Editor note: This op-ed, published on April 21, 2000, in the Houston Chronicle, can be revisited to see how the arguments have held up for today. One unanticipated development was the BP Horizon oil spill of 2010, which resulted in a cumulative cost to BP of $61.8 billion. (One only wonders if the spill would have occurred if ‘beyond petroleum’ BP would have focused on real environmental and safety issues instead of global-warming greenwashing in the decade prior to its historic, infamous environmental mess.) The fundamental question remains: are fossil fuels more or less ‘sustainable’ today versus 16 years ago?
A great hue and cry is being heard this Earth Day about how our hydrocarbon-based energy economy is unsustainable. Air pollution is worsening, hydrocarbon resources are depleting and greenhouse gas emissions are destabilizing the planet, a chorus of individuals and groups contends.…
Continue Reading“You must separate out being pro free enterprise from being pro business. The two greatest enemies of the free enterprise system, in my opinion, have been, on the one hand, my fellow intellectuals, and, on the other hand, the big businessmen.” (Milton Friedman)
“Utility regulation is the unholy union of vested privilege and authoritarian ideology that produces the Rosemary’s baby of flagrant cronyism.” (below)
When an economic libertarian criticizes Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light (the utilities in my service area), it doesn’t mean that big corporations or business in general is bad. Quite the contrary, business operating in a free market is morally legitimate and has a sound public policy purpose.
What is opposed is the use of government power to enrich an enterprise instead of winning consumers through superior performance in a competitive market.…
Continue ReadingThe Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy and environmental policies. Our premise is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science (please consult WiseEnergy.org for more information).
A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every three weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and the environment. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.
Some of the more important articles in this issue are:
Examining the Economic Effects of State RPS Programs
Feds End “Unjust” Exemption for Wind Energy
Germany Votes To Abandon Most Green Energy Subsidies
Excellent Discussion of Wind Turbines and Infrasound
Wind Turbines Killing Tens of Thousands of Bats, Many Endangered
Best Alternative Energy Source is Nuclear Energy
How Renewable Energy Is Blowing Climate Change Efforts Off Course
Britain’s New PM Drives a Stake Through the Heart of the Green Vampire
Global Warming Skepticism is Not Fraud
Good short video: Do 97% of Scientists Agree?…
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