Comments on: McCain’s $300 Million Energy Stunt

By: Donklephant » Blog Archive » Ron Paul’s Car Trade-In Tax Credit Plan Promotes Fuel Efficiency

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:45:07 +0000

[...] expensive autos in the first place, it’s going to hurt adoption rates. That’s why I called it a stunt when he proposed [...]

By: Jim S

Jim S — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:09:16 +0000

I agree with Tully on the X-Prize approach being a good one. Don’t assume that the major manufacturers would win, either. I’d like to see Claire McCaskill contact Peter Diamandis and have him and Obama sit down and chat about how to create a public/private partnership to do this kind of thing across the board for multiple places where we produce and consume energy.

By: Tully

Tully — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:59:56 +0000

The “X Prize” idea, good. Beats hell out of subsidizing research directly–let others gamble THEIR money chasing the pot o’ gold, and you get a lot mroe bang for the taxpayer’s buck.

The credit-to-companies rather than to the consumers? Bad. I’m not even happy with the idea of a consumer credit, but a company credit is downright stupid.

By: Donklephant » Blog Archive » Japan To Cut Solar Panel Costs By 50%

Donklephant » Blog Archive » Japan To Cut Solar Panel Costs By 50% — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:25:49 +0000

[...] my post today about McCain’s $5,000 a car tax break giveaway to the auto manufacturers who make and [...]

By: Pdx632

Pdx632 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:16:23 +0000

I have been waiting for some “rich dude” to make an offer like this for some time. What I was envisioning was $1B to the first person who could develop a commercially viable engine system that could travel 100 miles with a “consumables” expense of $4 or less and have at least a 400 mile range.

Once we have a winner, I would take the design and license it to ANY car maker to use on any car manufactured IN THE USA. I would use the licensing fee to develop other “clean” energy systems, maybe “clean coal” technology.

At least McCain is trying to be pragmatic in this area.

By: Jimmy the Dhimmi

Jimmy the Dhimmi — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:23:18 +0000

No tax breaks for any “green” technology producer? Or just the evil car companies?

By: kranky kritter

kranky kritter — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:53:12 +0000

If only we could travel back in time, have Obama make the exact same offer, and see how you’d react, Justin.

In the absence of a time machine, look within. If this had been Obama’s proposal, would you be so quick to class this as just a stunt, or would you instead work hard to see the positives in trying to spur innovation and so on and so forth. Answer honestly.

I think a case can be made for such a public prize having value beyond the one you describe as not really necessary(creating incentive). It would symbolize our national commitment, for one. It would attract a greater pool of potential innovators to include the basement lab folks, who might come up with some sort of crazy idea that someone else could develop into a working solution.

It would inspire kids still in school, and teachers in science classes could talk about the virtues of a government prize instead of the evils of greed and capitalist enterprise. :-)

It could be used as an educational vehicle to familiarize folks with the real issues we face regarding energy supply and the important issue of portability.

I’m happy to notice that it has the elements of a gimmick to it. Cheerfully granted. But we could do way worse than inspire folks with prizes for solving important problems. If there’s one improvement I’d make, I’d like to see such a program funded by having a big public telethon where folks put aside their differences and agree to support the effort to make better batteries, and we create an extra-governmental fund that is filled up with money from all kinds of folks.

I like the idea of some sort of symbolic “we’re in this together” effort. Not because it’s the idea of some particular candidate, but because that’s the sort of attitude that we really and truly need to foster. Arguably, we need a change of atittude and the identification of some common ground as much as we need the better batteries. I think if Obama had proposed this, you be all over how it’s a fresh approach and would change the environment and so on.