Why is the government dragging it's feet on alternate energy sources?

Question

The technology for alternate energy sources is now available. If we want we stop foreign oil coming in, in 5-8 years. But the government is not doing anything. Is it possible that the oil companies have bribed the elected officials, and so they would not do anything to hurt the oil giants ? What do you think?

Answer 1

The government always drags their feet in everything except war.
The oil companies are definitely running the show they provide all the money and the politicians do what they ask.
The alternate energy sources could have been used years ago but the big companies don't control that action so that's why it's going so slowly.Also look how slow the whole immigration thing is going so you shouldn't be surprised by anything those elected idiots do.

Answer 2

There is a lot being done in alternative energy and most of it is due to the 2005 Energy Bill that Bush advocated. It provides for tax benefits for companies willing to take financial risk to develop and produce alternative fuels and alternative fuel technologies. The most promising are ethanol, biodiesel, and coal gassification. Ethanol is made from high starch agriproducts like corn and beets. Technology is being developed to make it out of various grass crops, in effect, weeds (it works now, but is inefficient). Biodiesel take plant oils and animal fats, waste in many cases, and turns it into diesel fuel. Coal gassification turns coal into natural gas with almost zero pollution and waste. Coal is a cheap source of energy and turning it into gas is very efficient.

Some things have been tried and are very expensive and inefficient - like solar energy and wind energy. Nuclear is the best and most efficient, but some in Congress have made this a political issue. The same is true for new drilling for oil as the US has significant reserves. Politics again trumps the needs and economic safety of the American people for some.

So, much is being done. Billions of dollars of private capital has been flowing into these technologies for several years. You probably already see ethanol at your local gas station.

Answer 3

If the alternate energies are so amazing then why aren't YOU doing anything to create, fund, capitalize, promote, etc.?

In the US we have what is called the free-enterprise system. Why aren't YOU setting up a wind farm? What's stopping you?


Quite simply: It ain't worth it. The return on investment is so small that the only profit is to get the government to give you money just for trying.

Wind farms have been around for decades. Guess what? They LOSE money. Subsidies from the evil oil-controlled government is the only thing keeping them going.

Tidal power? Pfft.

The capitalist system is taking bio-diesel technology to the do-able stage but even that gets a lot of evil oil-dollars through the Department of Agriculture.

Here's something to ponder: The Internet and all the billions of pieces of equipment needed to keep it running could NEVER be run and maintained and available to all without the cheap, dirty non-renewable oil.

Answer 4

Because the oil companies own America. Bush is an oil man and so was his dad. Saudi Arabia and others are getting rich on what America buys from them. And, of course, the oil companies are earning HUGE profits which they do not wish to see evaporate.

Answer 5

The oil companies are your elected officials.

Answer 6

Yes, Bush is bribed by oil companies. But he will be back on the ranch soon, so don't worry. Besides, cars are getting more fuel efficient. So, we don't need alternative energy that badly.

Answer 7

The oil industry dominates Washington--We have to get corporations totally out of funding our elections. A Corpration should noy be allowed bear any cost of any poitical action committee.

Answer 8

I'm going to have to agree with Type2neg on this one. I am interest in alternative energy, but no matter what you use it cost something. Wind energy, very expensive to build turbines, must have land to "farm" them causing people to wine about the view and Eco system. Solar, by the time it pays for itself I need new panels. Hydrogen, extracted from water..expensive process requiring large amounts of energy...where did that energy come from? Battery powered cars....just plug them in....where's the power in the wall coming from? Easy to jump on the band wagon and preach, but difficult to do as a nation. As technology matures I'm sure we'll move in that direction.

Answer 9

What alternate energy sources are those ????

The left won't allow america to use nuclear power like the rest of the world does.

and there is no viable alternative's without using oil or nuclear power.

Answer 10

Well where did you get this 508 years, and what technology are you talking about. Damn stop this leftist propaganda and put some facts for a change. And, Energy=money, regardless oil or alternative, so Goverment would have interest in any of them.