[Vision2020] National Academies Press Book: "Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use"

[Ted Moffett]

Parts of the book, perhaps the entire book, referenced in the subject
heading, can be read online for free, off the website at the bottom of this
post.

It's well known that many of the negative impacts of fossil fuel energy
dependence (externalities) are not priced into the market values of oil,
coal and natural gas.  If these impacts were included in the cost of these
energy sources, they would be much more expensive; and thus other non-fossil
fuel energy sources with ostensibly fewer negative impacts would be more
favorably positioned in the marketplace.  As long as oil and coal
corporations can outspend any other interest group, which combined they most
certainly can, to manipulate the public, public policy and government, it is
doubtful that oil and coal energy costs will ever reflect the full impacts
of these energy sources, especially after the recent US Supreme Court ruling
to allow unlimited spending by interest groups in the political
process, *unless
from intense widespread grass roots public pressure.*  This is a long shot,
given that media of all forms can be bought to promote oil and coal
corporation propaganda, which many in the public will swallow.  Nonetheless,
there is no other sane option but to attempt to educate the public regarding
these issues:

http://www.nap.edu/about.html

>From website above about the National Academies Press:

"The National Academies Press (NAP) was created by the National Academies to
publish the reports issued by the National Academy of
Sciences<http://www.nas.edu/>,
the National Academy of Engineering <http://www.nas.edu/nae>, the Institute
of Medicine <http://www.nas.edu/iom>, and the National Research
Council<http://www.nas.edu/nrc>
..."
---------------
 Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12794#description
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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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