A recent article in the Washington Post proclaims that U.S. oil imports are falling to their lowest level since 1987. The decrease in imports is a combination of two things, Americans using less oil because of an economic downturn and increased domestic production. The increase in domestic production can be attributed to the increased usage of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and directional drilling to unlock oil from the many, vast shale formations the United States is blessed...
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We needed to let this ripen for a day.  Its awesomeness originally overwhelmed us. Forbes (1/30/13) reports: “The EPA's Lisa Jackson: The Worst Head of the Worst Regulatory Agency, Ever… President Obama and his minions seem to think that freedom is a four-letter word.  His administration has imposed an array of intrusive, nanny-state, financial, environmental and consumer-product regulations that will cost Americans hundreds of billions of dollars.”   The good news is that this...
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We’re not entirely cynical, because Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy are still real. Consumer Energy Report  (1/29/13) reports: "I don’t ride a unicorn to work because unicorns don’t exist… But imagine the following scenario. A number of companies claim that they are developing unicorns, and in 3 years they will be commercially available. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thinks ‘Hey, this is a great idea. It would be a more environmentally friendly method of transport....
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What will it take for people to realize that electricity isn’t generated by a bunch of wizards and fairy tales at Hogwarts? Washington Times  (1/27/13) reports: “Environmental Protection Agency regulations are snuffing out another power plant, Chase Power announced Wednesday, killing its $3 billion Corpus Christi, Texas, coal project and 3,900 prospective jobs… ‘Chase Power … has opted to suspend efforts to further permit the facility and is seeking alternative investors as part...
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It's not a question of enough, pal.  It's a zero sum game – somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or made; it's simply transferred from one perception to another. Phoenix Business Journal ( 1/19/13) reports: “Salt River Project is evaluating a plan put forward by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would require as much as $1.1 billion in emission upgrades at the Navajo Generating Station… The coal-fired power plant near Page is owned by a consortium of...
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People who have watched environmental policy debates soon learn that the alarmist interventionists—the ones claiming that the government needs to act quickly in order to prevent catastrophe—are not afraid to throw around terrifying statistics that are absurd on their face. In a different forum, I walked through this phenomenon when it came to proposed regulations of mercury emissions from power plants. Susan Dudley, of George Washington University’s Regulatory Studies Center,...
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What the hell, it's only money, right? Daily Caller  (1/24/13) reports: “California has been a leader in Renewable Energy production, in part due to federal and state level policies that provide incentives for producers of renewable power. However, a new report found that California’s Energy policies will raise state power rates and associated costs by nearly 33 percent… The report by the free-market Pacific Research Institute specifically focuses on the additional costs imposed by a...
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WASHINGTON D.C. -- American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle released the following statement on reports that Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), will introduce climate change legislation today: "The president had much to say about climate change in his inaugural speech this week.  And while his Press Secretary made clear that the administration's efforts in this area will largely bypass Congress, Henry Waxman deserves some degree of commendation for his...
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How much electricity do you figure all that stuff uses?  How many coal miners in West Virginia did it take to power this party?  How many different petrochemicals and people taking heart medication are in the room?  How many of these rich people jetted in? National Wildlife Federation  (1/21/13) reports: “VIP celebrities confirmed to attend the event include: Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green, current and former Washington Redskins players Lorenzo Alexander, Kedric Golston,...
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  In policy debates over energy and climate change, the deck is automatically stacked against the free market. Whatever the alleged problem—dependence on foreign oil, manmade global warming, air pollution — the politicians can pose as saviors by swooping in with new regulations, mandates, and taxes to “fix” it. When the critics point out that these alleged solutions will only make things worse, most people don’t care: At least the interventions want to do something about the...
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