In 2009, the U.S. government extended a $535 million dollar loan guarantee to a manufacturer of solar panels named Solyndra. The aim of this subsidy was to expedite the development of renewable energy technology, as the global economy’s reliance on carbon energy was threatening the long-term survival of human civilization. Shortly after Uncle Sam bankrolled the solar firm, the price of a material called polysilicon plummeted by 89 percent. Solyndra’s competitors used polysilicon in their solar panels, and thus, enjoyed a rapid collapse in their costs of production. Solyndra did not. The firm abruptly failed, taking $528 million in federal funds down with it. READ MORE