US House passes clean energy bill

US House passes clean energy bill

news.bbc.co.uk

The US House of Representatives has passed a radical new energy bill, which aims to expand the use of renewable fuels and cut tax breaks to oil firms.

The draft law details support for "clean" energy sources like biofuels, wind, solar and geothermal resources.

It would withdraw some $16bn (£8bn) in annual subsidies from the oil industry.

But the bill is opposed by President George Bush, and still has to be merged with other energy measures passed by the Senate before it can become law.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Oh what a suprise, "But the bill is opposed by President George Bush"

Hah,
Not really hiding his blatent disregard for the planet these days is he?

On a side note,
Its odd to see something like this on BBC news;

"The oil industry has friends in very high places - not least inside the Bush administration."

Its like secrecy is pointless now,
Im starting to really believe the "Dumbing down" theroy.
They dont even have to try anymore... a shame.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Well it's like there is no more damage that can be done that can now hurt the Bush administration. They are out on their ass in a year(hopefully) and have pushed the boundary of corruption,incompetence, and secrecy to a new level. Hopefully the new administration can repair some of the damage, but i think it's going to take some time and some leaders whose primary interest is the people of the U.S, the people of the world, peace, and co-operation with the rest of the world, not the interests of oil companies, financial groups, and radical end-timers. We can but hope.

I've not really thought about the next administrations actions... honestly
with the way the world seems to be today... i cant see anything besides
more bush ( aka. doom ) or clinton ( aka. slightly more subtle doom )

So basically we are all doomed Renshin??!!! You could be right, in fact probably are, but the future has yet to occur and can still be changed. I don't know how before you ask. Mabye you should just all vote for Obama. I don't think he's all that but mabye oh mabye he just could be. And if he is wait for him to be assasinated like JFK

I think that is fantastic! the news that Bush does not want to pass a bill that is obvoiusly good for the world is going to be a huge slap in the face of voters. The government (senate) is finally seeing that change needs to happen! I hope this passes

Obviously good for the world? Did any of you actually read this?

I'm all for ending subsidies to everyone and evening taxes, but this is pretty damn bad.

If it passes in its current form, the bill will require all American utility companies to generate 15% of their energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.

And if they can't get there, what then? They're shut down? Taxed?

This is a bit dangerous and I would support the President (rare, save for letting the assault weapons ban expire) if he vetoed this. If it's cost-efficient to get to renewable resources, then fine, they'll do it on their own. If not, we can only hurt them and make it easier for the monopolies that can afford this, while hurting the smaller ones.

This reminds me, they wanted to put windmills off the coast of Long Island for power. You know what happened? Everyone complained that it would hurt the scenery too much, and as far as I know, it was never built (I haven't read an update in some time, so...). Nothing the power company or the federal government can do.

35 years too late...if a man has a solar powered home you can not turn off his lights or his water...SOLAR power makes a man INDEPENDENT every month his wages go into his own pocket and not to the utility companies.
Like a fuel efficient car or hybrids solar threatens the power of the oil elites and thus has been allowed to languish.
Every new home built MUST contain enough solar panels to supply half of its energy needs... THEN the change will come not before...we legislate seatbelts and airbags why not SOLAR PANELS

[edit on 5-8-2007 by Stanley06]

Because solar panels cost money. Tax breaks are given, I think, but not every little house or building owner can afford solar panels.

Would full roof paneling even come close to powering half of a house? I didn't think it was that powerful.

Originally posted by Johnmike
Because solar panels cost money. Tax breaks are given, I think, but not every little house or building owner can afford solar panels.

Would full roof paneling even come close to powering half of a house? I didn't think it was that powerful.

Not to mention that the quality of the panels must be sufficient to generate enough power to get that 50% during the winter.

Look lets be frank..if solar panels can meet some of our energy needs then we should use them. Airbags and seatbelts are legislated item. SOLAR PANELS and new RESIDENTIAL and Commercial buildings should be too.
Solar panels cost money...SUNSHINE IS FREE...even if SOUTHERN STATES alone do this..the effect would be TANGIBLE for all of us.
Perhaps MOST of all in the POCKETBOOK of the BIG ENERGY companies.
If you want to know what 4 160watt solar panels can produce in 11.5 hours then there is a video on you tube that shows 4.4kilowatt hours..thats about 90% of the average homes use....he got that FOR LESS than 10,000 dollars spent and he will get that every day for FREE after his system is paid for in about 15 years.
If a new home is equipped from the get go...how much better off would the average person be if their energy cost were fixed?
Big energy knows the truth...SPACE CRAFT use SOLAR for a REASON it WORKS.
It will work on earth too...LEGISLATE all NEW HOMES built have at least 2 solar panels and a GRIDTIE inverter. This is something we CAN DO..but we won't
LOBBYIST and Big Energy will make certain of it.

This is an utterly rotten bill that punishes the common man thru gas taxes and further exalts ethanol (the most overhyped substance in known history)...expect a detailed thread from me soon that explains how flawed this bill truly is.

Originally posted by uberarcanist
This is an utterly rotten bill that punishes the common man thru gas taxes

Proverbial nail on the head there.......

The oil companies are going to make the same money no matter what subsidies are pulled or taxes laid on. The congress would have been more honest with a straight up tax increase on the working man - because thats what this amounts to. 16 billion right out of the publics pocket while congress claims credit where none is due.

Originally posted by uberarcanist
This is an utterly rotten bill that punishes the common man thru gas taxes and further exalts ethanol (the most overhyped substance in known history)...expect a detailed thread from me soon that explains how flawed this bill truly is.

I'd like to read that. Let me know.

The concern that I have with solar cells is how durable are they? Where I live, it's common to have hail storms. It would be useless to spend $10,000 for solar cells and them be destroyed the first year.

Don't get me wrong I'm all for using them, I just think the manufactures need to take real world conditions into consideration when designing them. I saw on The History Channel just a few days ago a new solar cell that can be produced cheaply and at a high volume. If this can be done as claimed, I don't see why entire roofs and exterior walls can't be made from this material and the entire exterior of a house be one big solar cell.

hahaha i totally agree one having roofs being made of of solar cells and well for the hail problem just have a thick glass covering the cells and have a hail net over the roof to prevent the hail from hitting

sorry this was a double post

[edit on 6-8-2007 by rob864guy]

Rubbish!

According to Al Gore, the Planet Earth Messiah, we have less then ten years to "end" "Global Warming". That means before it ever even takes place we're all doomed to Gore's "point of no return". There is no hope unless YOU follow Gore's lead and "change your life", "are you ready"?

One could assume that Gore is suggesting Bush is trying to kill us all, obviously, because the "scientific consensus" says that "we're" causing "Global Warming", and NASA psyop agents say that we have but "10 years until the point of no return". But wait, Gore's household is 18+X the national average on energy usage, therefore, GORE is trying to kill us.

Or maybe...

Originally posted by Stanley06
LEGISLATE all NEW HOMES built have at least 2 solar panels and a GRIDTIE inverter. This is something we CAN DO..but we won't
LOBBYIST and Big Energy will make certain of it.

I back it.... if not 2 solar panels then a savonius turbine on the roof.

The....

$16bn (£8bn) in annual subsidies from the oil industry.

....should go directly into subsidizing the creation of HOMEOWNER INFRASTRUCTURE that can reduce carbon consumption.

PASSIVE SOLAR HOT WATER on every new roof

BIOMASS REACTORS in every back yard that produce usable methane

SAVONIUS TURBINES to collect wind

SUB TERRAINIAN EARTH BERM HOMES that stay at constant earth
temperatures
PASSIVE SOLAR CARBON ABSORBTION REFRIGERATION in every home

WOOD STOVES to keep families warm all winter without dependence upon the multinational energy complex

A government FOR THE PEOPLE

I am,

Sri Oracle

If people want those things, let them get it. But I don't want my taxes to go to Joe Schmoe's new roof. End subsidies, lower taxes, and the economy will grow.