Edmund Storms wrote:
The obvious problem with the argument of whether to do something about global warming always involves a basic error. The error is that if we try to do something, it will result in economic damage. Actually, if we invest in alternate energy, this will create jobs and keep more money in the economy.
With gasoline at $4 per gallon, alternative energy for transportation is cheaper than oil. That is to say, a mass produced plug-in hybrid car driven by electricity from wind turbines is cheaper per mile than gasoline at $4. It would be cheaper still to drive that car with coal, and coal would produce less CO2 per mile than oil, but wind is much better measured by CO2 emissions.
It is unclear whether the price of gasoline will fall. It would be wise policy to make sure that it does not by taxing it, but I do not think any Washington politician could accomplish this. The voters would not stand for it.
For other energy applications such as space heating and industry, fossil fuel will remain cheaper than alternatives such as wind and large-scale solar thermal for a while. In the southwest US, solar thermal has the potential to be far cheaper than any other conventional source of energy, and it is especially well-suited to the area because most electricity is used for air conditioning. But there has been essentially no investment in this technology since the electric power companies and fossil fuel companies drove Luz out of business. (That was as much a scandal as General Motors' destruction of electric car.)
Alternate energy would also solve many political problems such as U.S. economic support of terrorism in the Middle East.
- Jed
