What you should research for yourself, from Obama:
In 2000, countries like Germany made a major commitment to increase the use of renewable energy and begin to get off oil. We elected George Bush and Dick Cheney -- who gave us a secret energy task force, a war in Iraq and the same old energy policies.
Clean energy isn’t pie in the sky -- the Germans created 250,000 jobs in less time than it will take for John McCain and Big Oil to drill for oil offshore -- and bring it to market. Failing to invest in new energy means we will continue to fall behind in the competitive race for new jobs and manufacturing. That’s not the road to smart energy independence; it’s a backwards formula for more Exxon dependence.
In March of 2008 in Germany a gallon of unleaded gas cost about $8.60. With higher gas taxes to fund alternative fuel research and mass transit, like in Europe. The International Energy Agency reports that Germans pay $5.16 a gallon in taxes and the French pay $4.83. We actually as a nation employ more people in green technology today than Germany does, 259,000 direct and indirect jobs in the renewables sector in 2006 in Germany and 200,000 people directly and 246,000 indirectly in 2006 here in the US. At this point in time renewable energy makes up 14% of Germany's electricity generation. Twenty states in the US have goals that would be more than Germany's 14%, 15 to 20%.
Read Obama's complete energy plan and read McCain's too. Especially when it comes to things such as wind power - from McCain:
According to the Department of Energy, wind could provide as much as one-fifth of electricity by 2030. The U.S. solar energy industry continued its double-digit annual growth rate in 2006. To develop these and other sources of renewable energy will require that we rationalize the current patchwork of temporary tax credits that provide commercial feasibility. John McCain believes in an even-handed system of tax credits that will remain in place until the market transforms sufficiently to the point where renewable energy no longer merits the taxpayers' dollars.
Decide for yourself rather than small snippets that don't tell you the real story and no matter which party you are? Just because you read it on your candidate's website about the other guy? Doesn't always mean it's true....
5 comments:
German companies and consumers slashed their use of so-called primary energy—defined as energy generated by oil, gas, coal, nuclear and hydropower—by 18.5 million tons of oil equivalent in 2007, a 5.6-percent reduction. Only Denmark and Azerbaijan recorded larger percentage reductions last year.
The main reason behind the pronounced drop in energy consumption in Germany is the sky-high oil price. The BP report notes that the six-year upward trend in the price of oil is the longest period of price rises of that commodity since the start of industrialization. In fact, over the last decade the US benchmark oil price has increased 12-fold.
Across the world, total primary energy consumption rose 2.4 percent last year. China, which in 2007 consumed 7.7 percent more energy than in 2006, is responsible for half that increase; India a third. Overall, energy consumption in emerging economies rose by 5.5 percent. By contrast, European Union member states managed to cut their use of primary energy by 2.2 percent. The US, however, consumed 1.7 percent more energy in 2007 than in the previous year.
Also of interest
I don't have the source material in my files to back up what I have on alternative energy; however, I got the primary information from a person with credentials on the Limbaugh radio show. Basically he explained how wind energy, however efficient it is must be backed up by other forms of energy production because even if it is down for lack of wind for just a little bit the grid will not be supported. In other words, it is unreliable for true energy production.
The use of nuclear produced electricity has been shown to work as has clean burning coal. I have to wonder why so much red tape is being put in the way of clean burning coal as a way to get away from oil. I continue to believe that most of the environmental movement is a ruse to hide their main goal of shutting down capitalism in favor of socialism and state owned and run society.
I think that alternative energy sources like wind and solar can play a part in reducing coal, natural gas and oil usage. I do not forsee an "oil free" future like many seem to.
A few years ago I would have argued with you about the "ruse" aspect. Continually hearing about how Germany and Europe does it knowing that the main reason they do spend more is how much they are paying in taxes on gasoline makes me believe that what you are stating would be possible. If Congress would be stupid enough to do it.
Lisa Renee - Its a big mess, isn't it? And there is so much division and gridlock among our parties that it doesn't seem that anything will ever get done. And in the meantime we continue to get killed at the pump.
I think we have to look for environmentally friendly ways for energy, but we will always use oil.
The nuclear power plants are coming. According to the Energy Information Administration there are 24 proposed new commercial reactors.
That's a lot of jobs!
This is independent of McCain/Obama, much like the biggest student loan interest rate in decades was independent of McCain/Obama. I was certainly thrilled when I got my most recent student loan letter. Well played, Bush administration.
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