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Never-ending tax subsidies

Right and Wrong Business Models


Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser image

By —— Bio and Archives April 8, 2016

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[Semi-satirical] The authorities are ever so concerned about the well- being of our own and future generations. From local, to national governments, and to the UN, i.e. the One-World Government-in-Waiting, they all are doing their utmost to bamboozle us into the belief that they have all the recipes for everyone to be happy--just pay up and follow their advice. Aren't you glad to know that at least some occupants of this planet already feel happy, without the UN functionaries' advice, like the Danes in Denmark?

The Happy Danes

According to the latest "world happiness" poll, the Danes are on top--still. As the "The Parksville Qualicum Beach News" reports, "Danes, once again, take top spot in the world happiness report" and quote "Knud Christensen, a 39-year-old social worker, knows one reason why his compatriots are laid-back--they feel secure in a country with few natural disasters, little corruption and a near absence of drastic events." His only worries, it seems, is the weather: it could rain, you know. I say: no wonder! After all, the Happy Danes are the world's most successful wind-turbine vendors! Free electricity from abundant wind: just sign here please, on the dotted line and the turbines will be blazing away, some literally! Instead of marauding Vikings rowing across the Atlantic the Happy Danes now export the know-how and hardware to shred thousands of migrating birds on both the Eurasian and North American continents. -- A great achievement indeed, unless you consult the raptors, cranes, butterflies, or other winged creatures that are killed every day by these flutter-electricity generators.
Of course, the Danes are not to blame for that "collateral damage." After all, their ilk in California and Washington are close on their heels and are hell-bent to help you--to follow their dream at any cost to you. Want more electric energy at yet higher prices, simple: build more wind turbines. If that doesn't make you happy as the Danes, then try something different, like solar energy.

Solar Energy to the Rescue?

Sure, when the sun shines in Arizona it's hot, at least in the Sonoran Desert with its numerous Saguaro cacti. Up in the hills north of Arizona's capital, Phoenix, there may still be roads impassable for snow though the desert may already be hot. That's when another great modern invention is coming to your rescue, in the form of "photovoltaics" or solar panels that turn sunshine into cool abodes; at least according to the blueprints. For example, the various solar power plants in the Mojave Desert in southern California that have been subsidized with billions of taxpayers' funds. There are several of them with some using photovoltaic cells that turn sunshine directly into electric power and others that work with mirrors that focus the sunshine onto towers to heat a working fluid that drives generators to produce electric power. They are just different technologies to provide you with power, i.e. the juice you expect to get when plugging some device into an electric outlet at your place--at least, that's the old-fashioned idea of such which I'm subscribing to. Not only does one of those systems, the Ivanpah plant produce now half of its touted "solar energy" by burning those sinful hydrocarbons, the billion dollar-subsidized Abengoa plant may be shut down completely--though not for lack of sunshine but for lack of more tax-subsidies. The nearby Ivanpah solar power plant appears to be in close pursuit, despite the hydrocarbon fuel consumed.

Business Models

Clearly, if you are in a business that is not tied to receiving million- or even billion-dollar tax-subsidies, your business model must be faulty! No futuristic technology can get off the ground without a good heap of tax-dollars. The Mojave-desert solar power plants are just the tip of the ice-(sand- ??)berg of generous tax-subsidies. As soon as those "alternative dollars" stop flowing or are reduced, even just slightly, the alternative energy power generations systems are falling by the wayside, right, left and center.


At the same time, coal producing enterprises like the venerable Peabody Energy Corp., the world's largest producer of coal, is close to teetering on bankruptcy, while the wind-powered bird-shredders and sunshine-reliant solar power plants are raking in tax-funded subsidies galore. The promised alternative energy-riches are rather slow in coming, wherever you look. In fact, most turn out to be giant boondoggles consuming valuable resources without delivering on their promises. For example, the Canary Islands' El Hierro wind-power plant is just one of the latest examples. A year ago it was claimed to be near its goal of 100% renewable energy production for the needs of its population. One year later, it's a different picture. The island's old diesel generator is supplying much of the power that's needed as the (wind/water) energy generation & storage system is woefully inadequate. Then look at the electric-car and-battery companies setting up shop in the southwest of the U.S. They also are doing well because of billion-dollar government grants and subsidies, not just for building the plants but for their products too, without an end in sight. A few grand for each piece of hardware they sell; all thanks to your generous and apparently never-ending tax dollar support. Clearly, never-ending tax subsidies -- that's the business model you ought to subscribe too!

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser -- Bio and Archives | Comments

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser is author of CONVENIENT MYTHS, the green revolution – perceptions, politics, and facts Convenient Myths


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