Not that I've heard about? The only downside is the initial infrastructure investment since there is very little use of hydrogen in transport right now. Trucking it, filling up, and having stations costs a ton.Cybargs wrote:
Don't hydrogen fuel cells have huge environmental problems?BigmacK wrote:
Drilling = good. Running out of oil eventually = bad. Solution = hydrogen fuel cells.
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Yup, still very viable. I've seen Wind Turbines in Asia where the yearly monsoons are worse than any USA Hurricane.tuckergustav wrote:
You say hurricane, I say power surge.RTHKI wrote:
Hurricanes for the win?tuckergustav wrote:
Offshore wind farms!!!!!! Let's do that instead.
Reducing dependence on oil from the middle east is a smart move.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Bad move... very bad move...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_platfo … al_effects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_d … nvironment
Basically, Obama has decided to discard yet another major issue of his party.... the environment
...and they say he's too liberal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_platfo … al_effects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_d … nvironment
Basically, Obama has decided to discard yet another major issue of his party.... the environment
...and they say he's too liberal.
Last edited by Turquoise (2010-03-31 15:20:32)
He's also expanded our presence in Afghanistan and extended the patriot act.
Things are a little different once you put your ass in the hot seat aren't they?
Things are a little different once you put your ass in the hot seat aren't they?
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Basically, it shows that America barely has a Left to speak of...Kmarion wrote:
He's also expanded our presence in Afghanistan and extended the patriot act.
Things are a little different once you put your ass in the hot seat aren't they?
Our government seems to take a conservative stance on most of the issues that matter. The Left mostly is appeased with policies that either don't accomplish anything or just reflect political correctness.
In short, the Right still pulls the strings even when the so-called liberal Democrats are in charge. Pelosi and Reid are a joke -- the Blue Dogs run the show.
It shows you really don't know shit until you're privy to all the presidents info. We've got a lot of dress up presidents though.
Who was it excatcly that pulled the Healthcare strings recently?
Who was it excatcly that pulled the Healthcare strings recently?
Xbone Stormsurgezz
I think it reflects more how the system actually works. We elect people so that the illusion we have any say in the matter can be maintained.Kmarion wrote:
It shows you really don't know shit until you're privy to all the presidents info. We've got a lot of dress up presidents though.
Who was it excatcly that pulled the Healthcare strings recently?
To answer your question.... lobbyists.
Last edited by Turquoise (2010-03-31 15:44:51)
Which lobbyist?
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Insurance... That's why the healthcare reform bill mostly consists of forcing people to buy insurance. The public option was scrapped, as was the idea of a singlepayer NHS.Kmarion wrote:
Which lobbyist?
Banking had powerful enough lobbies to force us to bail them out.
Unions had powerful enough lobbies to force us to bail out automakers.
All we've really seen in policy for a long time under multiple presidents was the influence of lobbyism subverting the interests of the people. It's going to continue as long as this government exists -- granted, I'm not saying there's anything we can do to change it. All we can do is adapt.
I'd like to know exactly which insurance company did what. It's easy to just say "lobbyist". An issue this heated (involving congressional death threats) is going to be more transparent.
Barry campaigned on reducing the influence of lobbyist.
Barry campaigned on reducing the influence of lobbyist.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Well, of course, he campaigned on that, but what else was he going to say? I mean, it's not like a candidate says, "I'd like to increase the power of lobbyists."Kmarion wrote:
I'd like to know exactly which insurance company did what. It's easy to just say "lobbyist". An issue this heated (involving congressional death threats) is going to be more transparent.
Barry campaigned on reducing the influence of lobbyist.
The problem is they'll say anything to get elected....
but the biggest problem of all is that we continue to believe them....
As for more specifics on insurance lobbyism...
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/ … onger.html
They have to reap what they sow during their administration. Especially in their first term."for as long as I am president." He barred former lobbyists from working for agencies they had lobbied within the past two years and required them to recuse themselves from issues they had handled during that time.
AHIP has spent tons opposing Obamacare. It's a two way street. Lobbying disclosure forms have shown no clear preference among the groups.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
No, they did it because they forced insurance companies to take all comers. If they hadn't required everyone to have coverage, those that are covered would've seen their rates skyrocket. You got your wish though, right? The Dems have trotted out hopeless cases for years to tug at the heartstrings of Americans and make them feel bad for people that ate themselves into Type II diabetes and can no longer get cheap coverage or those who dropped their healthcare because they were healthy and then got sick. We're all equal now, just like you wanted.Turquoise wrote:
Insurance... That's why the healthcare reform bill mostly consists of forcing people to buy insurance. The public option was scrapped, as was the idea of a singlepayer NHS.Kmarion wrote:
Which lobbyist?
Banking had powerful enough lobbies to force us to bail them out.
Unions had powerful enough lobbies to force us to bail out automakers.
All we've really seen in policy for a long time under multiple presidents was the influence of lobbyism subverting the interests of the people. It's going to continue as long as this government exists -- granted, I'm not saying there's anything we can do to change it. All we can do is adapt.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat
PBO is moving to fill the middle.... and there is plenty of room there with the GOP being pulled to the right.
Leasing the resources is okay but they need to put time limits to bring the resources to market, otherwise the oil companies will get the leases and sit on them in order to control supply. If they do that there will be no new jobs and no production.
Hopefully cap and trade is truly dead and that this little maneuver doesn't build a coalition to pass cap and trade or pass cap and trade renamed as a tradeable carbon tax or some other BS. The political push behind cap and trade/carbon tax is an area where we will probably see a lot of semantics at work and that's something to watch out for.
What we really need is more nuclear power and less coal.
Leasing the resources is okay but they need to put time limits to bring the resources to market, otherwise the oil companies will get the leases and sit on them in order to control supply. If they do that there will be no new jobs and no production.
Hopefully cap and trade is truly dead and that this little maneuver doesn't build a coalition to pass cap and trade or pass cap and trade renamed as a tradeable carbon tax or some other BS. The political push behind cap and trade/carbon tax is an area where we will probably see a lot of semantics at work and that's something to watch out for.
What we really need is more nuclear power and less coal.
war on occidentals==less (energy hungry) people==less energy consumption==healthy planet
Last edited by jsnipy (2010-03-31 17:40:48)
it's about time we get to drill off alaska! rich area
True... but as you can see, we really don't have a voice here. Lobbyists have hijacked our system -- in every direction that can be profited from.Kmarion wrote:
They have to reap what they sow during their administration. Especially in their first term."for as long as I am president." He barred former lobbyists from working for agencies they had lobbied within the past two years and required them to recuse themselves from issues they had handled during that time.
AHIP has spent tons opposing Obamacare. It's a two way street. Lobbying disclosure forms have shown no clear preference among the groups.
I never said that I wanted a system that somehow manages to attain the worst of both worlds... the corruption of the private sector and the mandatory coverage of a socialized system.JohnG@lt wrote:
No, they did it because they forced insurance companies to take all comers. If they hadn't required everyone to have coverage, those that are covered would've seen their rates skyrocket. You got your wish though, right? The Dems have trotted out hopeless cases for years to tug at the heartstrings of Americans and make them feel bad for people that ate themselves into Type II diabetes and can no longer get cheap coverage or those who dropped their healthcare because they were healthy and then got sick. We're all equal now, just like you wanted.
If the Democrats had stuck with their original idea of a singlepayer NHS, we'd be much better off now. They instead gave us the worst compromise imaginable.
Socialized medicine does work -- it works quite well in France, for example.
Granted, getting it to work in a market as fucked up as ours is nigh impossible. Between greedy insurance companies, corrupt pharmaceutical companies, ambulance chasing lawyers, and a remarkably unhealthy populace, we have a nightmare of a healthcare market.
Hopefully, the policies of this bill will sunset in a few years, and then we can more smoothly transition into the Second World country we're destined to be.
The only "equality" America stands for (in theory) is equal protection under the law. Of course, in practice, it's more about how much money you have and what connections you have. Granted, we're not the only country guilty of that, for sure.
You said earlierTurquoise wrote:
True... but as you can see, we really don't have a voice here. Lobbyists have hijacked our system -- in every direction that can be profited from.Kmarion wrote:
They have to reap what they sow during their administration. Especially in their first term."for as long as I am president." He barred former lobbyists from working for agencies they had lobbied within the past two years and required them to recuse themselves from issues they had handled during that time.
AHIP has spent tons opposing Obamacare. It's a two way street. Lobbying disclosure forms have shown no clear preference among the groups.
Really?, cause he just passed the largest social program since the FDR admin with all but one vote on the right against him.In short, the Right still pulls the strings even when the so-called liberal Democrats are in charge. Pelosi and Reid are a joke -- the Blue Dogs run the show.
Your reply was simply "lobbyist". Well they must have been left lobbyist, and not the aformentioned "right" pulling stings.
This I believe is the problem with most of America. We need an easy answer.. "The President is a Dirty Socialist Liberal!" when he (with the jokes Pelosi and Reid) pass a major healthcare bill. Or a behind the scenes conspiracy when the president expands oil drilling, renews the patriot act, commits more troops abroad, or anything else that does not jive with our predetermined world view. It has to be "this" or "that" for a simple answer. Critical thinking is dead.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
There's the right and then the pathetic excuse we have for a left wing. But you're correct that it was a different lobby group.Kmarion wrote:
Really?, cause he just passed the largest social program since the FDR admin with all but one vote on the right against him.
Your reply was simply "lobbyist". Well they must have been left lobbyist, and not the aformentioned "right" pulling stings.
Show me one major government policy that has been enacted without lobbyism behind it.Kmarion wrote:
This I believe is the problem with most of America. We need an easy answer.. "The President is a Dirty Socialist Liberal!" when he (with the jokes Pelosi and Reid) pass a major healthcare bill. Or a behind the scenes conspiracy when the president expands oil drilling, renews the patriot act, commits more troops abroad, or anything else that does not jive with our predetermined world view. It has to be "this" or "that" for a simple answer. Critical thinking is dead.
I found the following video quite interesting:
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/uneven-terrain/oil-of-l-a--3
Active oil wells in LA, some of them are quite well hidden in suburban areas.
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/uneven-terrain/oil-of-l-a--3
Active oil wells in LA, some of them are quite well hidden in suburban areas.
...and without lobbyists in front of it.Turquoise wrote:
There's the right and then the pathetic excuse we have for a left wing. But you're correct that it was a different lobby group.Kmarion wrote:
Really?, cause he just passed the largest social program since the FDR admin with all but one vote on the right against him.
Your reply was simply "lobbyist". Well they must have been left lobbyist, and not the aformentioned "right" pulling stings.Show me one major government policy that has been enacted without lobbyism behind it.Kmarion wrote:
This I believe is the problem with most of America. We need an easy answer.. "The President is a Dirty Socialist Liberal!" when he (with the jokes Pelosi and Reid) pass a major healthcare bill. Or a behind the scenes conspiracy when the president expands oil drilling, renews the patriot act, commits more troops abroad, or anything else that does not jive with our predetermined world view. It has to be "this" or "that" for a simple answer. Critical thinking is dead.
Kmarion on top form in this thread.
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
~ Richard Feynman
I'm still waiting to hear how my vote or anyone else's is supposed to matter compared to the billions spent by K Street.
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