The Bitter End

Some of the more cheerful among us believe that our country has an energy policy. Under wise leadership we will be shifting slowly from really bad fossil fuels like coal to less bad fossil fuels like natural gas and then to renewable fuels while our climate changes more rapidly--that's the imaginary plan.

Here's the real plan. No one is in charge. The gigantic corporations that control fossil fuels will duke it out to see who gets the most subsidies and sells the most product. The Republicans will continue to block any move toward renewable energy. The fact is that in 2009 clean energy subsidies amounted to more than $44 billion dollars. By 2014 the subsidies will be $11 billion, and the Republicans are already fighting hard to keep us on oil, coal and natural gas. Right to the bitter end.