Cheap, Free Power

While we dump umpty-gazillion dollars into the war in Iraq, we continue to have a, what can charitably be called, "fractured" energy policy. The Greens are beside themselves, as even they are forced to admit that all the wind/water/whatever systems in the world won't amount to anything compared to the current U.S. power consumption, which leaves nuclear as the only reasonable short-term (the next 50 to 100 years) power alternative, and some (but, to their credit not all) of them would rather go back to the Stone Age than use power generated by a *gasp* nuclear reactor. The government, in the way that only massive, self-concerned bureacracies can do, says to use hybrids - no, wait, not too many - or to use bio-fuel - yeah, THAT'S the ticket - no, wait, bio-fuel actually causes more "greenhouse gases" than it prevents... um, well... then use wind! solar! heck, we don't have a clue! (that last one is mine).

Here's the recipe, if anyone is asking: build a crapload of nuclear power plants in the U.S. This drives a collapse in the foreign oil market and, gee, what a nice extra, a collapse in the funding for those nuts out there who want to kill Americans. Develop solar power satellites. Big, feathery panels that capture the free solar power and beam it down to God-forsaken locations (Oh yes, IF global warming is man-made, they can deflect the energy coming into the atmosphere. But I sure don't want to be the one figuring out how much solar energy must be reflected to reduce the mean temperature of the earth. Today's meteorologists can't even predict Tuesday's weather with any degree of accuracy). Some day (don't hold your breath) develop fusion power. When I was a kid (mumblety-mumble years ago), fusion power was "20 years in the future." It still is. It may be when my grandchildren are my age. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try.