[ExI] The Actual Visionary of the Future

[Eugen Leitl]

On Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 01:56:14PM -0600, Kelly Anderson wrote:

> > The unemployed can supply lower cost labor
> > than they were before when more people were employed.
> >
> 
> Unless there is an unreasonably high minimum wage. Then more will just be
> automated.

You can't automate construction work on top your roof. 
Fields, yes, roofs, no.
 
> 
> > I can see myself doing something like that; we
> > could have some fun with it.  Yes it will cost money.  If we have a
> > believable plan that pencils out, investors will come.
> >
> 
> But solar isn't yet economically viable for most applications. You have to

It is actually, if you count all collateral costs in.

> have government subsidies to get it going at this point most of the time. I
> know you don't want that Spike.
> 
> 
> > Sheesh they are doing this in GERMANY!
> 
> 
> The government over there is doing it. Or rather paying for it.

Subsidies for fossil and nuclear are 3x of renewable. So, yes,
by all means let's end *all* subsidies, and level the playing field.
 
> 
> > We yanks have more rooftop area per
> > capita and way more sun than they do, and they can supply a cost model.
> > They have the PV factories, so we hire the kraut engineers over here to
> > help
> > build our PV factories using our cheap labor.
> >
> > We can go from a discontented idler society to one in which most people are
> > cheerfully working their asses off most of the time.
> >
> > This is what we mean by Practical Optimism.
> 
> 
> I think a better plan is to open up more areas for energy exploration. Just

The world shall look like Alberta.

> a thought. It's working in North Dakota and parts of Texas.

It's not really working, if you look at the numbers.