Using wind and solar power to desalinate sea water.

Baja California lacks a sufficient water supply, but its coastal area to land mass makes

it an ideal candidate for creating water desalination nodes where wind turbines can

pump sea/ocean water to covered holding ponds (clear glass covers as an example)

are solar heated to extract fresh water that is collected into fresh water reservoirs.

It is possible that these wind turbines could have a dual purpose providing electricity

as well. The same process can be used in Southern California.

Supply an demand is still a law that is dependent on demand.

There are plenty of ways to cut gas use but Americans are largely unwilling.

People seem more concerned about the appearance of commuting via mass transit, car pool or even a 50cc scooter (some get upwards of 76 miles per gallon) than what impact such changes would make on the amount of fuel actually consumed. This isn't a case of developing new technologies.. it is a case of being willing to take responsibility for our own situation, cutting back, and making use of existing technologies. 

It seems an act of avoidance and not facing reality to think this would remain to be the case through the depletion of this fuel source.

Many of our fellow "world citizens" find our whining & lack-of-preparation-for-such frustrating and laughable. Who can blame them, we can be pretty lacking in common sense and appear quite self-centered.

• The Manufacturers are unwilling to participate except to the level of vehicle efficiency mandated by the government. The government is not going to change the efficiency improvement levels that are already in place. And the efficiency improvements do not sufficiently address things like trucks, SUVs, and the like.
• The Consumer is not going to go for such vehicles any time soon. The average consumer is only partly interested in fuel efficiency - size and amenities in a vehicle are also very much in the consumer's mind when a purchase is being considered. Then there are the aftermarket products, such as high-rise modifications to make a truck look as though it stomp a Saturn without going into four wheel drive, or a 500-watt stereo system (which often requires an oversized alternator to power, which, in turn, requires more fuel to power). If you look at the sales ratio of truck/SUV vs. passenger vehicles, and do the math of the comparable fuel ratings based on that ratio, you'll see what I mean. People don't want nice, efficient transportation, they want the ability to intimidate the 'nice' vehicles with something nearly the size of a half-track. They also don't care that those of us who strictly walk, bicycle, or use public transportation have an equal right to the road. I do all three (and don't own a vehicle), and it can get ugly at times. How many people do you know that hop into their hummer to go to the store for a gallon of milk? Bleah.

Throwing $150 billion at the economy is a mistake.  The $150 billion shouldn't be spent it should be invested into the permanent improvement of quality of life for Americans.  It should go into a Solar Energy program.  This would provide short term stimulus and long term gains for our country.

The fledgling solar industry would get capital it needs to develop and improve the delivery of solar power.  It would create good paying jobs for skilled workers who would then have money to inject back into the economy again.

In the immediate and long term the solar energy could help reduce America's dependency on foreign and domestic oil.  In the short and long term it would reduce the deleterious effects of fluctuating energy costs on the American economy as well as help cut greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. We would also benefit from the decrease in our trade deficit.

It would also establish a power infrastructure that could be ready to use the next generation of solar generators in years to come, so future upgrades would come at minmal costs.

We have a chance to do more than just spend this money and generate a quick blip on our economy, we have a chance to invest it in a way that will benefit us now, next year, and for decades to come.

http://www.mslaw.edu 

$50,000,000,000 will buy a lot more wind turbines than it will buy nuclear power plants. It will also provide the volume of orders to drive the price down so the savings can be used to provide the volume of orders to make photo voltaic roof shingles affordable 

My God, Senator!  you have the power and the constitution mandate to do that.  Stop with these nebulous, fuzzy, transparent attempts to protect wealth and start protecting the future of everyone in this wonderful country