AtUrCervix
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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery
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ORIGINAL: AtUrCervix
Can someone please show where the Trump Administration has gutted either....solar or....any other renewable resource?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/31/its-our-central-hub-for-clean-energy-science-trump-wants-to-cut-it-massively/?utm_term=.21793d4c280a
Trump aims deep cuts at energy agency that helped make solar power affordable
I know it's not exactly what you asked, but it's in the ballpark.
http://time.com/4681719/donald-trump-renewable-energy-research-funding/
A former top aide on energy issues for President Trump's transition speculated that the Administration will cut research funding for wind and solar power and redirect money to fossil fuels.
Energy lobbyist Mike McKenna, who headed Trump's Department of Energy transition team until late November, told the West Virginia Coal Association that current funding allocations favoring renewable energy would likely be changed.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3182184/sustainable-it/heres-what-trumps-budget-means-for-renewable-energy.html
The Trump administration on Thursday released a preliminary 2018 budget proposal outlining changes to discretionary spending that, if implemented, would likely cut spending on renewable energy.
Among a list of 15 government entities that would see cuts under the proposed budget, two that could affect renewable energy programs are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Trump has proposed a 31% cut in spending for the EPA and a 6% cut for the Energy Department
The only dilemma here is that, solar pricing is dropping.
And thanks to technology's pace, it's going to continue to do so, not because of federal or other stimulus, but in spite of it.
(Which, of course, is a wonderful thing).
If the above weren't true, the reduction in support would portend all the horrible gnashing of teeth, but, jobs in that industry continue to outpace, by crazy numbers, and I think the projections are for higher % numbers going forward.
So far as to the other (EPA), he's making some changes. "They" say that clean water and air will not be affected, rather, stifling regulations will be (yes, I read that item about being able to put debris in to rivers again....I don't know a lot about that topic, but it sounds pretty horrible...mistakes are going to be made and no doubt corrected) but, what he wants to do is put those agencies on a path to be run by states....not the feds.
And, for readers of the Constitution, those issues aren't federal rights anyway (as to regulation)....so, the process moves forward and....mistakes will be made.
Another (in my mind) problem is the potential roll back of the CAFE standards (fuel efficiencies). Is it appropriate for the feds to tell any manufacturer what they should sell? Not in my opinion but, I personally love cars that get (and construction equipment that gets) vastly more efficient ratings and mileage. I also very much like the safety now put in every vehicle sold here that comes with every car but, those that can't pay 40 grand for a car (in most cases) only get a few options, which of course is because of those very same federal mandates (it wasn't all that long ago that a brand new car {late 70's} could be had for less than 6 grand....in fact, I bought a brand new Chrysler K car in 1984 for $5,200.00). Has inflation gone up by nearly 700% since then ($40,000.00)? Nope....but the feds caused your car to rise by that much.
Trump boasts about a billion things....he can't make them all happen and frankly, I don't know a single individual that wants black skies, dirty water, or cars that get 11 mpg.
We're not going to go backwards as so many fear....we're just going to stop stifling business (and individuals) from doing their jobs (and for that matter, having one).
Crazy regs are stopping people from doing incredibly normal things.
A (very small) town not far from where I live, 12 years or so ago saved up for 5 years to pave the main drag through town. The total budget was around 800 grand. In October, they ground off the top 1" in prep to repave it. Grinding was about 500 grand, paving was 300 or so.
Then, right after they finished grinding, a law called "The Bolt decision" came down from on high. Rightly (in my opinion), it enforced clean water, specifically, any transportation project was mandated to prove that it would not cause any problems for salmon....downstream. There were some other factors, but essentially, that was the essence of it.
The nearest body of water (a small stream) was 11 miles away (very flat little town).
The cost for the study to prove that? $900,000.00.
And so, the little town (that still had an asphalt road....it was just ground up, unsafe for people in wheelchairs or walkers to traverse) didn't get to repave its road until that study had been produced, paid for and submitted...approved and stamped by 496 (I'm exaggerating) state and other agencies....almost 3 years went by....for what? The right to repave what had always (and had already) been paved, with a product (asphalt) used in millions of miles of roadways nationwide....of course, the study showed what was to be expected....that it didn't harm salmon.
Naturally, by then, oil (a major component in asphalt) had risen in cost from 35 bucks a barrel to nearly 120 and that 300 grand paving project, ended up costing them 900 grand to pave.
Who won?
The lawyers.
And everyone in that little town got basically nothing, in return for compliance with regulations, well intended, but applied in every measurably flawed way.
The same thing is happening across the nation, achieving nothing but full employment for lawyers, and zero gain for citizens.
The latest genius mandate in my fair State of Washington?: If you want to build (or construct) ANYTHING (road, home, office building...anything), you now have to prove, via (natch) a study, signed and validated by (of course)....attorneys....that there are no....and have never been...current Indian burial grounds on the to be disturbed soils.
Who has to do this? ANYONE who wants to pave their driveway....build a home....a 7-11.....so....if you bought some dirt some decades back and now plan on building your new home....the added cost for this study? Somewhere between $20 and $50 grand. For the guy building 50 or 500 homes, a lot more, but far less per dwelling unit...and....because he knows that it'll cost YOU 35 grand (and him maybe as little as 5 or 10)....guess how much that new home price will rise thanks to this new full employment act for lawyers going in to effect?
Sure....just the 5 or 10 grand that he paid.
Uh huh.
That's some of the stuff these guys are trying to fix.
Along the way, some stupid shit is going to happen....but no one is going to need a buggy whip, stone knives, or bear skin rugs.
As to redirecting funds towards fossil fuels; when we have people in foreign countries, using money we send them, who want to see us dead, and, further, when those same funds mean we have to borrow (read: trade deficits) money from, oddly, in some cases, our actual enemies, I'd rather see those funds spent here creating jobs (and lowering our trade deficits)...here...not buying munitions for our enemies.....that they state publicly and with glee, they fully intend to use.....to kill us.
(I have always found death sooooo....hmmmm....permanent).
Is using oil for fuel better than solar? Not for my grandchildren...and certainly not for the Earth....but the process of burning oil is improving, significantly so, and will continue to do so. Yet now, we have some giant tailwinds...debt, terrorists among others and, for a while (since oil currently isn't at $120.00 a barrel...or even higher), knowing that technology has our back so to speak, at the moment....I'm all good with putting less funding in to products (solar) that have a natural tendency to fall in price for the foreseeable future, a bit more on things, if a choice must be made, that tend to rise to insane levels (oil) if we don't produce our own and ultimately, loosen regulations in areas, and on things, that only enrich those who went to Harvard.....but not the people that fix cars, sinks or want to own a simple home.
And with robots coming soon to nearly every job on Earth, I'd like to see as many jobs come back here and not to a place (any place) where it doesn't benefit our workers first....because, selfishly, without an income, they can't buy products....manufactured....anywhere.
< Message edited by AtUrCervix -- 4/5/2017 1:18:24 AM >
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RE: Plunging price of renewable energy makes end of fos... - 
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