Comment 106187

By Missy2013 (registered) - website | Posted November 13, 2014 at 10:05:59

Agree Ryan.

Particularly with this statement, "If we ever get past the special interests and ideology that have blocked action to save the planet, we’ll find that it’s cheaper and easier than almost anyone imagines."

It has been repeatedly proposed by those 'on the left' that the best way to usurp "the special interests & ideology" is to a) have 'Polluters Pay' and b)legislate compliance.

When new measures were brought in to curb auto emissions, as example, there was, initially and predictably, squawking from the auto industry, but today, with the on-going raising of public awareness and legislation, the 'race' is now on to design the least polluting vehicle ... Emissions testing is now de rigeur, something unheard of a mere 13 years ago. The same thing needs to be done for cultivating decentralized renewables.

Part of the problem with the German 'model' is the over-zealous intervention on behalf of the government. Solar energy is subsidized, but manufacturing of solar panels is not. So, energy providers purchase low-cost panels from China, thereby undercutting the 'innovation' of manufacturing jobs for the local economy.

The same thing happened in Ontario recently with the 'subsidy' of Samsung. That business was offered huge tax advantages as well as fixed price 'guarantees'(fair above the norm) to set up shop here, again, undercutting the local market. See: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...

From that article: "Under that “feed in tariff” (FIT) program, ... owners will receive 44 cents a kilowatt hour for all the power it generates OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS (caps mine), about three times more than the retail electricity rate of less than 14 cents a kilowatt hour."

The FIT program was suspended in 2013, but the RATES are locked-in. Not surprisingly, a number of 'new owners', mostly cagey investment funds, have bought up or bought out businesses because the GUARANTEES are there. This 'bad deal' for taxpayers is essentially a result of too much government intervention.

Finding the 'happy balance' remains an ongoing challenge as we dance between hope or despair ...

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