By Keith Elliott
Why should there be any consideration given for subsidizing solar power? Why should there be any consideration for subsidizing fossil fuelled power? How about nuclear power subsidies?
In case you think there are no subsidies for nuclear power, you would be wrong. And as much as I am a proponent for solar energy, I can understand that nuclear power requires a large investment and the end product serves the general public. True, nuclear power has been around long enough now to be considered reliable, but one catastrophic event might be sufficient to alter our opinions about that very quickly.
The events at Three Mile Island nearly became a disaster, but fortunately it never quite escalated into a full blown event. Chernobyl was not quite so kind to us however, and the effects of that disaster are still being felt to this day. Had an event such as this happened in the U.S., I doubt that nuclear power would be looked upon quite so kindly.
Can anyone tell us why fossil fuelled power is still being subsidized to such a huge degree? Are you aware of the billions of dollars every year given to the fossil fuel lobby? That is something that needs to stop right away. Whatever the real cost of fossil fuelled power is should be borne by the consumer.
In that case, why should solar power deserve to have any subsidization at all?
Quite simple really. Everyone on the planet will end up being the beneficiary of any and all solar developments. The sooner we get to the point where solar power costs are reduced, the sooner we will all start using it.
Unfortunately, we still have that nagging tendency to always want to take the cheap way out. If it is going to cost us another dime, we aren't interested.
Why can we not all stand up and face the fact that we must change this attitude. So what if it costs a couple of bucks more. Wouldn't you rather have a lot cleaner air and better health? Can we not understand what other costs are being generated by our continued overuse of fossil fuels?
It seems such a shame that the great financial powerhouse that the U.S. is seems unable to get behind solar energy in a more meaningful way. The latest subsidy figure I have obtained for alternative energy is a paltry $1 billion per year. For fossil fuelled power, multiply that by 70.
Fossil fuel is on the way out. It is inevitable and only a matter of time before we run out. Tomorrow will be too late to fix everything. Today is when we need to act. And whatever it takes in the way of subsidies to see to it that this happens now, needs to be addressed by our politicians.
Can you imagine what could happen if the fossil fuel subsidy was switched over to solar energy tomorrow? Wow! What a great idea!
Subsidies are available for you right now to have your own system installed, did you know that? In many cases these subsidies are often in the 45% range of the system price. Think about it. Why not go for your own system today? Why wait for the government to get around to doing it?
If you are even more ambitious than that, you can make your own system. There is more information which you can find by going here.
Keith Elliott has been living on solar energy since 1997. Unfortunately, the government has not yet seen fit to give him a billion or two towards his solar system!
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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Argument-For-Solar-Subsidies&id=3179388
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