“In 2015, scientists at NASA predicted that the Ozone Hole would be half closed by 2020. That hasn’t happened. Other scientists have forecasted that the hole will not begin to disappear until 2040 or later. But the longer the hole persists, the greater the likelihood that the ozone layer is dominated by natural factors, not human CFC emissions.”

Another year has passed, and that stubborn Ozone Hole over Antarctica refuses to go away. Data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows that the area of the Ozone Hole remains about the same as it has been over the last 30 years. But will scientists admit that they didn’t save the ozone layer?

Background

Ozone is a gas made up of three oxygen atoms (O₃). Ninety percent of the ozone in the atmosphere is found in the stratosphere, a layer of atmosphere between about 10 and 50 kilometers in altitude.…

Ed. Note: This post excerpts energy and climate material from the Media Balance Newsletter, a free fortnightly published by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. The complete Newsletter for this post can be found here.

Greed Energy Economics:
*** “Green” Hydrogen Subsidies are 1,900x Larger Than What’s Given to Nuclear

Unreliables (General):
*** Coming Clean on Clean Energy: It’s a Dirty Business
(Alex Epstein) Summer Talking Points: Unreliable Power
Wholesale prices surge as wind and solar output falls to zero in South Australia

Wind Energy — Offshore:
*** Report: Offshore Wind Turbines May Kill You
Vineyard Wind turbine debris makes it to Cape Cod
Floating Offshore Wind – A Financial Catastrophe
Feds must rethink authorizing harassment of whales by offshore wind

Wind Energy — Other:
*** Taking the Wind Out of Climate Change (referencing 60± studies)
*** Report: Clearing the Air — Honest Truths About Clean Energy
Wind project shelved after landholders change their minds

Solar Energy:
State Regulations Force Bankruptcy of California Solar Company

Nuclear Energy:
*** Swedes Embrace Nuclear & Join Europe’s Grand Rejection of Wind & Solar Transition
*** Small modular nuclear reactors could be an affordable path to a carbon-free future
America’s oldest nuclear plants are in Upstate, and NY needs them.…

“The Climate Commitment Act will have a negligible effect on the climate, but if not repealed, it will continue to significantly raise fuel, food, and utility prices in Washington State.”

Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) faces the possibility of repeal this fall. Governor Jay Inslee and others claim the CCA will reduce pollution and help stop climate change. But the CCA isn’t having the slightest effect on the climate, while boosting the cost of living for Washington residents.

Washington’s aggressive measure, passed in 2021, implements a cap-and-invest program designed to reduce state greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent by 2050. Businesses with emissions of 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year must purchase allowances equal to their emissions and turn them in to state agencies. The act also established CO2 auctions, encouraging companies to trade allowances and reduce emissions.…

“Because of greenhouse gas saturation in the atmosphere, methane regulations across the world will have no measurable effect on global temperatures.” 

In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published new methane emissions regulations for the oil and gas industry. The European Union enacted new rules to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector in May. Agriculture is also being targeted regarding methane.

But methane regulations, even if established worldwide, won’t have a measurable effect on global temperatures. However, they will raise costs for energy and food, impacting consumers and businesses.

On March 8, EPA finalized its rule on methane emissions for the oil and gas sector. The rule is intended to “reduce wasteful methane emissions that endanger communities and fuel the climate crisis.” The new policy will require companies to pay a penalty of $900 for every ton of methane emitted above limits set by the EPA, starting this year.…