Comments on: Lobbying For the Enviroment http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139 make it happen Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:32:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: steve http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13937 steve Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:33:23 +0000 http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13937 <blockquote>I expect our legislators to be intelligent enough to not give subsidies or mandates for technologies that are not economically viable. It does not make sense for the government (taxpayers) to support forms of energy that the marketplace does not want. </blockquote> Sigh... This speaks to a fundamental misunderstanding of the justification for why the state should subsidize. Subsidization, it is argued, is necessary because the actual incentive structure the market provides does not sustain the development of the technology. According to this analysis, these kind of nascent technologies by their very nature are 'not economically viable'. Otherwise, the state would not have to get involved since the market demand would pay for the cost of the development.

I expect our legislators to be intelligent enough to not give subsidies or mandates for technologies that are not economically viable. It does not make sense for the government (taxpayers) to support forms of energy that the marketplace does not want.

Sigh… This speaks to a fundamental misunderstanding of the justification for why the state should subsidize. Subsidization, it is argued, is necessary because the actual incentive structure the market provides does not sustain the development of the technology. According to this analysis, these kind of nascent technologies by their very nature are ‘not economically viable’. Otherwise, the state would not have to get involved since the market demand would pay for the cost of the development.

]]> By: Darwin2500 http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13936 Darwin2500 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:09:13 +0000 http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13936 ... which would have happened a few decades ago if the federal government hadn't been subsidizing oil this whole time, of course. … which would have happened a few decades ago if the federal government hadn’t been subsidizing oil this whole time, of course.

]]> By: Michael http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13935 Michael Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:31:01 +0000 http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13935 I expect our legislators to be intelligent enough to not give subsidies or mandates for technologies that are not economically viable. It does not make sense for the government (taxpayers) to support forms of energy that the marketplace does not want. As long as the price of oil keeps rising, there will be little need for government intervention as economic pressures will make alternative energy much more attractive. Add to that a public opinion that is turning against coal and warming to nuclear, and you've got yourself an energy revolution in the making. I expect our legislators to be intelligent enough to not give subsidies or mandates for technologies that are not economically viable. It does not make sense for the government (taxpayers) to support forms of energy that the marketplace does not want. As long as the price of oil keeps rising, there will be little need for government intervention as economic pressures will make alternative energy much more attractive. Add to that a public opinion that is turning against coal and warming to nuclear, and you’ve got yourself an energy revolution in the making.

]]> By: darwin http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13921 darwin Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:34:35 +0000 http://enableate.com/steve/2008/1139#comment-13921 Nah, this isn't really hard; it's also bad for GE to do it. I'm sure that the technology they get subsidized won't be as practical or efficient because they don't have to worry abotu consumers actually wanting it, so I doubt it's going to help the environment much. Now, yes, I'm more angry about lobbying efforts to do things like indefinitely expand patents on new medications so that they can never become less expensive, but in that case the fact of teh lobbying itself is equally bad, but the added effect of killing sick people makes it worse. Nah, this isn’t really hard; it’s also bad for GE to do it. I’m sure that the technology they get subsidized won’t be as practical or efficient because they don’t have to worry abotu consumers actually wanting it, so I doubt it’s going to help the environment much. Now, yes, I’m more angry about lobbying efforts to do things like indefinitely expand patents on new medications so that they can never become less expensive, but in that case the fact of teh lobbying itself is equally bad, but the added effect of killing sick people makes it worse.

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