of politicizing science funding. If people reacting to reality gives an answer that threaten the wealth of large, established and (by definition) wealthy interests, then the immediate pursuit of narrow and short term self interest calls for obscuring reality.

De-politicizing basic science funding and funding renewable energy research and development are winnable battles, but its not likely that they will be won on a "bipartisan" model. There seems to be enough wealth at stake to guarantee dominance of at least one mainstream political party.

So they will most likely have to be won the old fashioned way, of entrenching them in the platform of one mainstream political party, whether by gaining adherence from one or from shattering the current political alignment and rebuilding it anew (as in the 1850's in the US with the collapse of the Whigs over the slavery issue), and then winning that political fight..

How the Transition to Renewable Energy Could Come

by Steven Cohen, Executive Director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute and a Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Posted June 16, 2015

http://theenergycollective.com/stevenacohen/2240131/how-transition-renewable-energy-could-come

Renewable Revolution

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Author Topic: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth (Read 51650 times)

AGelbert

Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth

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