(H/T – Glenn Reynolds via Sean Hackbarth)
James B. Meigs takes a critical look at energy policy in the October 2008 issue of Popular Mechanics (don’t ask me why magazines pre-date their issues that far in advance). While I want you to read the entire thing, I will give you the Cliff’s Notes version:
- Do we really need an Apollo-style high-tax-subsidy energy plan? Meigs points out that the Apollo mission was a single, well-defined engineering challenge, while replacing oil (and potentially coal) in the energy infrastructure is multitude of changes affecting every aspect of modern life.
Further, Meigs points out that the singular achievement of Apollo was followed up by the current state of NASA. Specifically, it spectacularily-failed in providing an affordable and reliable space vehicle.
- We’ve had massive energy plans since the Nixon administration, most of which have been as spectacular a failure as the Shuttle. I must refute parts of the anti-coal argument; coal is a lot cleaner than it’s ever been, and I seem to have missed the mention of the lock-up of the clean coal in Utah done by Bill Clinton.
- We need decades to get solar and wind on-line in any meaningful manner, and until then, we need the offshore oil and gas.
The folks at PM included a nice little graphic at the end of the online piece highlighting a few significant newer oil/natural gas finds, including a pair of finds in the Continental US.
