Posted on 04/23/2006 10:13:34 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
President Bush could discover something important if he puts down his talking points long enough during his trip to California this weekend. Bush is using the visit to tout his energy policies; but the country would be better served if he took the time to learn from the state's energy strategy, which is emerging as an integrated alternative to the president's incomplete plan.
Piece by piece, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats in the state Legislature are fashioning a comprehensive response to two of America's most pressing problems: the intertwined challenges of global warming and energy independence. Their approach — call it the California Idea — challenges both the means and assumptions of Bush's approach to energy.
In his first term, Bush focused almost entirely on promoting more domestic production of oil and gas. This year, he's also proposing more federal research money for solar and wind energy and for futuristic cars that could run on fuel produced from agricultural waste or hydrogen.
But Bush has unwaveringly opposed any mandates that would encourage conservation or accelerate the commercialization of those clean technologies. ... Bush's central argument is that mandates would hurt the economy.
California is pursuing the opposite strategy. It is formulating a series of mandates to speed the transformation toward an economy that uses less oil and emits less carbon dioxide. And it is imposing those mandates in the belief that they will bring jobs to the state by spurring technological breakthroughs — the historic engine of California's growth.
--snip--
... Schwarzenegger recently implemented a requirement that California utilities generate at least 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010; he wants to raise the mandate to 33% by 2020.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
energy politics?
is that like "jumbo shrimp?" LOL
all anyone has to do is look south and see what Brazil has accomplished while the clowns in D.C. have been accepting those paid golf trips to Hawaii...
Why not just put a price cap on fuel prices.
It seems to have worked oh so well for Hawaii.
/sc
Ah, yes....the socialist's favorite pastime.
And it is imposing those mandates in the belief that they will bring jobs to the state by spurring technological breakthroughs — the historic engine of California's growth.
Translation: we need a president who will pass these mandates on other states to create an artificial market for our otherwise unmarketable green technology.
Remove the sanctuary status from the monterey bay and drill for OIL! That will fix things fast.
"Translation: we need a president who will pass these mandates on other states to create an artificial market for our otherwise unmarketable green technology."
I am in the presence of greatness. Excellent summation.
I wish he had told them "You dummies removed your offshore oil rigs and now you're whining... Are you stuck on stupid?!"
you forgot the hurl alert
I don't like how California's government goes about things. I think you agree with that. On the other hand, Brazil has achieved some rather interesting levels of non-oil based energy production.
We've seen what happens to the price of gas when we cut consumption by 10 to 20%, yet we don't sign on to programs that will do just that or more. Instead we jump on each other for being anti-oil know-nothings or some such.
The left says no to nuclear. The right says no to ethanol. The left says no to oil, and the right laughs at wind and solar.
Anything that cuts on our foreign oil consumption that doesn't include government mandates, is something I'm going to be looking into. If others don't want to, I'll wonder why, but that's their choice too.
The left blocks everything except adopting the lifestyle of the Amish...Have you seen the tizzy Chapaquidick Fats has thrown to blocking the Martha's Vineyard windfarm?
How many CA utilities are still left? The environmental lobby has driven most the power producers out of CA and the legislatures won't allow any new power plants to be built. CA imports much of its energy from out of state or out of country.
For other states which produce much of their own power, this would be a non-starter.
I have, and the government should tell them to stuff it. I've seen the windmills elsewhere and they're almost a work of art. I enjoy seeing them when I pass by where they are.
HEY BUSH, write an Executive Order opening up certain oil and gas rich areas for drilling, begin building Nuclear reactors, by trimming and streamlining the EPA red tape. The ANWAR oil fields could be called a necessary thing, because of a "clear and present danger" to our oil supplies. Get a set Mr. President, your poll numbers are so low because you say that you don't stick your finger into the wind, but you act like a man waiting for a hurricane.
I agree, but some environmentalists are crying that they kill birds and alter windpatterns now. We'll be living like the Flintstones if we allow them to keep blocking energy initiatives.
Alter wind patterns? My how these folks magnify our powers.
I hear ya.
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