Do you think humans are helping cause Climate change?

[fordy]

thismeintiel said:

Oil companies do not get subsidies, they get tax breaks.  In other words, they do not get taxpayer money, like the bankrupt Solyndra did, they just get to keep more of their own moeny to further invest in their companies.  Why this administration wishes to change the meaning of subsidies is beyond me.  Actually, that's a lie, I know why they do it.  To give gullible people a new enemy to target.  The fact remains that green energy is not efficient enough yet to power a whole country.  Just imagine how much land would be taken away from humans and animals to put up enough windmills and solar panels to power the entire country, plus new electric cars for everyone.  And how are we going to power jets for over 4 hrs on electric?

 

Let's take a look at the major parts of oil subsidies in 3 major parts:

1. Foreign tax credit (42%)
2. Credit for production of non-conventional fuels (39%)
3. Oil and Gas exploration and development expensing (19%)

In other words, a good chunk of it goes towards foreign tax credit (read up on the dispute between Saudi Arabia and (afterwards) Israel to find out why we have to subsidise for fuel from SA), and exploration and developement. Can you tell me why big oil needs any extra "incentive" to explore for more oil and gas, besides, oh I dunno.....STAYING IN BUSINESS?!

I agree with you on the whole efficiency of renewables, and there is good reason for that. Can you cite exactly how much investment was put towards the automobile from it's entry as a gas guzzler, to today where we can achieve > 100mpg? How many years put towards it? That's the whole point of a renewable subsidy. It's going to take time and investment to get renewable to such a standard to rely upon, and I dunno abut you, but I'd rather that happen now than when we're only a matter of days from reaching peak oil (which will be when the market finally reacts. Yeah...just a little late).