“A better solution would see pipeline companies negotiate with landowners privately to access their property and come to terms on compensation. While some might argue this will slow down pipeline production, given the recent difficulties the industry has faced getting ‘stakeholder’ and government approval, I am confident private negotiations that respect property rights are ultimately more practical for industry.”
Yes, you can support energy transport and keep your property rights, too.
Affordable, reliable energy has been one of the greatest liberating forces in human history. Oil and other fossil fuels have made life immeasurably better for much of mankind. We live longer and enjoy greater prosperity because of oil and those who drill it, ship it and refine it.
Despite this, when I was asked at an all candidates debate while running for office in Fort McMurray representing the Libertarian Party of Canada whether I was “pro-pipelines or anti-pipelines,” I wasn’t able to provide a definitive answer.
…“In the green state of Vermont, a 28-turbine mega-wind project is being vehemently opposed by some board members and citizens in the towns of Windham and Grafton, concerned that the power station would affect property values and the environment.”
“When I stopped in Somerset [Vermont] a few days ago, the turbine blades did not seem to move at all. An educational display was still posted outside the turnpike service plaza, with all the potential savings for the Earth from harnessing wind power. No mention of the huge costs associated with such a pie-in-the-sky watermelon dream.”
I saw the once-verdant wheat fields of Eastern Europe covered with ugly wind turbines, slowly spinning their huge blades into the wind. A few funnel dust swirls were blowing the topsoil into the air. They did not appear to be connected to any storage station that would distribute the electrical power generated.
…“The fact that electricity costs the average German four-to-five times as much as the average American is of no import, according to the ACEEE.”
Some organizations publish studies purporting to demonstrate why their proposals are good for America. But the proffered intellectual justification is really opinion masquerading as facts.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEE) recently published another study–uncritically reported on by the media in Canada and the US–claiming to document that America remained behind Germany in energy efficiency.
The ACEEE uses a methodology in their reports that include non-tangible policy issues, such as whether a government has enacted the types of legislation desired by the ACEEE. Governments adopting these policies rank highly in ACEE studies, while countries that don’t adopt their environmental policies rank poorly.
These biased studies are eagerly highlighted by the anti-free-energy-market media to show how backward the US is in developing energy programs to cut CO2 emissions.
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