| As President Obama's stimulus package makes its | | | | the one we face now could ever occur again. |
| way into law I am surprised and delighted how much | | | | How good would it be if our factories had reliable |
| is being made of alternative power technology. Has it | | | | cheep power without any tie to world oil prices? |
| taken a recession to change the direction of power | | | | What would our balance of payments look like |
| technology? | | | | without importing any energy? How good would it be |
| It is insightful to use the big negative to promote a | | | | to plug your car in to continuous renewable power to |
| new future. Economically things are getting very bad. | | | | be charged overnight? Imagine never having to stop |
| There doesn't seem to be much that can be done | | | | at a gas station again. |
| about that except try to cushion the bottom. But | | | | Up until now the emphasis has been on the |
| when the bounce comes do we continue the same | | | | arguments about whether or not global warming is |
| old way, or do we do we go in another direction. | | | | real and the economic cost. Forget the economic |
| When things are good there is reluctance to change. | | | | cost. What was the economic cost of the sub-prime |
| Why give up the good life? But when rock bottom | | | | market? Our economies are on there knees. It will |
| comes there is always a new direction in recovery. It | | | | take as much to rebuild the same old way as to |
| is like the alcoholic who refuses to confront his/her | | | | rebuild with renewable energy. |
| demons until there is no other choice, and then can | | | | The emphasis of starting again with new technologies |
| choose a new way of life or alcoholic poisoning. | | | | won't cost jobs, it will create them. Technology |
| Our reliance on oil is one of the factors involved with | | | | always changes available jogs. Look at all the jobs |
| the present crisis, along with greed and other factors. | | | | that have gone since the introduction of the |
| What would the present situation be like if we had a | | | | automobile, or the computer. Many jobs just no |
| secure source of cheap energy totally independent | | | | longer exist, but they have been replaced with new |
| of economics? | | | | jobs. The power station workers will no longer shovel |
| One of the things often overlooked is that while it is | | | | coal, but there will be new jobs with the new |
| going to take a lot of resources to get alternative | | | | technologies. |
| renewable power going, once it is it would only | | | | The economic crisis is hurting the whole world. Many |
| require periodic maintenance. A wind farm will | | | | people (including myself) are suffering because of it. |
| continue to produce power while the wind blows | | | | But maybe if we can work together to bring about a |
| independent of oil prices, Wall Street or interest | | | | change in direction the rest of our lives can be |
| rates. It would eliminate so many factors from the | | | | secure, and future generations will thank us for our |
| economic equation that it is doubtful if such a crisis as | | | | courage in changing the course of technology. |