Priorities

Posted by David Roberts at 2:18 PM on 12 Nov 2007

Read more about: energy | Iraq | scientific research

Here's a nice little graph showing U.S. R&D spending in various types of energy compared to spending in Iraq for 2007 (click on the image for background):

This is what we, collectively, deem important.

For story: Priorities
8 Comments | Post a Comment

Thank you Bush, you stupid, ignorant, ...

Nice graphic though. A logarithmic vertical scale would be more appropriate but much less impressive. This is the real problem right here--poor governance. It just wouldn't be that hard for Americans to reduce their oil use by half. Sell the Subaru, buy a Prius, fill in the gaps with a hybrid electric bike or mass transit. Worked for us. This is warped. That kind of money could stop the extinction event and global warming with change left over.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 5:16 PM on 12 Nov 2007

Tightening our belts ...

I recently saw Mark Rey, the Undersecretary of Ag, speak about the Farm Bill. He said something to the effect of "we got it in under our deficit reduction goal." What a joker! Seriously, he must have been joking.

Since the war in Iraq, domestic spending has remained wasteful in the eyes of these morons, while hemmorhaging money in some useless war is seen as patriotic. Federal agencies have been sucked dry, public funding for scientific research and social equity projects has disappeared ... but we've still got enough to remain in this quagmire for the foreseeable future.

Yay.

by blueberrysushi at 9:11 AM on 13 Nov 2007

looking on the bright side

I believe there is only one single tiny ity bity positive feature of the Quagmire in Iraq. The fact that Republicans and spineless Democrats keep pouring money into that hole clearly demonstates that our Federal government has tons of money available to invest in productive programs designed to preserve our natural resources, provide healthcare for all American, provide an income safety net, repair our infrastructure, build a sustainalbe economy, et cetera.

At this point in time, no Republican could possibly argue that we need to cut Federal spending. I mean... if money was scarce, we wouldn't waste it on the Quagmire in Iraq. They have obviously been covering this up for decades. The Quagmire in Iraq demonstrates that cutting Federal funding for important progressive programs is not and never was necessary. Now if the average voter could just figure this out and keep the information in his or her head for a few election cycles...

Someone has to shine a spotlight on this issue: Why did we have to cut Federal spending over the past few decades, but now we have money to burn?

And... NO... the Quagmire in Iraq has done nothing to improve our national security. We are just burning money and people.

by wiscidea at 10:12 AM on 13 Nov 2007

and ...

... when is Grist going to add "war" to its topic cloud?

There is no greater threat to our environment, if only because every international conflict and civil war prevents our various governing bodies from solving greater problems.

by wiscidea at 10:15 AM on 13 Nov 2007

Bush just vetoed domestic spending bill...

for $150 billion because it was $10 billion "over", meanwhile he just signed a $459 billion defense bill, not including more Iraq money. I say cut the Defense department to $100 billion a year, and let them protect rainforests and oceans as their mission.

by Jon Rynn at 10:16 AM on 13 Nov 2007

could be worse

Better hide this graph. If a general in the pentagon sees this they'll say, hey we could use that money you're spending on solar on some more bases in Iraq.

Be lucky bush spent anything on solar.

by trock at 11:01 AM on 13 Nov 2007

budget priorities...

Almost 400 national parks run on a budget that is 1/2 of the Marine Corps $6B peacetime budget. And the Marine budget is 1/50th of the Army budget (which is inflated with tens of billions in ongoing R&D into already-obsolete/useless/unethical weapons systems). The silver-haired white guys on Capitol Hill are robbing our grandchildren. We need to get them out and replace them with a government that represents us.

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

by John former Marine at 12:23 PM on 13 Nov 2007

inteligence and defence research

The United States spends 43 billion a year on inteligence. (CIA, DIA, etc.)

We spend 83 billion a year on Defence research and development.

And we spend that on solar?

by trock at 6:40 PM on 14 Nov 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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