“Opposition ranges from concerns about the effects of turbine noise on neighbors, degradation of the quality of life in the area where turbines will be sited, conflicts of interest on the part of elected town officials regarding the project, destruction of forest areas by construction and harm to bats and birds because of the blades.” (“Public Hearings Tuesday on Alle-Catt Wind Farm,” Olean Times Herald, June 7, 2019)
A article this week in the Olean Times Herald is an interesting look at what is going on with industrial wind at the grassroots. Jim Eckstrom reports from western New York where Chicago-based Invenergy proposes to erect up to one hundred 600-foot tall turbines in three western New York counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Wyoming.
After announcing the meeting specifics, Eckstrom lays out the issues in a way that indicates, clearly, that this is a debate that is joined.…
Continue Reading“We have done extensive polling on a carbon tax. It all sucks.”
– John Podesta (Clinton campaign manager), January 2015.
“[A carbon tax is] lethal in the general [election], so I don’t want to support one.”
– Robby Mook (Clinton campaign manager), June 2015.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign would not touch it. Neither would be Democratic Platform in 2016. “[Hillary] Clinton has no intention of being suckered into a political disaster by advocating a carbon tax,” stated Democrat consultant
Paul Bledsoe in July 2016.
If Republicans will come out for it and vote for it, that’s a different matter. But until that happens, the Democrats should have nothing to do with it, because it’s political poison.” –
So if attention-hungry, anti-Trump Republicans (such as Mitt Romney) want to make a carbon tax an issue, be careful.…
Continue Reading“I believe there’s a change in weather, and I think it changes both ways. Don’t forget, it used to be called ‘global warming,’ that wasn’t working, then it was called ‘climate change.’ Now it’s actually called ‘extreme weather,’ because with extreme weather you can’t miss.” (Donald Trump to Piers Morgan, “ITV Good Morning Britain Show,” June 5, 2019)
President Donald Trump deserves a prize from classical liberals for his position on climate change. In fact, I challenge any conservative, libertarian, or classical liberal to offer a better example of courage in the face of government activism and political correctness in recent times.
In terms of energy policy, despite negative international trade issues (see
(here, here, and here for my tariff misgivings), President Trump is arguably the most free-market energy President in U.S.…