Glenn Beck is an Idiot.

I know most of you know this already. But I watched his pod-cast today and it made me laugh.

First I understand Green Technology has not been scaled for everyday use as of yet, although tremendous strides are being made daily. I also know that it is more expensive then non-green products.

But Mr Becks assumptions are outrageous in this clip.

I would also like it to be known that I spent 6 minutes finding the information to refute Becks claims.

Lets begin by listening to his add for Goldline, what a shill. I mean he is doing a podcast from his guest bedroom and he shills for Goldline. I wish Toyota would sponsor his rants so we don't have to hear his short sided arguments about hybrid vehicles, and technology.

With that said, the Jack Bauer wannabe says it costs $30,000 to $40,000 dollars for solar panels on your home. With Mr. Wizards solar calculations he has decided that it would take 58 years to pay for the technology.

I took me 3 minutes of research to find this price breakdown of adding solar panels to your home today in California.

Price Breakdown

Everyone in America receives a 30 percent tax credit on solar equipment purchased and installed by the end of 2010. State incentives can further compound the savings.

Price per unit /// Between $717 and $787 before the 30 percent federal tax credit. Afterward, the price drops to about $500.

Price per watt /// $4.50. Andalay Solar CEO Barry Cinnamon expects imminent price reductions to pull that number closer to $4.10 per watt. With the 30 percent federal tax credit, the price works out to about $2.87 per watt.

Kilowatt-hours per year /// A single panel puts out 175 watts under optimal conditions. Averaged through the year under variable conditions, the panel puts out 1.43 kilowatt-hours per watt, or about 250 kwh per year.

Payback period: The Energy Information Administration lists average U.S residential electricity prices at 11.23 cents per kwh, as of February 2009. A panel that puts out 250 kwh a year saves $28.08 annually at that price, making the payback period just under 18 years on a $500 panel. (The rebate, which everyone receives, lowers the payback period from over 25 years at $717 or 28 at $787) In San Francisco, the top-tier electricity rate is 44 cents per kwh, shortening the payback period to just under five years.

Wow that took long. and look it says the payback period with incentives could be less then 5 years. Mr. Beck that actually seems reasonable, and just think if the power of the American Market got behind these technologies? Innovation and demand could easily make this much more affordable. I bet we could even manufacture these products here and export them to China and around the World to those dumb countries that believe in Global Climate Change. We could pull the Goldline scam on them.

Then Mr. Beck shifts his focus toward Hybrid Vehicles, an obvious scam to the insane. I love when he says he read a study and then says it would take 18 years of owning the vechile to get the savings.

You got 3 more minutes? So I look up the price of a Toytoa Prius, and the price of the Nissan Altima. Well he was right the Prius was more expensive. It cost $22,400 for the Hybrid that gets 51 mpg. and the Altima cost $19,900 and gets 23 mpg, a $1500 difference. The Toyota based on 15000 miles a year has an average gas cost of $750 dollars a year, and The Altima cost is, wait for it, $1,325.

Which is a $2875 dollar difference over a five year term. So if you take away the extra cost of the vehicle you save approximately $1375 over a five year period.

Beck is so dumb he does not even consider you have to own another vehicle if your going to compare costs, it must have slipped his mind. But the Prius argument is the exact one for solar and wind power. Once the market is stimulated, like the Prius did to the car market, the sky is the limit. Innovation and economies of scale kick in and then boom, we have a new energy technology era. Where in the not so distant future not 1/3 of the cars will be hybrid, or plug in hybrids or something, But 90% of them will be, that coupled with a energy plan that includes renewable energy sources, and a smarter energy grid. The United States could severely decrease its dependence on non-renewable energy, such as Oil, Gas and Coal.

Now I know why he has a fruit cellar.

I got to put these kids to bed.

Listen to Curly from the three stooges in his own words. Well I ought a.