Why renewable energy won't work.

[mrstickball]

Allfreedom99 said:

sapphi_snake said:

mrstickball said:

Pretty much this.

Most renewables have strategic problems that will prohibit them from replacing non-renewables. Hydro is great, but its very limited in capacity. Geothermal has significant environmental problems (see Germany's fracking issues), PV is insanely expensive and may take generations to be reasonable, and only works during the daytime, and wind is limited as to where it can be used.

I'm not against renewables. However, I am against the government forcing businesses into certain energy production methods. We have seen in Spain, who has adopted significant usage of solar, that it doesn't benefit the country nearly as much as billed - they've lost jobs due to it, it can be very expensive, and the government has invested billions into it with very little return on investment.

The free market must be the one to come up with the right solutions - regardless if it is MSR thorium breeders, PV, wind, or something else. Germany is making a huge mistake by banning nuclear by 2022.

I'm surprised that Salon is the source of your citation, Kasz. CATO had a much better presentation on green energy:

 

Relying on the "free market"... I can't help but cringe.

Saphi, you had to know you were going to get replys from this comment.

The Free Market is a standard that has proven to work time and again moreso than a controlled market. As evidenced the more control on a market the governemnt has the worse off it is. Having a free market allows for the realm of ingenuity and new inventions. It allows people to work freely and make a profit. Im disgusted by politicians who make the word, "profit" sound like it came straight from Hades. IMO why does it matter if Microsoft, Exxon, Apple, or any random company makes $billions in profit? I don't work for any of those companies, and I pay them for their services. So some politicians tell me I should hate them for their profit. Well, loddy freakin da! Im actually glad that they are making such profits. Its companies like those that make sure thousands of people have jobs and have an income. Some of those large companies are part of the backbone that keep the economy going. You don't like the Free Market, because you believe what others have told you. Well, honestly you are believing lies.

I think that the simplest answer is to look at the economy of his country, and those who have a much less regulated economy over a similar timeframe. The proof is in the pudding.