A Free-Market Energy Blog

Reset at Resources for the Future? (latest fundraising pitch hints at intellectual diversity)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 21, 2016

“The Obama Administration brought out the worst in RFF in the last eight years. Will the Trump era of new energy/climate thinking be intellectually respected and debated under RFF’s new president, Richard Newell? One can only hope that RFF does not become Fortress RFF.”

“RFF’s blockade against critics of climate alarmism/forced energy transformation is a sad case of intellectual back-of-the-bus, separate-water-fountain discrimination.”

“RFF has trenchantly avoided a real debate over the ‘social cost of carbon’ (SCC). Yet the assumptions behind the Obama Administration’s SCC are highly disputable, and reasonable assumptions can flip the sign from positive to negative (as in CO2 has net benefits) to eviscerate any case for pricing CO2.”

Maybe it is only because they have to.

Resources for the Future (RFF), founded in 1952, describes itself as “an independent, nonpartisan organization that conducts rigorous economic research and analysis to help leaders make better decisions and craft smarter policies about natural resources and the environment” that is “committed to intellectual excellence and practical solutions.”…

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LED Highway Lighting: Quality Issues (new AMA warning)

By -- December 20, 2016

“While there are many positives for LEDs, the AMA looked at the light output quality and the potential health impact. The AMA committee that examined the issue and issued the health warning explained in great detail how LED lights operate and how they may impact humans and nocturnal wildlife by increasing glare and disrupting the circadian rhythm of humans.”

US cities that have installed or are considering installing new light emitting diode (LED) highway lights are now dealing with a recent warning from the American Medical Association (AMA) about the health issues from this lighting for drivers and residents. Currently, cities have converted about 10% of their highway lights to LED lights, primarily switching from high pressure sodium (HPS) lights. They were considering accelerating the pace of conversion–until the health warning.…

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The War on Pipelines: The Radical Left Goes Midstream

By Donn Dears -- December 19, 2016

“Blocking the construction of pipelines is endangering all Americans, because pipelines are the safest method for transporting oil, natural gas and other petroleum products, such as gasoline, and because both oil and natural gas are vital to the safety and economic health of all Americans.”

The political left is fighting hard to prevent the building of pipelines. Currently, the most noisy protest has been to prevent the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. This pipeline is being built to transport oil from the Bakken shale oil fields to an Illinois refinery.

The Climate Disobedience Action Fund temporarily shut down five other pipelines in support of the group protesting the Dakota Access pipeline.

The name of this group, i.e., Climate Disobedience, actually defines the real purpose for all the attempts to shut down oil and natural gas pipelines.…

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How NOT to Regulate Pesticides: EU, Canada Lessons for Trump (Part II)

By -- December 16, 2016
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How NOT to Regulate Pesticides: EU, Canada Lessons for Trump (Part I)

By -- December 15, 2016
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DOE-designate Perry’s Windy Past (Texas, per-Enron, a wind welfare queen)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 14, 2016
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Trump on Verge of WIIN-ing* California Water War Before Taking Office

By -- December 13, 2016
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Modelling Global Warming Policy Decisions: Mitigation Fails

By Kent Hawkins --
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Energy & Environmental Newsletter: December 12, 2016

By -- December 12, 2016
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Shelter Ontario’s Citizens from Industrial-Wind’s Tempest: III

By Sherri Lange -- December 9, 2016
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