The Oil Drum | Postscript with Wang and Khosla

135 comments on Postscript with Wang and Khosla

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Will on September 3, 2006 - 9:17pm

After we get through figuring out which BTU's count or don't count and reading everyone's paper, etc... it seems we are still focused to trying to run 100 million cars.

We are not going to run those cars. Depleting the aquifers and soils of the Great Plains to maintain the automotive status quo is exactly the same mistake the Easter Islanders made cutting the trees. We might as well face up to it now, before Nebraska becomes a desert.

I have enjoyed the ethanol debate. It's been interesting. Thanks to RR, I am convinced it's just a matter of time before that particular wheel falls off of our futuristic energy wagon. It won't matter whether ethanol remains subsidized or Khosla gets 500 distilleries built. We won't even offset Canterell's coming depletion with ethanol. The dog won't hunt.

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Prof. Goose on September 3, 2006 - 9:44pm

Agreed, Will.

I am finding myself increasingly frustrated--not just by the Khosla rhetoric, but by the lack of efficacy that everyone sees in a coordinated solution. The solution has to be massive--a magic silver bullet--in order to garner real investment it seems. I know most of us here at TOD know that it's going to take a bunch of magic silver BBs...

I've been working a lot on talking to folks behind the scenes of late at the state and federal level, and the more I talk with them, the more I see this approach in place. Everyone has their favorite solution (and, sure I knew this was the case, but I didn't think it would be SO MUCH SO), and that's all they know about--and those just the ones who think there's a problem.

Gah I say. Gah.

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Engineer-Poet on September 3, 2006 - 10:16pm

Indeed. People who have the knowledge to understand - let alone propose - a systems approach to the problem (with room for the myriad "silver BB's" out there) are rare.

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aslevin on September 4, 2006 - 12:00am

Heh. But I don't think we need to have the politicians understand a systems approach. I think we need enough leverage to do a few key things with policy, and then promote other changes in consumer behavior and technology through activism, marketing, and innovation.

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aslevin on September 3, 2006 - 11:53pm

Sure. The thing to keep in mind is that politicians don't think about facts and reason the same way as people in technology and science. Reason is a part of the politician's decision equation, but it is one factor, along with influential interest groups, voter opinion, and the opinion of their peers.

It is easy for technical folk to become cynical at this point, but that is the wrong conclusion.

It is important to deliver the information. Part of the reason that bad policy is adopted is that people with those interests, oil or ethanol subsidies, show up and talk to the politician's staff again and again. Hearing different information really does change what is possible.

But beyond the information, the key is to think about things from the politician's point of view, and consider what influences them. Then, assemble different forces of influence, so they hear the message from multiple perspectives that they care about.

I learned these things from doing some state level volunteer lobbying on a number of technology policy issues, with some good mentors, and having a surprising amount of impact.

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step back on September 4, 2006 - 2:47am

think about things from the politician's point of view, and consider what influences them

Teachers.
Teachers influence tomorrow's politicians.
Al Gore had a college professor who warned him about Global Warming.
George W. Bush had a college professor who taught him that The Market always provides, that the sub-human techie nerds will find a way. Just wave an extra buck in front of their faces and watch them leap the extra mile for it.

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wacki on September 4, 2006 - 11:03am

We won't even offset Canterell's coming depletion with ethanol.

Cantrell?

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wacki on September 4, 2006 - 11:05am

Oh, I assume this is the oil field. :-p

<------ oil field n00b

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Syntec on September 5, 2006 - 5:31pm

I can assure you that the "wheels" will not be coming off this +12Billion gpy industry anytime soon.

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135 comments on Postscript with Wang and Khosla

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