[chaos_5]

To me, technological options should be judged on their merits; and not by a political litmus test.

Well, I couldn’t agree with you more on that point. Also, reading through your other post I have to say it is refreshing to see some looking at energy issues from a system wide prospective.

I don’t use the subsidized litmus test though since nearly every breakthrough technology is arguably subsidized in its infancy, especially if the technology is in the research phase and resaving government funding through university grants etc. Then there is the idea that you subsidize what you want more of and tax what you want less of. Clearly dumping billions of dollars into solar power companies that just go belly up is stupid.

Anyway, the writing is on the wall as far as alternative energy goes. It’s frustrating when people support it for ridiculous reasons like CO2 emissions instead of more reasonable terms like conserving finite and diminishing resources. But, honestly, I think the big dogs in power just use things like global warming to grab more power from the sheeple and artificially drive up the cost of energy to make alternatives more economically attractive.

Perhaps the end game is the same...

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"I don’t use the subsidized litmus test though since nearly every breakthrough technology is arguably subsidized in its infancy, especially if the technology is in the research phase and resaving government funding through university grants etc."

Agreed -- and thanks for the opportunity to clarify my meaning. This forum isn't designed for academic discussions; so I try to get to the main point, while often leaving aside a lot of important nuances. I've said on several other threads that subsidizing pure research is a legitimate government role. And often a case can be made for subsidizing applied R&D. There is almost never a case for subsidizing full-scale industrial operations. For instance, there should have been a lot more R&D in solar, before solar companies were subsidized -- enough to have a clear path to profitability.

In short, my litmus test is: if the production phase needs subsidy, complain. If a business can produce and market an air-powered motorcycle, without ongoing government subsidies -- more power to them. If they come cap-in-hand for a production subsidy -- then, we all have a right to complain.