President Trump’s policies are helping restore American energy dominance

By Rick Manning

President Trump’s determination to end damaging regulations on energy production has unleashed American innovators to remake the world’s energy markets as the United States is now a net energy exporter.  Private companies and individuals freed up to focus on getting oil, natural gas and coal out of the ground has led to a renaissance that has only been dreamed of for the past three generations when the bonds of energy dependency shaped much of American policy and our national mindset.

The freedom of American energy independence and, yes, even energy dominance in the foreseeable future will shape the 21st century world economy if only our policy makers avoid the temptation of trying to turn back the clock to the days of scarcity  when Americans faced long gasoline lines and odd/even day purchase rationing at the pump.

But American, indeed North American and South American energy dominance, is not just the avoidance of the pain caused by the lack of affordable energy, but instead is being able to bear the fruits of inexpensive abundance.  Electricity generation is essential to the modern economy, and being able to produce electricity inexpensively, reliably and resiliently is one of the foundational building blocks to the 21st century re-industrialization of America, demonstrated by the more than 500,000 new manufacturing jobs created on our shores since President Trump took office.  This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of American economic growth, as the President’s trade, tax and regulatory policies continue to create the environment for a thriving, expanding economy.

On the environment front, there is one international regulation which should be supported by every American, IMO 2020.  IMO 2020 changes the fuel composition allowed to be burned by cargo/container ships to a low sulfur mix away from extremely high sulfur bunker oil.  Container ships are equipped to make this conversion, and America has the refinery capacity to supply much of the shipping world’s fuel needs.  This conversion matters because just 16 container ships create more sulfur dioxide pollution (smog) around the world than all 80 million internal combustion cars in the world combined.  Energy dominance doesn’t mean environmental stupidity, and due to America’s capitalist driven modern oil refinery system, once again our great nation is in the lead in providing the means to care for the world’s air while keeping the engines of a strong economy roaring.

Capitalism works.  It creates abundance through innovation.  And out of that abundance, American companies can profit while helping the world dramatically cut worldwide air pollution.  Not through impossible to meet government mandates, but through common sense problem solving and innovation.

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MIT-educated GOP congressman grills John Kerry for ‘pushing pseudo science’ on climate change


Massie

A House Oversight hearing on the subject of climate change turned into a heated sparring match between conservative Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and former Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday.

During a contentious moment in Massie's line of questioning, the Kentucky congressman asked the former Obama cabinet secretary about the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

During the exchange, Massie pointed out that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are currently much lower than the average amount that has been present since mammals have existed on planet earth.

"Yeah, but we weren't walking the planet," Kerry stammered before rebutting that atmospheric CO2 levels are the highest they've been in "the past 800,000 years."

Massie countered by asking why those levels were higher before that particular mark. After some back and forth, Kerry tried to dismissed Massie's carbon questions by saying it was "just not a serious conversation."

"Your testimony is not serious," Massie fired back to applause from the hearing chamber. "When you can't answer the question, that's the best answer you got."

At one point, Massie also questioned Kerry's qualifications as an expert witness on climate science, noting that he holds a political science degree, rather than one in the hard sciences.

"So I think it is somewhat appropriate that someone with a pseudo science degree is here pushing pseudo science to this committee," Massie said of Kerry's credentials.

Massie explained that his questioning stemmed from Kerry's assertion in his prepared statement that the White House was "convening a kangaroo court" on the matter.

An engineer by trade and training before he ran for Congress, Massie also possesses bachelor's and master's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Massie is also probably one of the greenest members of Congress in how he lives his everyday life. His entire Kentucky farm is solar-powered and operated with several other environmentally-sustainable processes.

"There is a not climate denier in this room," Massie began his line of questioning. "The climate was different yesterday, it was different 10,000 years ago and it's going to be different 10,000 years from now, whether there's a human on this planet or a domesticated animal."

However, he added that he believes that there are "some photosynthesis deniers" and "natural climate deniers" who try to conflate man-made effects on the environment with climate change from natural causes.

SOURCE 





Weepy Inslee: 'We Have to Decarbonize Our Entire Economy in the Next Several Decades'

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, one of many Democrats running for president, told a CNN town hall Wednesday night that his candidacy comes with a promise:

"I will make you this pledge right now, if I am elected to this high honor, I will make defeating climate change the number-one priority of the United States."

Inslee told the gathering, "We have to decarbonize our entire economy in the next several decades. This is a massive re-industrialization of America. And I think the Green New Deal has succeeded in helping people understand that."

Inslee has called the Green New Deal an "aspirational document." "Do you fully endorse it?" CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked him.

"Well, I endorse exactly what is going on here, which is, this has done three really beneficial things for America," Inslee said:

Number one, it's got people talking about climate change. You know, this is one of the reasons I'm running. There was only four minutes of climate change in the last three presidential debates. I'm going to end that.

Number two, it has also raised people's ambition as to the scope of the challenge. Look, we have to decarbonize our entire economy in the next several decades. This is massive re-industrialization of America. And I think the Green New Deal has succeeded in helping people understand that.

And third -- and this is really important -- it has led people to recognize that we have to not -- to have not just a transition, we have to have a just transition to clean energy, where the first victims of climate change, which are marginalized communities, get help and communities of color. That has been a very successful thing.

Someone in the audience asked Inslee what a transition to a green economy would look like, and what he would say to Americans who live in economies that depend on coal, gas and oil.

Instead of answering that specific question, Inslee talked about a woman who lost her mobile home in a tornado.

So Blitzer followed up, asking Inslee, "What happens to the approximately 1.2 million Americans right now, still working fossil fuel extraction and power generation?"

"It's a very important question," Inslee responded. "Look, one of the things we talk about in this is that we need a just transition. This is going to be a huge transition. We are a fossil fuel-based economy largely right now, and we know we're going to have to go to clean energy sources by the mid-century. This is just a scientific fact.

“But while we do this, we have to make sure that people during that transition have opportunities along with everyone else. So we need to do the kind of things we've done in Centralia, Washington, where we are closing our last coal-fired plant, to have about a $55 million fund to help those employees in training and transition assistance, to help businesses, where we can make sure that local economy continues to thrive, and give a transition period of several years so that there's not, you know, trauma for these families.

“This is very important, Inslee said. “But we know we can do this."

Inslee said the most rapidly growing job in America is solar installer, followed by wind turbine technician.

"This is a future that I believe is our destiny to grasp. And when we do it, we're going to bring everybody along. That's the American way, and I'm pledging that tonight," he said.

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'The Sky Is Falling! We're All Going to Die!'

We're told climate change is going to end the world, but the solutions are terrible

I have to say, I was somewhat troubled when I heard that in just 10 years, life as we know it is going to end … or something. When I listened to the explanation of what we needed to do to save the world, I was even more concerned.

I guess my problem is, being older and still having my faculties, I seem to remember in the 1970s Time magazine had an article about the coming Ice Age. Still waiting! In 2008, Al Gore predicted that because of global warming the East Coast would be under water in 10 years. Wait — that would have been 2018. I was in New York City in January and it “seemed” to be okay.

Several years ago, the ice pack in Antarctica was not shrinking but growing — at a rate of 100 billion tons per year. Wow! Billions? That seems like a lot, but I’m no expert; I could be missing something. I don’t know where you live, but I’m happy if the weatherman gets it right for the upcoming weekend. Yet we have experts telling us what will happen in 100 years. Now it’s down to only 10 years.

I am amazed at how much Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez learned while working as a bartender. She must have really studied at her job. Her degree was in economics and international relations. We’re told “climate change” is settled science. I was in school before Time predicted the coming Ice Age and I was told that science is never settled, because we are always learning new things.

But I want to keep an open mind, so I looked into what we need to do. I have to say, I will miss hamburgers. I know cows fart a lot (I’m a senior citizen, so I relate) but still, no burgers? No more air travel? No planes? Well, no planes for most of us. The really smart people will still need to get around and we can’t fault them for that, can we?

I will look forward to having my home rebuilt to be energy efficient, I guess. Will I have to pay for it or will the government do it? As all of us have to do that, seems like that could be expensive. But if that is what we need to do, I guess I will just have to get with the program.

Electricity is going to be pretty hard to get when all we have is wind and solar power. I mean, I live in the South, but we don’t have wind like when I lived in Nebraska! We have sunshine, so that may work … some days. France’s nuclear plants produce nearly 70% of that country’s power. Wow! I mean if the French can do that, we surely can. Wait, that’s not allowed either; no nuclear plants.

The proponents of the Green New Deal really care for us. Trust them! Just give them everything we have and they will see that it happens. There is one thing of some concern. It seems we are the only country that is supposed to destroy our economy and way of life to save the world. What about the rest of the world? What will they do?

We could totally destroy our economy, the greatest and freest in the world, and it will make no difference if other nations do nothing. Has Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez floated this by Russia, China, India, and most of Africa? I’m not hearing anything. Those nations alone would completely eliminate any change we “might” make; especially when we do not have conclusive proof that humans can change the weather on this planet.

Congresswoman, get some buy-in from these other nations and get back to us! Something to think about?

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Electric car natural disaster warning: Families could be left stranded if charging stations are shut down during dangerous storms

Australians who lose power during heatwaves, floods, cyclones, and hail storms could be left stranded as the energy market operator seeks to ban charging electric vehicles.

The charging of electric vehicles would be one of the first things The Australian Energy Market Operator would look at shutting off as a non-essential function, according to The Courier Mail.

AEMO is responsible for ensuring a stable supply of electricity to services such as hospitals when the grid is struggling due to network issues or natural disasters.

It can accomplish this by asking households to switch off energy draining appliances such as air-conditioners.

However, it can also direct power companies to shut off supply to certain areas.

There is concern the extra load on the power grid from electric vehicles may cause power shortages.

A Shorten government would impose new emissions standards on vehicle manufacturers - dramatically increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor said he is concerned about Mr Shorten's plan to 'force the most popular vehicles off the road to meet Labor's damaging 50 per cent electric vehicle target and 105g CO2/km vehicle emissions standard.' 

'Our favourite vehicles are on Bill's hit list. Seventeen of the top 20 most popular models in Australia don't meet Labor's vehicle emissions standard.

'As usual, Bill Shorten has not done his homework. If you don't understand Labor's new car tax, don't vote for it.'

SOURCE 

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