A Head Scratching Event

June 3rd (originally written here)

This morning we are scratching our heads over some number which was released yesterday.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $130 million over three years, subject to Congressional appropriations, to advance the development and use of fuel cells for automotive, stationary, and portable power applications.

The head scratching comes into play when we take the other side and say: the government is perhaps doing the right thing to get us away from our addiction to oil. Away from the devastating effect that has now been proven to destroy our environment. A step towards the promise of a far cleaner future.

But then we see the number which is $130 million dollars of your tax paying money, over 3 years.
Wait just a sec... didn't the government spend some $1BILLION dollars beginning sometime near the President Carter administration to develop Hybrid Technologies? As seen from another fairer perspective, $130 million X 3 which is the nine years for the $1 billion formerly used for hybrid technologies... comes out to a small $390 in today's money. Hmmm...390 million in today's money vs. 1 BILLION dollars starting in the Jimmy Carter era.

Perhaps even with the flawed idea of fuel cell technologies, perhaps this is just a diversion making it look like our leadership is doing the right thing when in fact it may be quite the opposite.

This can be seen as a way to prolong the use of oil and combustion engine production until we can show as we have here that we already have proof that this isn't the best way to go in reducing our addiction to oil. That perhaps then, we throw some paltry amount of money at another idea that doesn't quite fit the Eco bill and even further prolong our addiction. A kind of bait and switch tactic if you will.

What was the effect of the U.S.A. producing a clean electric car all those years ago?
It scared Toyota and Honda to produce a good electric car on their own w/o anyone's help.
They only took it off the roads when our government was willing to sue it's own State of California to cause the electric car to disappear off the roads. Why? Because there was not enough profit in it for the car manufacturers and most especially for the big oil companies. Some of you may argue that BP and perhaps other oil companies now have an alternative energy division. So why aren't they using these windfall profits to boldly and swiftly change from oil addiction to a healthy future for all? Because it isn't as profitable maybe?

Hmmm

Shows you how an effective Leader and administration can be changed away from doing what is absolutely right for the consumer, for our health, for the environment, and for our entire human population and the planet.

We are in a sad state of capitalism when leaders have to create laws to help capitalists get away with criminal and some would say immoral acts. Acts which hurt the entire planet and put billions of people at great risk just for a few more years of windfall profits.

This is what has prompted the head scratching event today.

Also, did you know that the White House once had solar panels on the roof? It did during the time of Jimmy Carter but they were removed when Ronald Reagan and his Vice President took office.

More head scratching.....

If you can possibly take one more minute; watch the first minute of this video before it disappears.