Originally posted by Sobieski II
Perhaps in America, yes, but you cannot honestly think the country is going to allow themselves to be completely owned by the Saudis do you?
Interestingly, if the prize for oil doubles, the US is easily self-sufficient - while Europe and Japan, the two big economic competitors, and China, the next competitor to be huge, are not and will never be....... and, there is always the US Army......
Besides the investments are picking up in Denmark and Germany, and it takes less to stimulate it then it does to stimulate coal or oil development.
Indeed, investments here have picked up - then got cut down again
I would say within 20-30 years, it will have really begun to complement itself as an energy force. It likely will not become dominant (however, you never know), but it will have begun the mass production process enough to make its presence felt.
I certainly hope so, but that has been said in the 70s already
Why are you so pessimistic anyways, if you truly believe in the power of the renewables?
Because I experienced firsthand here how the big companies (in one case Daimler-Benz) make politics - Daimler managed to have envirnment protection laws pushed back ten years simply by inviting the state MP on a sailing trip.........
Wind has been growing at like 30% a year for some time now, and it is only a matter of time before some sort of private investment picks up in the states.
Sadly, here, wind is slowing down - in too many places there simpl are not enough suitable sources of energy. Same for water - that is practically maxed out in Germany.
30% a year does not seem like a bad investment to me, and as "evil" as all those Republicans and corporations are, do you actually think they will exlude themselves from this pie indefinitely?
No, but until it is too late for the climate - now, these energies are actually propped up by oil and gas earnings.
Why do you think it is called "Shell Energy", rather than "Shell Oil" now adays?
Because 'Oil' sounds like 'Oil spillage - 10,000 penguins dead!'[@utoe]
You cannot really pick the winners, and thus solar has failed to prove itself as viable as originally predicted for this timeframe, but wind has proved itself a winner in appropriate regions, and thus is likely to be used. [/QUOTE] And how can these regions afford it? Yes, you can plaster half the Sahara with solar modules - how do they pay for them? And if Europe pays - how do you get the power here? The loss in transport (whichever method you choose) will drive the price up to a point where it is cheaper to dig coal again........
