Conversation

Notices

1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 15:13:31 UTC Robert McNees

   President Carter added water-heating solar panels to the White House #OTD in 1979, to demonstrate an ambitious long term commitment to renewable energy.

   President Reagan, who was vehemently opposed to renewable energy, would later order their removal.

   The panels weren't removed until 1986, though some of the sources I've seen claim that he ordered the removal as early as 1981. Whatever the timeline, Reagan proposed a budget that reduced Federal funding for renewable energy research by 85%.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 15:20:37 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     Reagan’s position from day one was that corporate self-interest would ultimately produce the best solution for the US.

     This was more or less the same time that Exxon was beginning their climate change coverup.

     As it turns out, relying on "corporate self-interest" just gets you a climate crisis.

     https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/08/exxon-climate-change-1981-climate-denier-funding

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 15:44:57 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     I acknowledge that Reagan was also in favor of nuclear, which imo is a necessary component of a successful transition away from fossil fuels. But you do not, under any circumstances, gotta hand it to him.

   • Simone (simone21@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 15:55:26 UTC Simone

     in reply to

     @mcnees

     As long as the disposal of nuclear waste (for tenthousand of years) isn't solved, nuclear energy sould not be considered at all.

     If the Egyptians had nuclear powerplants, we today would still have to think about how to deal with t h e i r waste.

     We haven't understood at all, what this climate catastrophe is about, when we try to solve it with a technology that destroys this wonderful planet for milleniums to come... just for us to be able to go on as we're used to.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 18:06:03 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • Larry Smith For Harris

     @stargazersmith exactly

   • Larry Smith For Harris (stargazersmith@social.linux.pizza)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 18:06:04 UTC Larry Smith For Harris

     in reply to

     @mcnees
     Reagan was an actor turned politician.

     Carter was a nuclear engineer turned politician.

     Which likely knew more about energy and global warming?

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 19:20:16 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • Fuzzbizz

     @Fuzzbizz Like I said, you do not have to hand it to him!

   • Fuzzbizz (fuzzbizz@urbanists.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 19:20:17 UTC Fuzzbizz

     in reply to

     @mcnees I mean even Hitler liked dogs but that doesn't mean we have to say "well in that case...."

   • ᴚ uɐᗡ (dannotdaniel@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 20:31:24 UTC ᴚ uɐᗡ

     in reply to

     @mcnees Boss move would be for Biden to add them back.

     While Carter is still around... 😎

   • gmoke (gmoke@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 23:24:46 UTC gmoke

     in reply to

     @mcnees Reagan's people, according to my sources, went through the Solar Energy Research Institute telling them not only that they were shutting it down but that those there should find a different line of work.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 22-Jun-2023 12:11:33 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • MisterStars

     @MisterStars72 I don’t know!

   • MisterStars (misterstars72@sfba.social)'s status on Thursday, 22-Jun-2023 12:11:34 UTC MisterStars

     in reply to

     @mcnees has anyone put them back?