By: Beth Adams
Somehow we (meaning the U.S. specifically in this context) need to be investing more time and energy into research and development for renewable energy technology. Obviously people need financial incentive in order for enough of them to do the right thing. It is no longer debated (to my knowledge) that we need to be utilizing more renewable sources for our energy needs, but it seems to me that enough resources are being allocated to achieve that goal. Does everyone agree? Doesn’t the government need to do more to ensure that we are harnessing other energy sources available to us? Whether one looks at the energy problem with concerns for national security or environmental reasons, many of the same solutions could be used to ease either concern.
I read about a tax credit that was to be included in Obama’s February 2009 economic stimulus package that would give a tax credit incentive to companies that added a renewable energy fund to their 401 (k) plans offered to employees. This seems like an excellent idea to get more resources to where they are needed. The plan is estimated to cost the government $7 to $8 billion, but it is estimated that it will generate $60 to $100 billion in renewable energy investment in addition to creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Any thoughts or reservations? Does anyone know of anything similar that the government is doing?
5 comments:
I agree completely with your post. We need to continue the research with renewable energy and hopefully get to a point where it can be marketable within our economy. Obama's plan sounds like the perfect thing we need to get the ball rolling.
Erin- the guest speaker was teaching our class about this yesterday. I think these "renewable energy tax credits" are a smart idea.
I agree that we need to continue R & D on renewable energies, however to attempt to clean up our energy system consumers are going to need to embrace energy efficiency to reduce the amount of energy consumed. If consumers used energy efficient measures we could reduce the load on our energy systems (renewable or non renewable) and reduce the amount of expensive upgrades like new coal fired power plants or expensive renewable sources like wind or solar that still have serious shortfalls ( like transportation of the energy) that will take time to research and develop solutions.
Carbon taxing has been shown to be the most affective approach to reducing emissions and promoting renewable research and use , but it is highly disliked by the American public and therefore the government will not implement it. I agree with you we do need to do more research on renewables so there can be more options available to consumers.I think that the tax credit policy is a good one because it creates incentives for businesses and companies but it does not directly tax carbon which makes the public happier.
I think carbon taxes should be implemented in order to encourage renewable energy development. However, it will certainly face strong opposition in the United States. The tax is considered a regressive tax meaning the poor will pay more of their income than the wealthy. Also, I read a book called "Gusher of Lies" that explains why the United States has to stay dependent on oil and renewable energy shouldn't be subsidized because it can't provide for the entire country. The author neglects mentioning the possibilities for diversifying our sources which could help encourage renewable energy. I think funding R&D for renewable energy is important in order to create many options for energy sources.
Post a Comment