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>> Some combination of green energy sources plus probably very large scale terraforming. The Achilles heel in all of this is how to make green energy affordabl

>> Some combination of green energy sources plus probably very large scale terraforming. The Achilles heel in all of this is how to make green energy affordable. If you want to really make impact, making these technologies affordable for lower income and the poor is the best way to reduce energy consumption. Unfortunately, a lot of these technologies are still way way way out of reach of these people to take part in. Last time I checked, getting a small solar array on my house would cost in the neighborhood of $20K just get it installed. With a ten year ROI, this isn't feasible for me to do right now, and our state just ended their solar tax deductions with no signs of it ever coming back - giving me even less incentive to do this. I'm all for less consumption and green technologies, but most are not affordable, and the long ROI isn't worth it right now.

balabaster 10y ago
Last I saw stats, something like 57% of the U.S. is officially living in poverty. Trying to afford anything more than the necessities of life isn't going to happen on an individual basis for them, so it'll need to be a state/federal level effort to provide them with that.
maxsilver 10y ago
> The Achilles heel in all of this is how to make green energy affordable. Last time I checked, getting a small solar array on my house would cost in the neighborhood of $20K just get it installed. Depending on where you live, green energy might already be affordable today. I had the same sticker shock at solar prices. While looking into that, I learned that my local for-profit electric provider offers a "green energy" option, where they promise to replace my billed electricity usage with mostly wind energy instead of the coal / natural gas mix normally used. The total cost of that is $0.01/kwh extra. Or, roughly $6/month extra on an average electricity bill, to switch from coal to wind. https://new.consumersenergy.com/residential/programs-and-services/green-generation https://new.consumersenergy.com/residential/programs-and-ser... A plan like this should be affordable for the vast majority of Americans.

balabaster 10y ago

Last I saw stats, something like 57% of the U.S. is officially living in poverty. Trying to afford anything more than the necessities of life isn't going to happen on an individual basis for them, so it'll need to be a state/federal level effort to provide them with that.

maxsilver 10y ago

> The Achilles heel in all of this is how to make green energy affordable. Last time I checked, getting a small solar array on my house would cost in the neighborhood of $20K just get it installed. Depending on where you live, green energy might already be affordable today. I had the same sticker shock at solar prices. While looking into that, I learned that my local for-profit electric provider offers a "green energy" option, where they promise to replace my billed electricity usage with mostly wind energy instead of the coal / natural gas mix normally used. The total cost of that is $0.01/kwh extra. Or, roughly $6/month extra on an average electricity bill, to switch from coal to wind. https://new.consumersenergy.com/residential/programs-and-services/green-generation https://new.consumersenergy.com/residential/programs-and-ser... A plan like this should be affordable for the vast majority of Americans.