|
by jeffvail
Let's start off with an assumption: humanity must rapidly replace our reliance on non-renewable energy sources with truly sustainable alternatives. The conventional wisdom--at least that advanced by corporate "Main-Stream Media"--is that free markets are the best source of innovation. Now a question: is free-market innovation the best way to develop viable, sustainable energy alternatives?
The free market will ignore solutions that can't turn a profit. Any firm that fails to follow this simple maxim won't be in business for long. The corollary to this maxim is that the free market will ignore any solution that cannot be controlled, either through property interests (enforceable intellectual property, monopoly licenses, etc.) or because economies of scale demand centralized operation. This means that free market innovation is structurally incompatible with a huge portion of the universe of possible energy solutions. from the diaries (with a portion of the text put below the fold). -- Jérôme
Read more... (43 comments, 985 words in story) |
Recommended Diaries
Hunger March wins PR battle
by DoDo - Feb 9 2 comments Romania: protests change government by DoDo - Feb 8 6 comments Murdoch - Outsourcing and Hubris by ceebs - Feb 3 18 comments Bristol Pound by ChrisCook - Feb 7 14 comments Obama wins GOP Primaries (to date) by Frank Schnittger - Feb 8 8 comments The Imitation Of Germany by afew - Feb 4 31 comments Answers to the Renewable Energy Consultation by Luis de Sousa - Feb 7 Strange Fruit by Frank Schnittger - Feb 4 10 comments Recent Diaries
LQD: Unsustainable irrigation
by Melanchthon - Feb 9 Hunger March wins PR battle by DoDo - Feb 9 2 comments Obama wins GOP Primaries (to date) by Frank Schnittger - Feb 8 8 comments Romania: protests change government by DoDo - Feb 8 6 comments Answers to the Renewable Energy Consultation by Luis de Sousa - Feb 7 Bristol Pound by ChrisCook - Feb 7 14 comments The Imitation Of Germany by afew - Feb 4 31 comments Strange Fruit by Frank Schnittger - Feb 4 10 comments Murdoch - Outsourcing and Hubris by ceebs - Feb 3 18 comments Mismatch with the Natural Gas Market by Luis de Sousa - Feb 3 22 comments The Future of Economics by ARGeezer - Feb 2 191 comments Desert Island Discs - Helen's distortions by Helen - Jan 31 48 comments Gorila by DoDo - Jan 29 14 comments Rail News Blogging #7 by DoDo - Jan 29 15 comments Obama's State Of The Union: LQD by Crazy Horse - Jan 25 74 comments Democracy Technology by gmoke - Jan 24 1 comment The Hydrogen dream by Luis de Sousa - Jan 24 49 comments ET Paris Meet-Up 2012 (2 UPDATE) by afew - Jan 23 113 comments Democracy in the EU by afew - Jan 23 52 comments Croatia to reject EU accession Sunday? by SteelLady - Jan 21 19 comments More Diaries... Occasional Series
Blogroll
ASSOCIATED SITES
BooMan The Oil Drum Energize America L'Etoile de Martin
THE TRAIL BLAZERS
THE EDITORIAL TEAM
OUR COUSINS FROM AMERICA
EUROPEANS
EUROTRIB USER BLOGS OR RECOMMENDATIONS
Inside the USA (FR)
ENERGY
ECON
Recent Comments
|
||||
| ||||||