Fox News: US Solar Energy Investment Less Than Germany Because US Has Less Sun

Andy Prough writes "Apparently those wise folks at Fox have figured out America's reluctance to invest as much money in solar energy as Germany — the Germans simply have more sun! Well, as Will Oremus from Slate points out, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Solar Resource map comparison of the U.S. and Germany, nothing could be further from the truth — Germany receives as much sunlight as the least lit U.S. state — Alaska."

Problem?

[jayrulez]

Fox News

Oh give them a break

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

It's the very first time Fox has said anything that's factually incorrect.

Re:Problem?

[realityimpaired]

To be fair, at 0800 UTC when they conducted their test, Germany was getting more sun than the US....

Oh well, shit in shit out...

[Anonymous Coward]

Please don't ridicule Fox News. These guys are just doing their job.
Propaganda for the poor anti-science, bible thumping, redneck Republitards.

Re:Where's the accountability?

[wvmarle]

Notwithstanding that this doesn't even sound remotely plausible. Anyone with just a basic idea of geography knows that Germany is on a much higher latitude, where the sun doesn't shine as brightly as on lower latitudes.

But then I guess that to some those deserts in southern US are best known for their dark, overcast winter days, and Germany is best known for their scorching hot summers.

Re:Where's the accountability?

[obarthelemy]

Please don't insult tabloids.

Colbert's Law Of Physics

[Ukab the Great]

The sun has a well-known liberal bias, therefore the US gets less sunlight than a socialist European welfare state.

Those suntan flaunting Germans

[Anonymous Coward]

I am envious of the deep suntans that most Germans flaunt in my face.

Re:Oh well, shit in shit out...

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

That's a liberal canard. Actually, Fox is Fair and Balanced. Says so right on the tin.

Re:Anyone think Fox doesn't know this?

[Joce640k]

Their followers, however...will be outraged that the USA has less of something (anything!) than some other country.

Does anyone really know?

[Rob the Bold]

Sun comes up. Sun goes down. You can't explain that.

Re:How Does Germany Beat Chinese Pricing?

[Chrisq]

They mentioned briefly that the US tried to subsidize solar but the Chinese kept undercutting our manufacturers and we just couldn't beat their prices. What is Germany doing differently that allows them to beat Chinese prices? Tariffs? Import restrictions? Why does that kind of market manipulation work for Germany and why do we allow subsidies to happen in the states but not that sort of competition restriction? Oh, right, they have more sun ... which still doesn't answer how their solar products compete with the Chinese. I like how they named dropped 'natgas' several times because the US has so much of it! No problems worth mentioning about natural gas!

The only explanation is that China must get more sun than anyone else in the World.

Re:Colbert's Law Of Physics

[Chrisq]

The sun has a well-known liberal bias, therefore the US gets less sunlight than a socialist European welfare state.

What sort of communist power source would give heat and light for free!

Re:Problem?

[Lord Lemur]

"Really, Fox News? Everything Fox News says is a lie. Even true things, once said on Fox News, become lies." - Lois Griffin

Re:Sun, vs sunlight

[tooyoung]

This is not meant to nickpick

I know "US getting less sun than US" means "US getting less sunlight than US", but I still feel a little bit queasy when people substitute the word "Sun" for "Sunlight"

Not to nitpick, but no one said "US getting less sun than US". I feel a bit queasy when people substitute the word "Germany" for "US".

Re:Problem?

[fufufang]

Fox News

"Faux News", FTFY.

Re:Problem?

[Narcocide]

Only if you don't also count Comedy Central as a news network.

Re:Anyone think Fox doesn't know this?

[daem0n1x]

Maybe they could spin it the other way saying that the US receive more darkness than any other country in the world! Take that, you German tree-hugging faggots!

Re:Oh give them a break

[daem0n1x]

It's the very first time Fox has said anything that's factually incorrect.

... Said a Fox news reporter!

And it's factually incorrect.

Re:Problem?

[shawnhcorey]

I think Fox News is the best comedy show in America. Stop picking on it.

Re:Problem?

[SuiteSisterMary]

Comedy Central: Best news channel that isn't a news channel.

Fox News: Best comedy channel that isn't a comedy channel.

Re:How Does Germany Beat Chinese Pricing?

[Anonymous Coward]

The only explanation is that China must get more sun than anyone else in the World.

Of course you dummy. China is in the east and the Sun rises in the east.
They get it before anyone else.

Re:Anyone think Fox doesn't know this?

[Anonymous Coward]

I appreciate the 'murkin spin. I was feeling less exceptional for a moment.

Re:Sun, vs sunlight

[morgauxo]

Not to nipick but nobody substitued the word "Germany" for "US", the grandparent substituted "US" for "Germany". It was quite the opposite of what you say makes you feel queasy actually so I guess you are feeling really good right about now.

Re:Oh, give Slashdot a break

[PRMan]

So, basically, Germany is Canada.

Re:Problem?

[Snard]

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." - Mel Brooks

Re:How Does Germany Beat Chinese Pricing?

[tmosley]

On the plus side, the chemical manufacturers there don't have to actually manufacture anything. They can just go down to the river and get whatever they need!

Re:Oh, give Slashdot a break

[ColdWetDog]

But without mosquitoes and maple syrup.

Re:Sun, vs sunlight

[N0Man74]

This is not meant to nickpick

I know "US getting less sun than US" means "US getting less sunlight than US", but I still feel a little bit queasy when people substitute the word "Sun" for "Sunlight"

Maybe that's just me ...

So, when people use the phrase, "fun in the sun", do you correct them with, "fun in the warmth and light of the Sun"? Do you tell people, "No, you are not getting some sun. You are receiving some sunlight!"

If only you had been around to prevent the Beatles from making fools of themselves by singing, "Here Comes the Sun", instead of, "Here Comes More Direct Sunlight".

Or maybe you are just a little too caught up in misplaced pedantry to notice the usage of the word "sun" has a common and accepted usage to denote the light or warmth of the sun.

Merriam-Webster.com: sun" [merriam-webster.com]

Re:Problem?

[sonnejw0]

Not that I would intuitively think Germany actually gets more sunlight than the U.S., but when a scientist (such as myself) says I used a model to extrapolate something, or normalized to conditions, it basically means I performed transformative maths to make the data look good enough to get grant money so I can get tenure because my stats program shot out more asterisks at me, all while being as obtusely transparent about it as I need to be to feel a sufficient amount of moral ambiguity.

Re:Sun, vs sunlight

[dnahelicase]

This is not meant to nickpick

I know "US getting less sun than US" means "US getting less sunlight than US", but I still feel a little bit queasy when people substitute the word "Sun" for "Sunlight"

Maybe that's just me ...

So, when people use the phrase, "fun in the sun", do you correct them with, "fun in the warmth and light of the Sun"?

No, I think the the Fox commentator meant that Germans are brighter than the Americans when it comes to solar energy policy.

Re:Problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not all tragedy is humor yet, though.

For example, the holocaust still isn't funny.

Some things just need more time in the oven.