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99 comments on McCain’s Energy Plan: Correct Diagnosis, Killer Prescription
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99 comments on McCain’s Energy Plan: Correct Diagnosis, Killer Prescription
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The "X-Prize" idea is a step. But what is needed is a realization by governments that they are not inventors nor very good administrators.
In the mobilization for World War I communications infrastructure was monopolized of security reasons. The concept of "natural monopoly" expanded to power generation and transportation infrastructure. We locked in place for a century the wonderful innovations of Bell, Ford, Edison and the Wright Brothers. Governments managed the details of HOW to implement infrastructure.
Challenging HOW with a different WHAT was not allowed. We created a mono-culture of infrastructure that mirrors the mono-culture of agriculture that caused the Potato Famines.
In 1984 communication infrastructure was de-monopolized. Long protected analog networks were re-tooled to digital and then fiber and wireless. Stunning examples of how free-markets, a rich ecology innovates better than a mono-culture monopoly.
We need a different WHAT. Masdar is implementing Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). Heathrow is implementing PRT. Uppsala Sweden is implementing PRT. This is a great technology. Hopefully we will implement it on a vast scale. Summary of the industry. And here is a statement of Performance Standard for beating 100 miles per gallon.
Also, hopefully PRT will not be monopolize this effort. As great as it will be, it should be modified and/or displaced by better. There is always a better way.
Also, hopefully the concept of "X-Prize" will shift to the government setting standards of performance, WHAT is needed, and allow the rich ecology of a free market to churn the HOW.
BTW, I have talked and/or met with both McCain's and Obama's staffs about this. Not much response from either.
I'm curious, did you really expect much of a response from the McCain or Obama people? (serious question) If so, why?
IMO, politicians do not respond to the individual, or any group smaller than a majority for that matter. They will do the "right thing" only after most constituents agree that it is the "right thing".
Personally, I do NOT expect any political process to help with any of our pressing problems. In fact, I expect political processes to hinder progress in addressing our problems until they have no other choice. And I sincerely hope that by that time it is not too late to provide any meaningful mitigation.
Does that make me a cynic, or a realist?
Did not expect much but was hopeful.
I agree Egon to some degree, however at least this time around the two candidates running seem to be willing to look at reality vs. the current Bush regime which simply decides what they think is right in a vacuum, and then stands by it ad infinitum with Fox Noise supporting their position verbatum. I figure both candidates will need to be educated, but at least their open to the possibilities.
I think the X-Prize idea appeals to the American lottery mentality.... the fantasy of getting fabulously lucky. It also appeals to the movie mentality that one big idea can change everything, or one great person can make all the difference. Most important advances come from lots of people having lots of little good ideas. Most advances are (horrors!) social inventions, and emerge from communities (are we allowed to use that word in Amerca?) of engineers and tinkerers pushing existing (not revolutionary) technology forward.
A functioning patent system should reward them by giving them limited monopoly rights... that's the X prize for everyone... (yes, patent lawyers aren't cheap, but it's more democratic and more practical) rather than one big prize for one big idea. The patent system more closely matches how technologies are created and brought to market.
The X prize idea sounds like one more example of just how dumb the average American is, always ready to believe in a fabulous pot of gold at the end of the rainbow waiting for the one big man who make the heroic journey to discover it. It is designed to sound like a solution to the average Joe. Nothing more. It is not how the world usually works.
Well.... Not really true at all.
The X prize offers large entities like duracell a shot at a large immediate ROI on R+D money. The last X prize resulted in several times the prize money itself being spent pursuing it. It passes the R+D, administration of R+D and all the other aspects that government is bad at off to the private concerns that ARE good at those aspects and leaves government doing the one thing government does well, spending money.