Pierre Desrochers’ course at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Energy and Society, might just be the single best introduction to its subject in North America.

The students get both sides in impressive depth. As such, this course provides a study guide for anyone interested in the multi-faceted issues around the master resource.

Part I today presents the course description as well as the videos and readings from the first two weeks of the class. Part II tomorrow will cover the readings for carbon-based energies (oil, natural gas, coal).

Objective:

The development of new energy sources has had a major impact on the development of both human societies and the environment. This course will provide a broad survey of past and current achievements, along with failures and controversies, regarding the use of various forms of energy.…

“[Business columnist] Chris Tomlinson fails to mention fascist governance as another possibility whereby the means of production are ostensibly in private hands, but serve actively to implement government policy. Crony capitalism comes close to that model as larger corporations do a mating dance melding government funding with government policy, and shut out the less well funded and connected smaller commercial entities, while the hapless public gets taxed to fund the charade.”

Chris Tomlinson‘s columns in the Business section of the Houston Chronicle opine on broadly defined energy issues, especially those with a perceived impact on Houston. He is dismissive of the central role of mineral energies for today’s standard of living and refuses to question climate alarmism (the Dessler effect?). He sees government correction as automatic, as if there were not “government failure” in the quest to address “market failure.”…

“Energy is the lifeblood our society. It doesn’t just fuel our cars and power our homes, but it connects us to one another and makes our lives healthier, safer, and more fulfilling. However, recent policies are leading to rising energy costs – and African Americans are disproportionately hurt. Low income families pay a greater share of their income on utilities in some cases as much as 35%.”

 – Derrick Hollie, Reaching America. Quoted in DeSmogBlog, “Derrick Hollie.” (February 2019)

“DeSmogBlog believes that by simply tying a person to fossil fuels makes him or her suspect. That might work with its donors and Green New Deal base, but to most Americans, Derrick Hollie is guilty as charged–and a scholar and Great American to boot.” (below)

DeSmogBlog is a Left-funded website intended to expose proponents of consumer-chosen, taxpayer-neutral, dense, reliable energies.…

The 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:

Bill Gates about the foolishness of renewables

Short Anti-wind video by Ohio citizens

Study: The $2.5 trillion reason we can’t rely on batteries to clean up the grid

Evolution of Electricity Rates

New Huge Study: Wind Turbines Devalue nearby Homes

Abstracts for upcoming 8^th International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise

PhD Letter re Turbine Health Impacts

German citizen anti-wind effort results in installations slump

Electoral Platitudes = Energy Trauma for Citizens

Goodbye to a misguided war on coal

Hot Day in Australia results in massive blackouts

Wind + Natural Gas

Study: Grid Scale Electricity Storage Can’t Save Renewables

The 10 Most Insane Requirements Of The Green New Deal

The Green New Deal is a leftist politician’s worst enemy

Green New Deal: The Devil Is in the Details

Green New Deal: Looks Like A Dem Parody Bill

The Green New Deal is a Prescription for Poverty

Greenhouse-warming theory does not appear to even be physically possible

Physicist: Don’t fall for the argument about ‘settled science’

Revised: Deficiencies In the IPCC’s SR15 Special Report

Stop The Climate Stupidity

Why the Left Loves and Hates Science

Greed Energy Economics:

Bill Gates about the foolishness of renewables

Study: The $2.5 trillion reason we can’t rely on batteries to clean up the grid

Evolution of Electricity Rates

New Huge Study: Wind Turbines Devalue nearby Homes

The Three Major Problems with a Carbon Tax

Cost-Effectively Being Dumb

Study: Tax Abatements and the Texas Wind Industry

Short video: Texas town has $30M burden after going “100% renewable”

Green Energy Being Abandoned As Economics Go Red

The foolishness of Canadians paying a Carbon Tax

The Myth of the Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax

Carbon Taxes Aren’t Working Any More

Wyoming takes its yearly look at raising a tax on wind energy

PG&E may shed $40± billion worth of renewable contracts

Could PTC rush jeopardize U.S.…