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Energy subsidies?
One of the favorite things for opponents of alternative energy sources to do is to point out that alternative energy can't compete with conventional energy without government subsidies. Yet, numerous direct and indirect subsidies are given to fossil fuel sources like oil and coal, such as cheap loans from the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service. Indirect subsidies include items such as free public use of roads, tax credits for oil drilling, subsidized health care for respiratory illness and military actions needed to maintain a steady oil supply. Should we continue to subsidize dirty energy sources? If all subsidies, direct and indirect, were removed from fossil fuels, would they still be cheaper then alternative energy?
2 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
Since there is little choice for the future than to switch to renewable energy sources, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me to keep subsidizing non renewable sources let alone give more to them than other, greener means of producing energy.
Coal and oil would still probably be cheaper for a while if all the funding was cut off. There is still a lot of money to be made from them and cheap to produce. That should be beside the point though.
Even nuclear energy produces less waste than coal and oil. Yes long term storage is a problem, but then again, so is dumping excess CO2 into the atmosphere when we have destroyed the other side of the equation with deforestation and desertification. The carbon has to go somewhere. It would be better in the long run to fun newer, high efficiency nuclear plants and technology than to give another billion to oil companies.
Other clean sources, such as wind, solar, Geo-thermal, wave energy should get even more funding. That is the only way to insure our future.
- Chris SLv 51 decade ago
Wow! Really good question. I'd love it if you could post some sources for the subsidies that are given to the conventional energy sources. That would really back up your argument.
What kind of subsidies does the government say would be required for alternative energy to be a viable option? Personally, I think we consume too much energy in this country to begin with. Maybe we SHOULD make energy more expensive. Then maybe folks won't waste as much.
BTW, does anyone have the data on sales of gas-guzzling SUV's and US consumption of fuel for the last year?
