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We have the resources, the capital, the innovators, and the technology, but do we have the policy?  Energy Guardian  (6/17/13) reports: “The strength of the American manufacturing renaissance has become a hot debate topic, with some experts contending it is more hype than reality, especially as job growth remains slow in the industrial heartland. That skepticism is unwarranted, says American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers President Charles T. Drevna. With the revolution in shale gas...
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After all, we’re just on a big hamster wheel at the Obama administration’s service. Daily Caller  (6/13/13) report: “The White House raised its estimates of the social cost of carbon dioxide emissions from $21 per metric ton to $35 per metric ton, but critics say that there is ‘little ‘science’ behind the whopping numbers.’… ‘The ‘social cost of carbon’ is a very malleable concept that can be inflated or deflated by turning certain wheels,’ Institute for Energy...
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If complete control of a market is called a monopoly, what do you call mandated control of a market...? The Renewable Fuel Standard. PoliticoPro  (6/11/13) reports: Sen. Tom Coburn used the nomination hearing for Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs nominee Howard Shelanski to rip into EPA’s renewable fuels standard…“We’re going to see ... two refineries in Oklahoma close within a year, year-and-half, because they cannot afford to buy the renewable fuel credits. So, we got a...
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Is this guy still alive? I figured he drowned after his beach house was overtaken by rising seas. Politico  (6/11/13) reports: “Former Vice President Al Gore lamented today that scientists “will not let us link record-breaking” tornadoes in Oklahoma and elsewhere to climate change because of inadequate record keeping on the twisters… ‘But when you put more energy into a system, it gets more energetic,’ Gore said at an environmental event in Washington hosted by Sen. Sheldon...
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We mentioned the "social cost of carbon" last week, but here’s the full analysis. The Obama administration is quietly making it easier for their “benefit” numbers to go head to head against costs. IER  (6/6/13) reports: “The very concept of the 'social cost of carbon' is not nearly as objective and scientific as, say, the charge on an electron. It is based on subjective human decisions as to which scenarios to include in the model, the discount rate to apply to future costs and...
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Somewhere down the road, we might find ourselves switching back to PCs. You see, Apple used to be led by a man who was disturbed by the stifling impact of government on business and innovation in this country. Jobs was able to navigate this business environment and still build incredible value for all stakeholders. Today, Apple’s leadership is hiring Lisa Jackson to whitewash the company of the sin of success. Huffington Post  (12/20/11) reports: “‘You're headed for a one-term...
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It’s nice to see they don’t think people are as stupid as the EPA does. Washington Post  (6/6/13) reports: “As U.C. Berkeley’s Catherine Wolfram explains in an interesting new post, this “MPG illusion” could have huge implications for the auto market. Many people who are set on buying SUVs, say, appear to underrate the fuel savings that come from buying a slightly more efficient SUV. But as the example above shows, those gains are often quite large… It might turn out that one...
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This is like those movies where the parents arrange for their kid to be kidnapped so they can cash in on the ransom. It never ends well. IER (6/5/13) reports: “One of the tactics environmental activists groups use to promote greater regulatory control over the economy is lawsuits. This is an especially effective tactic if environmental groups sue a sympathetic administration with the hopes of settling the lawsuit without the need for the administration to go through the regular regulatory...
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It must be so convenient to have an explanation for everything. The Guardian (6/3/13) reports: “Piraino said at least 150,000 people were treated for jellyfish stings around the Mediterranean each summer… Global warming, overfishing and human intervention – especially breakwaters that protect sandy beaches but provide a home for larvae – are all blamed. As predators disappear, population surges are happening with greater frequency.” The EPA is clearly devoted to the...
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Let’s talk about energy subsidies (on Friday). Join us with the National Review for lunch and a “High Noon Debate” to talk about the energy subsidy experiment.  Greenpeace has given you permission to not feel guilty about climate change. You see, oil companies are using your honorable sense of personal responsibility as a weapon against your consciousness. (Heads up: this is a spoiler alert for the sequel to Inception, starring guilt-free-carbon-guzzler Leo DiCaprio). ...
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