@Hee-Sun: You’re definitely right about the challenges that will accompany any efforts to change the status quo. However, it is my sincere hope that the more people who understand these issues, the more likely it is that positive changes will be made. Even the harmful impact of lobbyists could be ameliorated by increased transparency. But you make a good point, and I am thankful for it because it has inspired a topic that I will likely address some time in the next few weeks.

@Ron: While I understand your point, I think it’s important to consider ways to address the true cost of oil without punishing consumers outright. Moving to a more responsible energy policy is probably not going to be painless, but hopefully the burdens will not fall predominantly on the wrong people. For this and other reasons, I think that it’s unlikely that subsidies to the energy industry will end in the near future. But subsidizing smarter can be politically feasible if presented in the right way.

I really enjoy reading your blogs. They are written in quick, fresh language on issues that I care about but don’t necessarily care to investigate via policy reports and esoteric publications. Also, the “Put that in your pipe and subsidize it” bit absolutely tickled me.

Back to this particular post–it would be awesome if we could just redirect the money we’re wasting on subsizing the current energy industry. However, how feasible is that considering the unwillingness of Americans to reduce our energy consumption despite skyrocketing costs and the power of energy lobbies to maintain the status quo? What needs to be done to change that? Does the tide of public opinion need to change? Will Barack Obama and a Democratic congress fix things or at least move things in the right direction?

I’d like to hope so, but I feel like a lot of problems that can potentially be solved by Washington are ironclad by lobbyists representing big bullies in the economy. I know, it’s stupid.

What this also means is that the hundreds of billions being spent to ‘defend’ oil interests in Iraq and elsewhere should be fully-priced into gas at the pumps! Then we will see consumers going en masse to conservation and renewables!

Incidentally, I’ve got a site that might interest you and some readers. it covers the latest global green and socially responsible investing news and research. It’s at http://investingforthesoul.com/

Best wishes, Ron Robins