tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413935813892441553.post3758167161036327153..comments2024-03-29T00:30:39.262-05:00Comments on real economics: De-carbonization—the new buzzword in climate change policy?Jonathan Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217670446743983955noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413935813892441553.post-56485053614162452102015-05-24T10:19:34.206-05:002015-05-24T10:19:34.206-05:00Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I am working ...Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I am working pretty hard on my video version of What Must be Done these days and comments like yours help me shape the final product.<br /><br />As for taking on the energy giants, I would MUCH rather work with them. Here in Minnesota, our big utility is now so heavily invested in wind power I am pretty sure they are beyond backing down. Jonathan Larsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05217670446743983955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413935813892441553.post-26231957662183721122015-05-24T09:04:03.849-05:002015-05-24T09:04:03.849-05:00Let me also add, if you want change in politics in...Let me also add, if you want change in politics in America, then this is your candidate to talk up in every discussion right up to the voting booth--<br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/05/01/bernie-sanders-signals-aggressive-challenge-to-hillary-clinton/<br /><br />Regardless of his electability, Bernie is the ONLY candidate challenging the status quo and his voice will be critical in all discussions to push the debate in this direction--<br />"PLUM LINE: Should the Democratic nominee offer a platform that goes considerably farther than what the president has done?<br /><br />SANDERS: Yes.<br /><br />PLUM LINE: What would that look like?<br /><br />SANDERS: It would look like a tax on carbon; a massive investment in solar, wind, geothermal; it would be making sure that every home and building in this country is properly winterized...".Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05252804186064393926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413935813892441553.post-78760144751575006192015-05-23T11:26:25.275-05:002015-05-23T11:26:25.275-05:00Jonathan! It is time after decades of waiting for...Jonathan! It is time after decades of waiting for a greener future to be started by the institutions of energy/banking/govt for us to admit these institutions will not move forward until they are pushed by the loss of profit and power.<br /><br />For decades citizens worldwide have done numerous appeals and political action using the mainstream systems of voting/lobbying govt and energy companies to modernize only to see institutional pace is glacial as instead they protect their fossil-fuel investments.<br /><br />Even those bold early adopters who went ahead solo to buy their own household solar systems and dutifully attach to the grid only to receive a fractional payment for the energy supplied back to energy companies have now been rewarded by govts doing energy company bidding by slashing metering payments.<br /><br />This is our era's version of ripping off farmers back in 1890s, and using grandpa's example what needs to be done is create a populist movement to subvert the energy companies monopoly. We must seize the future ourselves.<br /><br />These energy companies even with climate change and early solar adopters they still drag their feet...so we have to push harder.<br /><br />In Boulder CO, they managed to create a municipal energy utility and I heard of people here in Minneapolis proposing we do the same, but then this talk disappeared (I imagine tamped down by the local chamber of commerce and city council)...so while maybe we could push for that approach again, I think it would be a waste of time and money.<br /><br />Instead we bypass this approach completely and go straight to homeowners--and develop a household energy system that is fully detached from the grid, all it takes is--<br />--solar panels,<br />--a cheap/easy salt water battery system, and<br />--determination to be as free of the energy company monopoly as humanly possible, which requires--<br />-----willingness to spend ~$20000 regardless of ROI, and<br />-----acceptance of lifestyle changes whereby 24-7 year-round 70 degree household HVAC climate and 50 inch TV on 12 hours a day no longer exists.<br /><br />If people can't manage this little sacrifice, they deserve to be treated like the pawns they've become. Grandpa was dumping milk and withholding crops and getting killed by union busting thugs, and we can't be bothered to turn off a babbling TV.<br /><br />Surely a financing program could be launched, or solar panel companies themselves create one; these are details that can be determined later. The key is this movement can start now, without any leadership really, it just takes people who are willing to take charge of their lives. <br /><br />This push alone, done by a mere 15% of households would break the monopoly. A 15% removal of households no longer dependent and no longer sending checks to energy companies would definitely get their attention. They would either increase their pace of modernization or risk losing another 15% of households as the movement gains steam.<br /><br />The principles of the movement would be similar to prior populist movements where the core program of vendors and installers would be developed and send community to community to recruit others to join. It will not be a $100 trillion movement, rather it is small nickel and dime the institutions until they can no longer ignore that things are changing outside of their control.<br /><br />Being small is an advantage as you control yourself, making small cuts intending to take down the energy giants, it will be ignored at first, then flailed at once they realize they are being pestered, but we will be spread out around the country and leadership so unseen and dispersed that no one law or arrest stops us. Their ROI discussion will be--<br />--spend millions to create citizen regulations that will then require billions of enforcement (but some cops will be the ones using our systems), or<br />--accelerate spending the billions they already expected to spend to modernize their monopoly.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05252804186064393926noreply@blogger.com