A Free-Market Energy Blog

Julian Simon on the Ultimate Resource (forget about ‘peak energy’–worry about peak government)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- September 5, 2009

Julian Simon (1932–98) is an inspiration to those of us here at MasterResource and, indeed, the whole capitalist movement. Indeed, it was he who characterized energy as the master resource and human ingenuity as the ultimate resource.

In honor of Simon, I have reproduced some quotations from his works and invite readers to add their favorite in the comment section.

“The world’s problem is not too many people, but a lack of political and economic freedom.”

– Julian Simon, The Ultimate Resource 2 (Princeton, N.Y.: Princeton University Press, 1996), p. 11.

“There is only one important resource which has shown a trend of increasing scarcity rather than increasing abundance. That resource is the most important of all—human beings. . . . [An] increase in the price of peoples’ services is a clear indication that people are becoming more scarce even though there are more of us.”

Continue Reading

India’s Tripled CO2 Emissions by 2030: A ‘Carbon Constrained’ World?

By -- September 4, 2009

India released an analysis on Wednesday projecting tripled carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030, the New York Times reports. Taking into account five independent studies, India expects to release between 4 billion and 7 billion tons by 2030, BBC News reports, compared to 1.2 billion tons today.

India released the analysis to strengthen its bargaining position at the December Copenhagen climate summit where delegates will attempt to negotiate a successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. The United States and other industrialized nations contend that India should adopt binding emission limits. India refuses, arguing that mandatory restrictions would stifle the country’s economic development.

The analysis supports this position, explains Jairam Ramesh, India’s minister of environment and forests, because India’s per capita emissions in 2030 will still be much lower than that of any developed country today.…

Continue Reading

EU Renewables Forcing: At What Cost and What Loss of Reliability?

By Carlo Stagnaro -- September 3, 2009

The European Union has set a target of doubling the share of renewable energy sources (RES) to 20 percent by 2020. This is a very aggressive target given the growing grass-roots opposition of landscape-loving citizens against windpower and the large country-by-country deficits compared to the target.

The political consensus behind this renewables target is premised on the notions that:

  1. The transition will be done at little or no cost and will result in economic recovery and job creation, and
  2. The target will mitigate environmental disaster, most notably the ill effects of anthropogenic climate change.

Unfortunately, the target has been adopted before realizing what it would mean for the EU’s economy. Now, more detailed information has emerged. As more information becomes available–and the costs become more apparent–expect a public backlash. One can even predict that ‘green fatigue’ will increasingly emerge in the EU.…

Continue Reading

China Goes ‘Green’ – Collecting the Pot at the Climate Policy Poker Table

By Donald Hertzmark -- September 2, 2009
Continue Reading

Why is the Party in Power So Fearful of Copenhagen? (Is a ‘death spiral’ for climate alarmism ahead?)

By Kenneth P. Green -- September 1, 2009
Continue Reading

Response to ‘Peak Oil’ Critics (the hydrocarbon age is still young: plan accordingly)

By -- August 31, 2009
Continue Reading

Houston’s Energy Citizens Rally (and why silence from Chronicle editorial board?)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 29, 2009
Continue Reading

The Waxman-Markey Gravy Train (Part II): Specific Winners in the Electric Industry

By Robert Peltier -- August 28, 2009
Continue Reading

Waxman–Markey’s Gravy Train: Why the Electric Industry Got on Board (Getting favors, adding pages to H.R. 2454)

By Robert Peltier -- August 27, 2009
Continue Reading

Climate Sensitivity Estimates: Heading Down, Way Down? (Richard Lindzen’s New Paper)

By Chip Knappenberger -- August 26, 2009
Continue Reading