Media and Invention, or Media and Intervention?

I'm not sure that I completely understand your question, but being a bit of a fool I'll give it a shot anyway. If I get your drift, you are suggesting that the blogosphere has a leftward tilt, tending to push public policy toward an acceptance of global warming as a threat to our lifestyles, and toward an acceptance of alternative energy, conservation, etc. as a solution to this problem.

If that is your point, then I would like to offer the following observation. Almost by definition, new inventions are a threat to the status quo, and as a general rule it is the conservatives who are the guardians of the status quo. If for example, solar power or wind power become competitive, they will pose a threat to the established fossil fuel industry. Old money likes things pretty much the way they are. Innovation is not generally the goal of the fat and happy (remember it was the upstart Xerox's PARC that developed the GUI, not established IBM): their preference is to keep things pretty much as they are, with a limited amount of incremental change.

New money and new ideas (entrepreneurs) pose a threat. Socially and politically the result is that these changes do tend to sort out into a liberal vs conservative spectrum, but not necessarily in the contemporary socialist vs capitalist mold. I don't think that the constant discussions about solar ovens, photovoltaics, etc. on this site indicate that these back-yard engineers are a bunch of lefties. They may well have little regard for the type of postings you would find on Huffington.

But to the folks who have billions invested in oil and gas leases, refineries, pipelines, tankers, and gas stations, it is useful to cast this as a socialist/capitalist issue as a means to slow or stop this upstart technology. Likewise for many on the left with an instinctive distrust of corporate power and a particular dislike of the petroleum industry, it is a useful rallying point. But while this politicization of the issue does have real impact, I think it is mostly beside the point. Fossil energy which has brought us so far, is no longer leading edge, and poses so many real problems (even if you discount global warming) that finding viable alternatives is mandatory. That IMHO is The Truth.

Very good points, indeed--I am not looking at Conservative/ Liberal viewpoints, per se, but do notice the rancor on the Liberal side, that gets influenced by their Media sources (i.e. Huffington Post, Keith Olberman etc.)---Some of these "arguments" border on the shrill, with no scientific background whatsoever---It appears that they just chant the mantra of whomever is the "star" of the day- (BTW--I used to be full Hippie)---Conservatives seem to be more interested in getting the job done, and in that respect, often do not take longer range viewpoints. In reading the reports of several Global Warming researchers, they say , almost unanimously, that all the funding is there , if you want to prove the Global Warming/ carbon footprint viewpoint, but if you want to explore the other alternatives, there is no money available. In this context, I am wondering if this bias extends to other fields, that are influenced by Media, and Lobbyist groups. That would reduce funding, therefore , research, therefore, an alternative viewpoint. Thank you for your very important points. C-MAC

You can pretty much figure that Big Oil, and Coal, and their Corporate, as well as Labor interests will forestall or crush and then co-opt Alternative energy, using every means possible.

They are not messing around.

Biofuel rises, and they drop the price of oil, corner and compromise inventors and and buy them up and out.

Wind looks good, hobble the grid.

Solar works, make sure the laws make you give it to Duke Power if you don't want to be bankrupted installing the stuff.

(Case in NC, a State of the US.) -Bankrupted is not fully a correct word, overcharged is sort of more real. All is not bad, some states are different. The US is not fully Federalized, and then a Unitary system has some advantages over the Federal.) Anyway I expect what will happen is that the Oil and Coal Corporations will Co-op all competitors from the fact of their dominate position.

Hi all---sorry to be offline---deaths in the family---know you all understand---as an aside, I am following the Polywell Fusion thread---google and you will find many---I reccommend "fusion for Dummies"---a sprite blog---anyway--with this type of potential, I am looking at it's progress, and to see if the Transcendian method occurs, or if it becomes too big to fail---It is quite an amazing technology, and am surprised that there is not more written about it---Maybe Transcendian knows more than he is telling us (From what I have read, he is quite astute in these things)---would love your comments (don't even want to go into the Federal Govt. replacing a Private company CEO---where does it stop?--Let em' go bankrupt--chapter 11, and re-organize---there! have my political stuff partially off my chest)--- C-MAC

many axiom's come to mind: .. i would view " meet john doe" ...but as to the freedom to explore areas of research outside of the accepted " politically correct" view's.?

imho: the truth varies as to one's perspective. the truth requires a champion. to have two people who concurrently share a vision of the truth is very rare.