AP Clueless on Green Energy Programs.
Posted: July 7th, 2008 | Author: Joe | Filed under: spending | Tags: Alternative Energy, Cost of Energy, Green Energy, Opinion, Rant | 2 Comments »From a recent article by the Associated Press:
“Even as more Americans look to shrink their carbon footprints, relatively few have switched to providers of electricity generated by wind, water and sun.“
Firstly, I’m not sure most Americans buy into the carbon footprint movement, but even so the AP’s analysis as to why so few are switching is completely wrong.
“People involved in the alternative energy industry said Americans are interested in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases they are responsible for“
Really? I’m guessing that if you polled the average, working class American and asked them “would you like to cut your green house gas emissions?” they’d say sure, why not?. But if you asked them a more directly, “would you pay more to cut your green house gas emissions?” you’d get an entirely different response.
The AP doesn’t refer to any such poll, so I wondered: what makes the “people involved in the alternative energy industry” think Americans are interested in cutting their individual green house emissions?
” — witness the popularity of compact fluorescent bulbs. “
Ah.. they’re mistaking the recent surge in compact florescent bulbs with care for the environment. To be fair, some people buy such things to lower their green house emissions, but I’d wager most Americans buy them because they lower their energy bills first and foremost.
The “experts” attribute the lack of New Yorker’s signing up for alternative energy providers to a general ignorance of the options. They quote Brian F. Keane, president of the not-for-profit clean energy-marketing group Smart Power:
“They don’t think wind and solar power can keep the lights on at night, keep the heat on the winter and keep the air conditioning on in the summer,…”
As a New Yorker who reads his energy statement every month and has considered switching, I can tell you that our power company makes it extremely clear that signing up for such alternative power source does not affect power delivery, only where the energy company derives its energy from.
Also, as a New Yorker who reads my energy bill every month, I can tell you the #1 reason New Yorkers choose not to sign up for alternative energy providers: The Cost.
Alternative energy providers cost a premium, and with most people already paying much more for gasoline and energy than they did a year ago, we don’t want to pay even more for what many see as an uncertain green house effect.
Sorry folks, when it comes right down to it, the pocket book wins out over our guilt about how we might be contributing to green house gasses. With their constant election headlines reminding us “it’s the economy, stupid” I wonder how they overlooked this aspect with regards to green energy.
I agree! I know I would like to help the environment if it didn’t cost me more. My family’s financial condition is closer to home and more important to me than the planet’s environmental condition, which I personally can do little to improve.
Also, I bought exactly one compact fluorescent bulb, thinking it would save me money. When it burned out far FASTER than a regular bulb, I said, “Forget this — I’m going back to the cheap kind!”
Thank you! This is a great post Joe. Alternative energy sources are just that—an alternative to more cost effective energy sources.
If alternative energy sources cost less, they would quickly become the default energy source.
@Shannon, soon that won’t be an option. Congress decided to protect us from those useful lightbulbs by banning them. Of course, they’re being phased out in a few years, so there’s no public outcry yet.