What? No vampires in the early 50's?

That decade was reserved for giant mutant ants and killer aliens.

What if? (from Roger Ebert's Journal)

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/asse...672-39243.jpeg

Nice one Pete.

http://cellar.org/2011/germanypower.jpg

German power production percentages.

Where did that come from, UT?

That data is from 2008. In 2010, PV generated about 2% of the total power mix in Germany, and it's still increasing in 2011, though they've reduced the FIT.

Edit: (from: http://www.germanenergyblog.de/?p=5436)

2010* Nuclear 23% Lignite 23% Hard Coal 18% Natural Gas 14% Renewables 17% Heating Oil, Pumped Hydro, Others 5%

* rounded estimate
On the renewable side, wind power provided 6.2%, biomass 4.7%, hydro power 3.2%, photovoltaics 2% and waste power plants 0.8%.

---
Here's US generation by source for 2009.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._source_v2.png

Creating solar energy is not the problem. Getting it to where it is needed/consumed is.
Part of the solution could be Gov't spending on the transmission of the energy created, no?

neat chart, but You could fit about 85.5 Cubas in the US.

One of the big benefits of solar is that it's a distributed resource. Solar can be installed on just about every house, apartment building, office building, warehouse, freeway median, parking canopy, etc., which eliminates transmission and distribution issues and costs. It can also provide shading, reducing the need for air conditioning. Plus, it tends to be most productive during the hottest part of the day, further reducing air conditioning loads and reducing strain on the aging grid.

...and there's no fracking with solar

Tax on gas guzzlers
 

I did not know EPA and IRS administer a program to tax gas guzzlers.

In 2010 there were only 2 Ford- and 4 GM-models on the list.
The others seem to be the more expensive (heavy) foreign cars.

At first it made me feel a bit happier to realize the wealthy were paying
for something I don't/won't/can't buy for my family. Then I got to thinking...

Why are these gas-guzzlers getting away with a one-time tax ?
At the worst 12.5 mpg, the $7,700 tax is equivalent to
about 2000 gal of wasted gas to drive 25,000 miles (~ 2 years).

Wouldn't it be more rational if this same tax was applied annually...
half to pay for the wasted gas, and half as a penalty polluting the air around me.

Well, there are state and federal taxes on gasoline, so they are paying a penalty for the extra gas they use.