Wednesday, April 23, 2014

DON'T HAVE ENOUGH REASONS TO HATE THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY? HERE'S ONE MORE.

      I'm sure you've seen the ads on television. The one's that depict a happy looking family sitting in their nice warm house while outside a blizzard is doing it's best to cover the Earth in ice. Or the view of a brightly lit major city where millions of people scurry around regardless of the time of day or night.

   Then comes the narrator explaining to you that in today's busy world people are more and more dependent on reliable and affordable sources for energy. Energy to heat and cool their homes. Energy to run their cars. Energy to light their businesses. Energy to do just about anything it would appear.

   The image on the screen then quickly changes to show you hillsides filled with countless windmills happily spinning away. Or acre upon acre of solar panels eagerly absorbing every last ray of sunshine they can devour. The narrator then goes on to tell you that the company that has for decades supplied you with the oil or gas or coal to produce energy for your needs recognizes that clean renewable sources of energy are what we have to focus on now. 

   The image now changes to show a beautiful green meadow with a pristine stream running through it. And happy children playing and laughing as the narrator explains to us that those same fossil fuel companies are now spending hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to make those clean renewable energy sources a reality. Don't believe it.

   The incredible amount of profits made by the fossil fuel industry are something they will not give up without a fight. And I mean a knock down drag out brawl. They are well aware of the social condemnation of dirty polluters and the concern about climate change so they put on a facade of being concerned about the future of the planet and our quality of life when all that really drives them is their unquenchable lust for more and more profits.

   They try to give the impression that they are promoting renewable energy when just the opposite is true. Through a group known as #ALEC companies like #Koch industries and #Exxon Mobil have been doing all they can to sabotage the renewable energy industry. At least for the little guy like the homeowner or the small business owner.

   Many states and the federal government have for years offered tax credits and subsidies to people to encourage them to invest in renewables. Until the last few years the investment of switching to things like solar power have been cost prohibitive for most folks. But with new technology and greater demand the costs have plummeted. Add to that the ability in many states for solar users to actually sell back surplus energy to the utility companies and all of a sudden going solar becomes an ever more attractive investment. 

   Now with the popularity of solar power usage skyrocketing the fossil fuel industry is feeling threatened that their beloved profits will soon shrink. And they will not tolerate that happening. 

   No instead the oil, gas, and coal companies have teamed up with utility providers in a campaign to have laws passed either taxing or regulating solar power users. That's right. They want you to pay for the right to use the Sun. Don't think it could happen? It already has.

   Kansas and Oklahoma both now have laws that assess a fee for solar users thanks to the efforts and money of the utility companies and fossil fuel providers. And using the influence of their front group known as ALEC they will continue to push for similar legislation nationwide.

   The utility companies and fossil fuel companies aren't totally against the idea of renewable energy. They're just against the idea of not being able to make outrageous profits from it.

   Visit me on f/b @: Getting a clue1

  

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