moonshiners and oil fats

When a line at the door reaches a certain length…

C.D. Howe Institute finds that the lowest-cost and highest-value programs are NOT properly supported.

  1. solar air heating
  2. solar water heating
  3. solar electricity
  4. wind
  5. biomass

The Canadian government’s cost to displace one ton of CO2 from any of these technologies ranges from CAN $4 per ton (for solar air heating) to CAN $30 per ton (for biomass).

In stark contrast, the most expensive government programs underwriting liquid biofuels cost taxpayers CAN $295 to $430/ton of CO2 displaced from ethanol and CAN $122 to $175/ton of CO2 displaced from biodiesel.

McKinsey & Company found that better buildings, efficient equipment, and sealing leaks is the fastest and best way to cut USA energy – quick reductions “greater than the total of energy consumption of Canada” while pocketing $1.2 trillion by 2020. [US Energy Efficiency Report, .pdf] Ecogeek points to fixing electronics sucking energy while not in use leading to energy savings equal to the yearly electricity consumption of the Netherlands.

I see the Canadian incentives study as striking. Our human mind is so vulnerable to fashion.