Re: [asa] $4 gas is here to stay

That, I think, is a key difference. In the US through both lifestyle and
infrastructure differences, we drive a lot more than Europeans do. It is
just not practical to ride a bike from Walmart to Costco along roads that
have no room for bikes.

There was an episode on PBS last night about alternative energy, I didnt see
the entire show, but I caught part about Germany and its burgeoning solar
industry. They have a goal of 30% power from clean sources, and are ahead
of schedule in reaching this goal. The point of this section was that
government intervention makes a difference.

But the next section was about a company that builds solar panels on top of
large commercial buildings at no charge, with an agreement from the owners
of the building to pay a certain cent/kwh for energy from the panels. And,
that cost is lower than energy from the grid, and is guaranteed for 20
years! This is a win/win situation.

So it is going to take a combination of government intervention, tax
incentives, subsidies, etc, and good old commercial innovation to make a
difference. One idea I have is that governments should allow companies to
aquire an easement to interstate, or other large road median strips, and
cover them with solar panels.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Iain Strachan" <igd.strachan@gmail.com>
To: "Terry M. Gray" <grayt@lamar.colostate.edu>
Cc: "AmericanScientificAffiliation" <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 3:10 AM
Subject: Re: [asa] $4 gas is here to stay

> I'm guessing the government is taking more tax.
>
> Here in the UK, the average price of fuel is the equivalent of $10 per
> gallon. Small wonder I use my bicycle to commute the 6 miles to work.
>
> Iain
>

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Received on Fri May 23 06:40:42 2008