The argument I've seen on Mastodon that seems to make sense to me, is that the US Dollar is the currency used in oil trading. That brings a lot of foreign currency to the USA, because people need to buy dollars to buy their oil. If the world moves away from oil, then the US economy will stop benefitting from this trade.

Of course, if the rest of the world moves to renewables, which it is, and just the USA remains reliant on oil then that also destroys this benefit. But the USA refusing to help implement renewable energy will definitely slow it down.

It's the only rational argument I can see for this policy. Of course there's the irrational to consider ("real men burn stuff" as Cory Doctorow puts it), and that may be the more important consideration.

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hollerith 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

The problem with that argument is that the dollar is just as important in the international trade of other goods like solar panels and batteries as it is in the trade of oil.

	▲	marcus_holmes 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		If I want to buy solar panels, I'm probably buying from China, and there's a range of currencies I can use for that. USD is definitely one of them, for sure, but it's not the only one.

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jeffbee 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

People have been varying this theme for decades. Search "Tehran Oil Bourse" if you want. Theories about the petro-dollar are standard fare among the people who also discuss the meaning of gold fringes on flags and magic words you can write on a check.

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pm90 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

There isn’t a rational argument for this policy. Trump has an irrational hatred of wind energy in particular. His minions are implementing his commands.

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sandworm101 12 hours ago | parent [-]

It isnt irrational. He golfs. He believes golf with an ocean view to be the highest and best use of land, the ultimate expression of wealth. The sight of windmills on the horizon providing power to the poors is like seeing a honda civic parked in the members-only lot. It isnt an irrational hate. It is simple nimby elitism.

	▲	komali2 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		It's irrational long term since his golf courses will eventually be underwater or turned into refugee camps.

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csomar 11 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

How does this court ruling slow down renewable around the world? Renewable and solar are happening around the world because of price and there is nothing that can change this direction, short of a war with China.

	▲	marcus_holmes 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Specifically, Swanson's Law [0] that says the more solar we make, the cheaper it gets. The price of renewables is also being driven down because we're getting better at making them. So it's a virtuous cycle; the more we make, the cheaper it gets, and the cheaper it gets, the more demand there is, so the more we make. If the USA is not demanding renewables, the effect is less and we don't get as good at making them [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swanson%27s_law

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unmole 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> The argument I've seen on Mastodon

Is guaranteed to be some utterly deranged crackpot nonsense which some reason otherwise intelligent people find plausible.