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A Manhattan Project for Energy?

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Can new energy research save the world? The economy? Supporters say, "Yes, invest now." Budget-cutters say, "Forget it."

Sandia National Laboratories shows Stirling Energy System's SunCatcher solar power dishes in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP)
Sandia National Laboratories shows Stirling Energy System's SunCatcher solar power dishes in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP)

Congress tried and failed to put a price on carbon, to unleash market forces to find an alternative to cheap and dirty fossil fuels. With that chance gone for now, advocates are saying: O.K. then, let’s invest directly, public money, big-time, in research to find breakthrough, game-changing clean energy — on a “Manhattan project” scale.

Opponents, Tea Party Republicans, say we can’t afford it, and that budget-cutting must be priority number one. But the rest of the world is moving. Will the U.S. be left behind?

We look at spending, budget-cutting, and the call for a giant push for clean energy.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guests:

Ryan Lizza, correspondent for The New Yorker. Read his inside account of how climate-energy legislation was derailed: "As the World Burns."

Steven Hayward, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on energy and the environment. Read his new paper, written jointly with the Brookings Institution and the Breakthrough Institute, on "Post-Partisan Power."

Michael Greenstone, professor of environmental economics at MIT. He served as chief economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisors under President Obama and was part of the administration's efforts to pass the energy plan. He is also director of the Brooking Institution’s Hamilton Project, a public policy forum that produces research on economic and civic issues.

Matt Kibbe, president and CEO of  FreedomWorks, an advocacy organization that works to promote smaller government and has close ties with the Tea Party movement.

This program aired on October 18, 2010.

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