Comments on: Bush’s Clean Technology Fund: Too Little, Too Late

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:28:32 +0000

Firstly, I firmly believe that Bush has done more harm to this country than any president in the history of this country... from the economy, to the environment, to its security, to America's reputation abroad. I can only hope that the next president can undo his many follies.

Secondly, and totally off the subject, I'd just like to say congrats on the nice design work on your sites. You're designer gets it.

By: Apollo Daily Digest » Blog Archive » July 15, 2008: President Bush Lifts Executive Ban On Offshore Oil Drilling

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:33:01 +0000

[...] Rubens looks at President Bush’s international Clean Technology Fund, and Janet Redman investigates the fund’s relationship to the World Bank’s Climate [...]

By: Shamar Tate

Shamar Tate — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:57:26 +0000

Like the Charles Luckman quote – “Success is that old ABC” – thanks for sharing your idea…

By: happygolucky

happygolucky — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:58:48 +0000

What do you mean by 'too little too late'? The man is following through by providing billions of dollars for clean energy technologies, and you are basically saying: don't do anything, we would hate to say that Bush did something right.

This sounds like the old parable of King Solomon and the two mothers. Both mother's claim ownership of a child, so Solomon offers to split the baby in half. The lying mother agrees, and the real mother cries to save the baby's life, and is willing to give the baby up.

You are just like the lying mother, willing to sacrifice a clean energy investment just because it came from President Bush. Shameful.

By: Joel

Joel — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:07:19 +0000

Providing developing countries with clean technology to pursue low-carbon development is critical to curbing global greenhouse gas emissions. While only a drop in the bucket compared to total energy infrastructure investment needs, a $10 billion CTF could be transformational in leveraging private sector investment. But the U.S. should not be participating in the CTF as currently designed. According to the World Bank’s framework document, virtually any technology that is marginally more efficient could receive CTF funds. That means, in addition to wind and CCS, CTF funds could also be used to finance coal plants without carbon capture and storage, provided such plants use supercritical technology over dirtier, cheaper subcritical technology. The current framework for the CTF reflects a lack of vision. These scarce financial resources should be focused on the task of rapidly drive down the costs of zero carbon energy alternatives by strategic investments in currently available technologies, such as solar thermal. David Wheeler at the Center for Global Development testified before a House Financial Services Subcommittee hearing last month regarding the CTF, arguing that the rapid increase in global greenhouse gas emissions demands that the international community use clean technology funds not merely to improve efficiency but to catalyze a transformation in energy costs. He further estimated that a strategic investment program could close the cost gap between solar thermal and coal-fired power in 5-10 years for a cost of under $10 billion. The CTF is a tremendous opportunity to make real progress in addressing our warming planet, but reforms to the current design are needed to turn this opportunity into a reality.

For more on David Wheeler’s testimony:
http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/2008/06/house_committee_tells_us_treas_1.php

Full disclosure: I work at the Center for Global Development