After the fifth debate of Democrats contending for the Presidential nomination, physicians should not be venturing to make psychiatric diagnoses. But all Americans should be considering the wisdom of the proposals to “fight climate change” with policies like wind energy.
If a Democrat is elected and manages to implement the proposals, the planet will not die from climate disruption. Then he or she can claim to be the savior. However, the climate will proceed to follow natural laws and keep changing, no matter what humans do, confounding the latest apocalyptic predictions, as has happened over and over again.
Q3 2019 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Historically, the Chinese market has been relatively isolated from international investors, but much is changing there now, making China virtually impossible for the diversified investor to ignore. Earlier this year, CNBC pointed to signs that Chinese regulators may start easing up on their scrutiny of companies after months of clamping down on tech firms. That Read More
What exactly is proposed? Proclaim a climate state of emergency on Day 1. Then what? “Take on” the fossil-fuel industry, the candidates promise. Jail executives? Shut down pipelines? Ban fracking? Revoke drilling permits? Impose a carbon tax? Shutter coal-fired electrical generating stations? Then what?
Wind industry in danger?
Will the U.S. import more oil from Saudi Arabia, even though its ruler slaughtered an American journalist? Will we see widespread protests like the “Yellow Vest” movement in France sparked by the carbon tax on fuel? Or thousands of tractors blocking the highways, as in the Netherlands and Germany as farmers drive to the capital?
Or will the new President somehow conjure up millions of good-paying “green” jobs and enough “clean” energy to avert California-style blackouts?
Let’s look at real-world experience. Despite half a trillion dollars in subsidies, more than half of Germany’s electricity is generated by fossil fuels. Wind contributes only 17% and solar 7%. The wind industry is now collapsing as subsidies expire and opposition mounts from wildlife and forest conservationists, and 300,000 German households each year have their power shut off because of inability to pay the bills.
What will the “green” workers be doing? Clearing a land area of more than 175,000 square miles, greater than at least ten eastern states, to make way for the solar panels and wind turbines? De-icing turbine blades from a helicopter?
Debate moderators asked no questions like these, but voters must.
As to mental health, vast numbers of people worldwide, especially children, are suffering anxiety, depression, and even despair about climate change. In many schools they are subjected to constant indoctrination in the radical view that industrial capitalism has destroyed their future.
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I think the author makes some interesting points that deserve a fact-based response. I can’t speak to German power generation, but here in the US we have we can do to make our energy industry sustainable.
1. The wind industry is not “collapsing”, at least in the US. Wind is growing faster than coal (which IS collapsing.)
2. The California blackouts have nothing to do with renewable energy. Upgraded transmission lines will be needed there whether the source is nuclear, fossil, or wind.
3. I agree that we are giving unnexcessary stress to our children by making them believe only THEY can solve our “climate emergency”. Climate change is a threat, but it will be addressed by ADULTS.
This kind of right-wing pro-fossil fuel blather doesn’t inspire me to buy a subscription to Value Walk.
Why not talk about promising investments in green energy, such as Enphase? Or have some contributions from the writers of the book Drawdown, where instead of right-wing denialism or depressing dogmatic left-wing catastrophism, they get into the practicalities of numerous solutions that offer us a better future? Most of their examples would be improvements to the status quo, even if there weren’t a threat from increasing greenhouse gases.
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