Comments for It's Cheapest to Push Clean Energy in a Downturn at http://www.cepr.net , comment 1 to 3 out of 3 comments http://www.cepr.net Sun, 19 May 2013 20:49:34 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/its-cheapest-to-push-clean-energy-in-a-downturn/#comment-1020 And this quote from the WaPo article, "congressional Republican leaders warned him (Obama) not to use what he described as the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced" to further his political agenda." should read "Congressional Republican leaders, dismayed at the prospect of their own political agenda going up in smoke, warned him etc. And if he were to use this opportune moment, what is the "or else" that follows their warning? - diesel Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:19:00 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/its-cheapest-to-push-clean-energy-in-a-downturn/#comment-1009 [quote]We would have less money for this transition if the economy were near full employment and there was little idle capacity.[/quote] So when we're on the production possibilities curve (PP) we have less money and when we're below it we have more money? No, wait ... we have less money in general but more money for making major changes, so like, you know, the time to provide aircraft maintenance is when airplanes are on the ground, not when they're flying and making money, because it cost a lot more to keep mechanics from falling off the plane while repairing them in the air, also known as the mechanics tax. That's not it either ... it must be start-up shut-down costs, all those things that use oil have high shut-down cost of switching to alternatives which have high start-up costs, but once accomplished, the lower running costs over time make it worth it. For example, hiring fishermen and oil rig workers to install solar collectors and windmills at oil refineries in Louisiana cost a lot less right now, same as clean-up workers, so this is time to do it. Doesn't sound right either ... this must be it ... say there's a bunch of oil lobbyists sitting around discussing the opportunity cost of alternative energy during a deep recession. Their recommendation to Obama is look, we're all headed to hell in a handbasket, trapped in a runaway train going down the mountain with abolutely no options but to hang on for dear life, and this is no time to be thinking about alternative anything. The opportunity cost of changing anything right now is extremely dangerous, so stay the course if you want to get out of this mess alive. Stupid liberals. - izzatzo Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:51:33 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/its-cheapest-to-push-clean-energy-in-a-downturn/#comment-1008 Yes, absolutely. Now is the time to build long lasting infrastructure. Every commuter rail line should be extended, every house and apartment insulated. Defense electronics scientists need to diverted to energy research so we can deploy the new nuclear and solar technologies in the next 10 years. - AndrewDover Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:37:07 +0100