The Green Boom: An Enduring Version of the Dot-Com Variety?

Annuit Coeptis ^ | 06/19/2009 | Paul Zannucci

[Jeliota]

Nevertheless, as the Republicans faded into irrelevancy, the free market was at work. Even before Obama and the Democrats could get their first environmental bill on the table, the USA was changing.

The current regime’s environmental plans are irrelevant. They will be passed into law, but they are irrelevant nevertheless. America has opened its eyes. America has awakened. America will lead.

[Jeliota]

Well, I thought long and hard as to whether to submit this story or not. Certainly, "going green" is not a popular topic for us conservatives, but I truly think, upon reflection, that the current activity in start-up companies related to that field will usher in something of a dot-com type boom that will endure much longer. I'm actually rather proud of the ingenuity America is once again showing, even as it sits in the face of ridiculous environmental legislation and global warming hysteria. I think, long term, this could be America's next great adventure and keep her on top of the economic mountain.

[qam1]

Certainly, "going green" is not a popular topic for us conservatives

Conservatives are just as if not more environmentally "aware" and friendly as the liberals. The only difference is we use logic as opposed to pie in the sky fantasies and what makes us feel good (and if it stops Capitalism or not) to decide what's good or bad environmental policy

Don’t believe me? Take a look at these headlines from the last few days:

Pick any day in the last 30 years, and you would find "in the last few days" headlines about some amazing breakthrough(s) in solar, wind and fuel cells and how really, really, really soon they will be competitive with fossil fuels and we will be shortly living in a green utopia, but in the end you end up never hearing of them again or you get the old liberal stand by for all their failures, "We just haven't spent enough money".

It's not that conservatives are opposed to these things, I would be very happy if someone found an alternative to fossil fuels, however, I am not willing to wreck our economy for some idea that anyone who understands simple high school physics can see is a fantasy.

[Jeliota]

Given that I took physics in college, I think I understand the issues in question. I think, though I could be very wrong, that the advent of the electric car will force the Demwits into accepting an aggressive plan for nuclear power. But there, again, the free markets are beginning to take care of it. We're seeing more new applications for nuclear plants than we've seen since the 70’s.

The reason these car headlines are different from the old ones you mention is that there are actually products being built for a consumer base that wants them. Gas prices are going on a steady climb. By the time the GM Volt hits the market in 2011, I predict $8 per gallon gas. For many Americans who have 20 mile commutes to work, the exchange of a rather large car payment for saving about $100 per week on gas will seem an obvious choice.

But then we come back to the electricity issue. There are several new nuclear plants that have been approved recently, and more energy providers are looking into them. But I think that the need for cheap electricity will end up smacking the demwits across the head, and we'll see much more movement in this area.

Even odd sources of, as of now, low level energy are beginning to pop up as the free market looks for an edge. If we could reduce the regulatory strangleholds, the market would win.

[businessprofessor]

I am not optimistic on the energy front. Going green is a fraud, a guise for nationalization of the energy industry. The rats are determined to substitute non economically viable energy production for economically viable energy production. The only roadblock is the poor state of the economy. The rats are providing huge subsidies and mandates for non economically viable energy production. Tremendous misallocation of capital is occurring. The green economy is almost entirely dependent on massive subsidies and mandates.

I am not optimistic about nuclear power. I believe the rats took away the loan guarantees for plant construction. The guarantees are necessary to mitigate the political risk of plant projects. The DC rats hate nuclear power. They will obstruct projects even if other rats want the projects.