Oh, please. No great scientific advances have happened because the government tried to control market forces. Any money the government invests in trying to find alternate energy will probably be wasted. Look at the subsidies to US automakers to make a hybrid; yet they were beat by Toyota.

Rabbit , are you not aware that Toyotas hybrid development was very heavily subsidised by their government , as was Hondas .

Private innovation is a much more powerful force, and one that doesn't require taxpayer's money.
Following Japans "private innovation free market " success , South Korea has descided to follow their example and increase the subsidies to its own auto industry .
On a sort of related theme , Toyota have branched out into the roof garden business , to avail of the Japanese government subsidies for their new environmental building regulations .

Government subsidies and tax incentives are bad for innovation and development ....yeah right