A Free-Market Energy Blog

The Fruitful Earth and CO2 Fertilization: A Biblical Defense (Part II: Righteousness)

By -- August 20, 2015

“Neither is there any indication that the number of people on the planet will ever grow too great, in and of itself, to threaten any of God’s other creations. Indeed, the Lord always speaks of the multiplying and increasing of mankind’s numbers as something to be desired.”

“[E]ven now, we may already be unknowing participants in the great plan, as our burning of fossil fuels releases long-sequestered carbon to the atmosphere, awakening earth’s plant life from the lethargy of the low CO2 concentrations under which it has basically slumbered throughout the entire history of man.”

[NOTE: This concludes my two-part post from yesterday.]

As technology has increased in the earth, the Industrial Revolution has indeed taken its toll on the planet, but not in the ways decried by those who would turn back the clock to a simpler time.…

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The Fruitful Earth and CO2 Fertilization: A Biblical Defense (Part I: Essential Questions)

By -- August 19, 2015

Protecting the environment has become a key consideration in almost all that we do; for it is put forth as a self-evident fact that being good to the Earth is the only way to ensure that our children and grandchildren will inherit a world that provides equal or greater opportunities and resources than that in which we now live. But who decides what is right and what is wrong in this regard? For a sizable segment of earth’s population, such answers are found in the Bible.

Comprised of writings dating back thousands of years, this sacred book serves as an ethical compass for people of numerous faiths. It records historical events that reach back to the world’s beginnings, and contains prophetic writings that foretell the world’s future. But does the Bible cast any light on society’s stewardship role with respect to the environment and the other forms of life with which we share the planet?…

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Brattle Group: Statism for Electricity (chairman Peter Fox-Penner makes his case)

By -- August 18, 2015

“The two greatest enemies of free enterprise in the United States … have been, on the one hand, my fellow intellectuals and, on the other hand, the business corporations of this country.”

 – Milton Friedman, “Which Way for Capitalism?” Reason, May 1977, p. 21.

Power markets are badly distorted by government intervention. Ratepayer welfare and economic efficiency are routinely sacrificed. Protected companies under public-utility regulation have a me-first ratebase mentality. The worst often get on top, with the real entrepreneurs elsewhere.

In place of more competition, innovation, and growing volumes, political incentives are deciding the what-when-where-how much questions of electricity generation, transmission, and sales. Political pressures in the name of the environment (“saving the planet,” etc.) are now guiding state-regulated utilities to meet state and federal regulation.

The coming of efficiency and climate policies have given the monopolists new territory, particularly as the commodity side of their business has been taken away (such as in Texas).…

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Refrack Resourceship: Why the Carbon-based Energy Era Is Still Young

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 17, 2015
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Bald and Golden Eagles Victorious: Court Invalidates 30-Year “Eagle Take” Rule (feds vs. federal law)

By Robert Johns -- August 13, 2015
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Industrial Wind vs. Rural America, Electricity Markets

By Mary Kay Barton -- August 12, 2015
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Wind Turbines vs. Weather Radar in Tornado Alley (Nebraska showdown)

By -- August 11, 2015
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Final Power Plant Rule: The Hit Get Hit Harder

By Scott Segal -- August 10, 2015
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Heath Effects from Industrial Wind: Australian Testimony (Part II: Dr. Sarah Laurie)

By Sherri Lange -- August 6, 2015
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Heath Effects from Industrial Wind: Australian Testimony (Part I: Robert McMurtry)

By Sherri Lange -- August 5, 2015
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