The Energy crises. First it was California now it's spread to states such as Wisconsin and Iowa. I recently heard W talking about this. You wanna know what his answer is? Tax-cuts!! Wow. I never knew tax cuts can make more power plants magically appear to creaet more energy. I also never knew that tax-cuts can magically make our computers, Air conditioners, and microwaves more energy efficient. Don't tell me. The tax-cuts are meant to help people cope with their rising energy costs. That's all fine and dandy, but with the energy shortage getting worse and energy getting more expensive, a tax-cut isn't going to do squat 2 to 3 years down the road.

I also heard V.P. Cheney talking about the energy crises on MSNBC I think it was. He said "We have to find ways to make ourselves MORE dependant on coal." Question. Are their imaginations so limited that they think of dirty, obsolete fossil fuels as the answer to everything? I think so. Then I hear Bush talking about how we have to develop new technologies to get us off the oil and the other dirty fossil fuels on MSNBC. Wasn't Gore saying this during the campagins? Ok. Maybe Bush disagreed with Gore at the time, but now decided that Gore was right. Fine. I have no problem with that. However, it's going to be a bit difficult to develop new technologies when his budget plan slashes the alternative fuels R&D budget.

Weather you believe it or not, we can get off fossil fuels tomarrow if we have to. Although I wouldn't recommend it due to our economy being so dependant on it. I'm not one of those super-liberal types that wants to see change instantanously because I know that to do such a thing would unleash hell for our economy, but I know that we can slowly slide into alternatives without harming our economy if D.C. would gather up the balls to tell big oil and the opec nations to piss off. But that would risk the politician's sources for campaign money! We can't have that can we?!?

A 100x100 mile square of solar panels working at 10 percent effeciencies would forfill ALL of our energy needs. Half that space would NOT be used at all because the solar panels need to be spaced apart from each other so that they don't give each other shade. With 15 percent effeciencies solar panels expected in a few years, the amount of space needed would drop by 30%. (Popular Science magazine, August 2000, Page 51.)I'm just using that 100x100 mile square thing as an example. I'm not saying we reserve a space that big, but we can easily spread 100x100 miles worth of solar panels across the country. A few here and a few there. It adds up quite fast. Solar isn't the only alternativ out there. There is also things like Wind, Hydroelectric as well.

The same goes for cars too. I have read a few stories about people retro-fitting their cars to run on corn startch, used cooking grease that you can get from your local McDonalds, and even hemp!! So why, when the topic of the energy crises comes up, do all the bigwigs in D.C. both Democratic and Republican never bother to give things like this ANY consideration? You've got me. One side says we have to burn more oil, more coal, more everything for more energy. The other side says we must live in caves and heat are homes with fire like our ancestors in the year 40,000 B.C. This is getting pathetic. For god's sake let's get rid of both parties and put in people that actually have some common sense into office.

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"I don't mind being called a liar when I'm lying, or am about to lie, or have just finished lying, but NOT WHEN I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!-----Homer Simpson. Hey! Now that I think about it, this quote would be a good one for Bill Clinton!

[This message has been edited by MIB (edited May 22, 2001).]

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It never stops, when my mama ask me will I change
I tell her yeah, but it's clear I'll always be the same
Until the end of time
- Tupac Shakur, Untill the End of Time

Which is why that's not what he proposes as a solution. He proposes increasing the energy supply as a solution. The tax cut WILL help somewhat in the short term, though.

I also heard V.P. Cheney talking about the energy crises on MSNBC I think it was. He said "We have to find ways to make ourselves MORE dependant on coal."

Give me a source for that quote, in context.

A 100x100 mile square of solar panels working at 10 percent effeciencies would forfill ALL of our energy needs.

Yeah, and if it's night, or cloudy, then you have no power. So if it's dark outside, it becomes dark inside?

Infinity:

That's 10,000 square miles. Meaning it's ALMOST as big as your country.

As for the solution, it's to BUILD MORE PLANTS. This is a long-term problem (thank you, Davis and Clinton), and the solution is therefore also long-term. All stop-gap measures requested of the Federal government have been implemented, with the exception of national price controls, which is just a stupid idea and would screw up supplies even further. In fact, Davis REFUSED to accept an offered waver of EPA regs so that their backup plants could run and generate the power that they need. The solution was not to allow this to happen in the first place.

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"How do you define fool?"
"I don't attempt it. I wait for demonstrations. They inevitably surpass my imagination."
- CJ Cherryh, Invader

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"Goverment exists to serve, not to lead. We do not exist by its volition, it exists by ours. Bear that in mind when you insult your neighbors for refusing to bow before it." J. Richmond

As for the Dick Cheney quote; I can't give you an exact date of when I saw it but I can tell you it was 2 to 2 1/2 weeks ago on MSNBC.

One more thing. You were right about Bush's plan to build more power plants. More power plants to burn more coal, more oil, and more everything!
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"I don't mind being called a liar when I'm lying, or am about to lie, or have just finished lying, but NOT WHEN I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!-----Homer Simpson.

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"I don't mind being called a liar when I'm lying, or am about to lie, or have just finished lying, but NOT WHEN I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"--Homer Simpson.

And is it true that the official name of Macedonia is "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"? With a name like that, why'd the even bother to declare independence. That would be like calling the US "the Former British Colonies of America"... *L*

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"I don't mind being called a liar when I'm lying, or am about to lie, or have just finished lying, but NOT WHEN I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"--Homer Simpson.

Getting back on ze track, I saw a very promising article about fuel cells and their incorporation into cars and trains. We'll have hydrogen cars in a few years, I think it will be good.

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"Babies haven't any hair;
old men's heads are just as bare;
between the cradle and the grave
lies a haircut and a shave."

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"Babies haven't any hair;
old men's heads are just as bare;
between the cradle and the grave
lies a haircut and a shave."

quote:

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So why, when the topic of the energy crises comes up, do all the bigwigs in D.C. both Democratic and Republican never bother to give things like this ANY consideration?

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It's called the Oil Lobby.