Pope Francis on Climate Change: An Encyclical Failure

By James Rust -- June 23, 2015 4 Comments

“There’s nothing that does so much harm as good intentions.”

Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.”

– Milton Friedman

On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis issued his ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI (Praise Be To You) OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE OF OUR COMMON HOME.

The 184-page letter consists of 246 paragraphs of which seven (paragraphs 20–26) are devoted to POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE. This document followed a one-day conference, Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity: The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, to which The Heartland Institute and Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) sent scientific representatives. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to speak at the conference; but they created sensational news across the world by well attended press conferences.…

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AWED Energy & Environmental Newsletter: June 22, 2015

By -- June 22, 2015 4 Comments

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.

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Some very good articles in this issue are:

What’s the cost of CO2 emissions abatement with wind turbines?

The Poor Need Affordable Energy

Study: Globally Coal Growing Faster than any other Energy Source

The Difficulties Of Powering The Modern World With Renewables

Lessons from Europe: Recipe for a high-cost energy system

Is the European Renewable Energy Bubble About To Burst?

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Exxon Mobil Rejects Crony Energy (Tillerson channels Lee Raymond)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 18, 2015 4 Comments

“We in the petroleum industry are not dismissing the global climate change issue. But I don’t believe anyone should have the moral authority to deny people the opportunity to improve their way in life by arbitrarily depriving them of the means…. I hope that the governments of this region will work with us to resist policies that could strangle economic growth.”

– Lee Raymond, CEO, ExxonMobil (2010)

ExxonMobil CEO mocks renewable energy in shareholder speech, the headline of Adam Lerner’s May 27th Politico article read. Lerner’s piece began:

“The CEO of one of the world’s largest oil companies downplayed the effects of climate change at his company’s annual meeting Wednesday, telling shareholders his firm hadn’t invested in renewable energy because ‘We choose not to lose money on purpose.'”

How refreshing!…

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‘Oil, Gas, and Government: the U.S. Experience’ (introduction to a 1996 classic)

By Robert Murphy -- June 17, 2015 8 Comments

In 1979, Robert L. Bradley Jr. contracted with the Cato Institute to write a history of U.S. oil and gas regulation. Cato did not have an energy position yet in Washington, D.C. (that came a decade later) but was very interested in the subject. Indeed, with debilitating natural gas shortages in the winters of 1971/72 and 1976/77, and oil shortages during 1974 and 1979, the policy landscape was ripe for free-market energy analysis.

What began as an 18-month project turned into a four-year, six-months relentless research-and-writing effort. Finding a publisher for what would be a two volume, 2,000-page treatise proved difficult. Bradley revised the manuscript during the decade delay, although leaving the cut-off year at 1984. Rowman & Littlefield published the work in 1996 as Oil, Gas, and Government: The U.S.

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Big Wind’s Big Barriers (examining DOE’s fantasy scenario for a faulty technology)

By -- June 15, 2015 1 Comment Continue Reading

‘Scared Witless: Prophets and Profits of Climate Doom’ (Book Review)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 12, 2015 7 Comments Continue Reading

Perverse Environmental Justice (Part II)

By -- June 11, 2015 No Comments Continue Reading

Perverse Environmental Justice (Part I)

By -- June 10, 2015 No Comments Continue Reading

Australian Avian Mortality: The Cover-Up (similarities to the U.S.)

By Mark Duchamp -- June 4, 2015 1 Comment Continue Reading

Wind Power Mortality: Submission from World Council for Nature to Australian Senate

By Mark Duchamp -- June 3, 2015 3 Comments Continue Reading