US energy policy?

While the rest of the civilized world is working on their future energy requirements, including clean, renewable, and locally produced energy that creates new jobs, where is the USA's energy policy. Do we even have one?

Actually we do. Early in his first term, our Vice President Cheney sat down with executives from the oil and power industries to discuss our energy policy. He won't reveal what was discussed, leaving us to guess. Judging by $90 - $100 a barrel oil, my guess is that windmills, solar, and other renewable's were not a big part of the discussion.

Listening to the democratic debate(?) I wasn't impressed with anything I heard about energy policy. Mandating better gas mileage is really not the answer. Coincidently I just heard another report on TV showing a Spanish system that uses mirrors to focus the heat on one area, creating steam to power generators. It will soon power a city of 700,000 people. In the report they mentioned that if a huge system of this type were to cover ONE percent of the Sahara desert, it could produce enough electricity for the entire world!

Given the wave, solar and wind technologies already existing, and the spirit and ingenuity of the american people we should easily be able to eliminate nuclear, coal and oil for electricity, heating and cooling. We just need leadership to clear the way and let us get started.

Windmills, waves and solar

On our recent trip, I enjoyed the windmills in Spain, but I didn't see the "wave power" when we were in Portugal. A Scottish company is deploying sausage-shaped tubes off Portugal to create the world's first commercial wave power plant providing electricity to 1,500 homes. They expect to expand this to a 20 Megawatt system before long. As you watch the video think about the jobs that have been created in Scotland. Do you have any idea how much these workers earn??

The European Union is going full steam ahead on their commitment to convert to renewable energy. The European Union requires 22 percent of electricity consumption to come from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and wave by 2010. You've probably seen lots of stories on your local news or "Fox & friends" keeping you informed on these and other stories that WILL have an effect on your life and your grand children's. Yeah right!! We all hear about Brittney's latest adventures, Prince Harry's girlfriend, and the latest reason why we should be frightened of terrorists, but with few exceptions (a few like Lou Dobbs), no one is letting you know the important news that really affects your life.

Even if global warming doesn't exist as Fox tells us, how will the countries working on these energy solutions fare in the future? Will we manufacture any of the many new energy technologies or will we be serving them hamburgers?

And by the way, is the rest of the world paying $100 a barrel for oil? Not really. See my next post.

Ferrari theme park-Entertainment for the whole family!

Can't wait for this park to open!

"The development will provide entertainment for the whole family ... to allow visitors to learn the story and history of Ferrari, to participate in Ferrari motoring activities, and to experience the Ferrari brand also through virtual simulations. Another important feature ... an advanced and sophisticated circuit where tests and driving courses will be organized, as well as races. The concept will also include hotels, retail, residential and hospitality elements embracing the design ethics of the Ferrari brand."

Should be open in 2008. Just pack up your family and travel to Abu Dhabi! No idea what it might cost but since we have such a strong economy I'm sure the average American with one or two Ferrari's in the garage will want to see the latest Ferrari has to offer. Buying a huge chunk of Ferrari probably helped Dubai put this deal together.

Our economy really is doing great don't you think? Now that we have sent most of our manufacturing overseas we can really reap the rewards of cheap products. The stock market has done really well. Yep, our companies now produce and sell their stuff all over the world. Before long we probably won't even have to worry about stocks going down because Americans aren't buying enough! As more and more Americans can't afford to buy all their stuff, our companies can sell it to the people who now have the American jobs!! Yea!! Our economy is safe!! Thank goodness for FREE TRADE, thank goodness we invested 100's of billions in the BRIC countries.

Energy? Easily solved !

If there were some way to get the politicians out of the way and have a leader that simply pointed the way, we could easily take care of all our energy needs, and probably cause Oil to drop to a fraction of it's current (almost) $100.

As mentioned in my previous blog, windmills are so much more efficient than nuclear power and other countries are installing them by the hundreds. Today I saw a report on ocean wave and tidal power systems that are already operating. These technologies are already proven. We also have solar power. Yes, it's more expensive right now, but what are the chances the prices would come down if we were to start a massive increase in production?

There are surely many other designs and ideas that Americans are working on. What's lacking? What would happen if we had a leader who did a "Kennedy like" declaration (going to the moon), that we are going to produce 30% of our energy needs from these and other sources within the next ten years? 75% in 20 years?

You don't need to know all the details. You set the direction, give support, and fix the problems as you go. I have no doubt in the ability of Americans to do it. The real problem lies in the big money interests that prefer the status quo. While investments in these technologies will pay off big time, the need for the constant 10% - 15% or more increase in quarterly profits keeps them from taking the longer investment view.

If startups begin to make real progress, then the money will jump in and buy them up. BUT that's the long road. And, like the windmills, if we wait too long, the progress will continue to happen OUTSIDE the US. We'll wind up buying the technology and equipment from the BRIC countries. (BRIC = Brazil, Russia, India, China)

I already speak Brazilian Portuguese, should I start learning Chinese OR can we elect a congress and president that can help keep the US a great nation?

Nuclear Reactors - Our future?

It starts almost as a whisper. Strange, cute TV ads from a company you never heard of. Politicians suggesting how we can secure our way of life by making sure we have the energy we need. The president clearing the way for licensing. Investors lining up to get in on the new construction. This background is being built to shape your opinion. Soon you will be told how much better your future is going to be because we are going to build new, modern, wonderful, beneficial nuclear reactors.

When the announcement comes you'll be ready to agree. Since we lost the "free press" over the last 10 or 20 years, there will be little real criticism, little real knowledge of why we need nuclear reactors.

I know why we really need them. My knowing began more than 45 years ago when I visited Spain and lived over a year in Europe. I was shocked to see how others could have different "facts" about things that I just took as reality. Now on a recent visit I was shocked again. Spain is booming! There's a lot to tell, but one thing I saw in many places was a proliferation of windmills.

1. Spain has CLOSED three nuclear plants.
2. Spain plans to close the other five!
3. The nation's president has confirmed that the country's 8 operating plants will be phased out in favour of clean, renewable energy.
4. Across the world the nuclear industry is drowning in debt, controversy and its massive waste issues.
5. Spain joins Sweden, Germany, Italy and Belgium as the fifth European country to abandon nuclear power.
6. For the same investment, wind generates 5 times the jobs and 2.3 times the power as a nuclear reactor.
7. There are other energy sources available, on the drawing boards, or achievable with the right incentives.
   

About 15 years ago we had a booming windmill business in the USA. Individual entrepreneurs were pouring money into "windmill farms". Many of the windmills in the farms were owned one by one, by smaller investors. The government helped spur this growth with tax incentives.

Then overnight this business was CRUSHED. They didn't just take away the tax incentive, they removed it RETROACTIVELY! This caused many people to loose most of their investment and the windmill business crumbled overnight. Now you can't even buy a windmill, the worldwide demand is so high, and other countries, having seen the future we began, have contracted to purchase all the available production. Probably a great opportunity here if the US were actually interested in investing and creating jobs IN the USA.

Our busy new world leaves little time for real thinking and fact gathering. In the past we could use newspapers, and investigative reporters to dig in and find the type of information I indicated above. Today we have a handful of multi-billionaires that own most of the media, and while I don't have reason to think they are conspirators, it is only natural they would hire and promote people that have the same values and opinions as their own. Their values tend to be those that support billionaires making more billions. DUH!!

I don't have a lot of good suggestions on how to fix the endless laundry list of ills for the middle and lower class. (Oh sorry, the new PC is middle INCOME, not Class - hummm?) There are many great agencies of our government that were created to help the citizens of the country. Today the top levels of all these agencies (FDA, USDA, Consumer safety, Transportation, Education, etc) are riddled with proponents for the industry's they were created to monitor and control. The problems that actually reach the press such as the toy recalls, e-coli outbreaks, collapsing bridges and so much more, are only the tip of the iceberg. (For the time being we still HAVE icebergs!)

In my next blog I'll discuss what I believe is the driving force behind the majority of ALL these problems. Thanks for reading.