This thank you encompasses many of the threads in this section. I very much enjoy reading all of the threads dealing with technological advances and pilot programs that Joe Real and others include in this section. Although I must admit that I don't understand everything that is presented, I do appreciate you including it here, as I read it all and it does interest me very much.

That's all! I just thought an acknowledgement was in order. Sincerely, Barbara

DITTO<DITTO Thanks from me too!

You're welcome Barbara!

I really believe that the next revitalization of the US economy could be had if the minds of our Governments and Businesses can be concentrated in the Energy Sector. Encourage all innovations and bringing to commercialization various technological innovations in alternative energy and increasing efficiencies. We should wean ourselves off from the comfort of cheap oil. It will no longer be there, permanently.

The writing is on the wall. The rest of the world has always looked upon the US as the nation to copy the standard of living. Our standard of living is indeed very convenient and good quality for us made possible by extensive energy use per capita compared to other nations of the whole world, consuming 25% of the world's energy resources. Economic developments in China and India made it possible for their standard of living to rise, and along with it, in the worst case scenario, the demand for more energy that would become at par with the US per capita. That would only mean the future of energy is the next revolution after the internet.

If most of the US citizens are aware that such as the case, that energy is the future. Whoever commercializes the the best technological innovations in energy, from transportations to machineries, to computers, will have economic revitalization.

Global warming or not, I really believe that our security could be increased if we control our own energy supplies.

"Global warming or not, I really believe that our security could be increased if we control our own energy supplies."

Amen!

As the saying goes...

Plan well ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

Now that I'm working in the public sector, I can see how things work in government. It usually take the rain to start before the ark gets built. However, whereas I used to blame the politicians for problems like this, I now blame the public as much as I do the politicians.

The policitians are doing the will of the public when they ignore the future problems. No politician wants their name associated with a controversial powerplant that no one wants in their back yard. None of them want to be associated with an oil refinery, drilling rig, or anything else that is not wanted in the public's "back yard". We have no one else to blame but ourselves.

Phillip

Although I can agree with you in general, refineries have been squelched historically, not by the NIMBY syndrom taking the front seat, but by environmental restrictions. Of course there is a NIMBY factor in that as well, but the restrictions would apply even if emissions were generated in the middle of nowhere. The impact study will always find some frog, turtle, owl or one-eyed dirt beetle that will be adversely afffected by a point source emission. Barbara