President’s Day: Best and Worst, Energy-wise

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 15, 2021 2 Comments

“There are far too few heroes and far too many failures in the history of presidential energy politics.”

Who can claim to be a true energy President from a pro-consumer, pro-taxpayer, pro-free-market perspective?

Which U.S. heads qualify for an anti-energy label for violating economics 101–and endangering the health and welfare of all of us who rely on the MasterResource?

Of the 30 or so candidates in the Lincoln-to-Biden era (the first commercial oil well dates from 1859), just a few names compete for the best, while many more vie for the worst.

Two Best: Trump and Reagan

The best two from a classical liberal perspective are Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan. A third candidate just does not come to mind, certainly in the modern energy era.…

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Ayn Rand on Energy Disruption (1970s message to Bernie and Bloomberg)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 12, 2020 2 Comments

There is no “natural” or geological crisis; there is an enormous political one. It is in the nature of a mixed economy that its policies are rationally inexplicable.

The filling stations of the universities have dried up long ago and have been peddling a corrosive mix that paralyzes the brains of the nation. If you want to fight pollution, start with the philosophy departments; and if you want to refuel–well, look for new sources of energy.

– Ayn Rand, The Energy Crisis, Part I and Part II (November 1973) [1]

Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum, known to the world as Ayn Rand, was born 115 years ago in Saint Petersburg, Russian. She died in New York City on March 6, 1982. Best known as a novelist, she wrote on contemporary issues later in life.…

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Sixty Minutes on the Kiddie Climate Lawsuit: Hypocrisy Squared

By Robert Endlich -- March 18, 2019 7 Comments

CBS producer Mihaljevic says not a word to suggest that a kid living on a barrier island anywhere along the hurricane-prone Atlantic coast today somehow faces environmental threats not confronted by kids on the Atlantic or Gulf Coast mainland. Indeed, the CBS video of young Levi Draheim was shot on a sunny day with light winds, an ideal beach day with nary a hurricane or thunderstorm in sight, leaving the subtle impression that the only threat he should fear is seas that are rising ever faster because of manmade climate change.

On 3 March 2019 the popular CBS Sixty Minutes newsmagazine featured a story on the Climate  Kids’ lawsuit, Juliana vs. the United States. It included a feature-length segment by CBS Correspondent Steve Croft, and smaller segments in the “Sixty Minutes Overtime” also directly available at the same link.…

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Glenn Schleede: Some Tributes (A long energy career that history will judge sustainable)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 23, 2017 5 Comments

“Glenn took the time – time he could’ve chose to spend out on the golf course – to put together papers which served as tutorials to help all of us understand the complex terminologies and issues we would have to become familiar with if we were to be successful at deterring the industrialization of our respective regions via the industrial wind scam.”

– Mary Kay Barton (below)

“Glenn Schleede remains, along with Tom Tanton, a mentor first among equals. And he’s the most decent man I know.”

– Jon Boone (below)

“In the most trying debates, Glenn had an uncanny ability to focus on the big picture yet explain nuances to the novice and expert alike. He always shared his knowledge with compassion and passion. ”

– Tom Tanton (below)

Glenn R. …

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“The Energy Crisis of the 1970s: Looking Back, Looking Ahead” (Econ 101 needed at RFF seminar)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 4, 2016 8 Comments Continue Reading

When Romm Blamed Reagan for “this energy mess” (Jimmy Carter lives!)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 12, 2016 No Comments Continue Reading

Epstein’s Truth to Boxer’s Power: An Energy Highlight of 2016

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 19, 2016 3 Comments Continue Reading

Jane Mayer on Energy Policy: Some Corrections

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 11, 2016 No Comments Continue Reading

Energy for a Free Society: The American Energy Act (IER/AEA)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 7, 2015 No Comments Continue Reading

‘Energy Independence’: A Dirty Dozen (Economist Grossman’s list)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 27, 2014 1 Comment Continue Reading