Breakthrough! Houston Chronicle Published Non-alarmist Climate Op-ed

Ed. Note: Today’s post provides the background and significance of Robert Bradley’s op-ed in The Houston Chronicle, “World Should be Optim­istic About Our Fossil Fuel Future.”

For more than a decade, my once regular site for climate/energy opinion-page editorials has been off limits, with only a few letters-to-the-editor published. Examples from the good-old-days:

• “ExxonMobil on Right Path” (June 14, 2009)
• “Climate-Change Alarmism Runs into a Reality Check” (January 9, 2009)
• “False Alarms and Climate Change” (March 30, 2008)
• “Al Gore’s Telling Whoppers Again” (June 4, 2006)
• “Shoppers: There is a Bright Side to Rising Gas Prices” (April 18, 2002)
• “President is Correct to Ignore Climate Alarmists” (May 14, 2001)
• “Fear Not: The Energy Malthusians Are Wrong” ( April 21, 2000)

That changed completely when the well-monied Progressive Left captured the Chronicle, probably via grants from Big Green nonprofits that ensured that pro-wind, pro-solar, pro-“energy transformation” reporting was the regular fare–and contrary articles such as my mine kept out (with nary an explanation, much less simple acknowledgement).…

Rooftop Solar Litigation: Find a Lawyer

Social media is home to a number of legal solicitations regarding rooftop solar contracts where homeowners are tied into long-term solar contracts with bankrupt companies. Lawyers win; everyone else loses. Previous posts at MasterResource (here and here) have documented the collapse of this subindustry.

UPRISE: More Federal Nuclear Subsidization

“By aligning DOE resources, industry expertise, and regulatory reforms, UPRISE will lead to significant increases in the nation’s nuclear energy capacity….” (U.S. Department of Energy press release)

Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE) is the latest more-government federal initiative. UPRISE joins federal R&D, the Price Anderson Act, the Production Tax Credit, and other preferences–versus the micromanagement, overregulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

UPRISE is described by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as follows:

Background 

Nuclear energy plays a vital role in ensuring America’s energy security and achieving energy dominance. With rising national energy demands, UPRISE builds on the U.S. Department of Energy’s commitment to leveraging nuclear power as a cornerstone of energy independence and security. By focusing on solutions available today and immediate opportunities for nuclear energy capacity expansion, UPRISE aims to deliver immediate results that align with national energy priorities. …

Wind Ecology Pushback (biodiversity loss joins the list)

Ken Brook takes on Greepeace’s David Ritter

“… as fossil fuel use declines….” Magical energy Thinking in Print

Texas A&M’s Dessler Joins Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association

Michael Mann Praises Paul Ehrlich (for the record)

Competitive Nuclear: An Exchange

Alberta Joins Solar/Wind Bust (uneconomic energy hits political risk)