Rebuttal to a Rebuttal: Climate Exaggeration on the Firing Line

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 8, 2018 2 Comments

“There is very little substance to evaluate [in Robert Bradley’s piece]. Yes, one can find examples of when individual scientists or politicians have exaggerated the impacts of climate change. But to present those examples as if they are mainstream views, when they are not, is very misleading.”

 – Kyle Armour, Assistant Professor, University of Washington

“I also must ask my critics who profess to dislike scientific exaggeration. Where are you when the big names exaggerate to spew climate alarmism? Where is the real-time rebuttal to Al Gore, John Holdren, Paul Ehrlich, Joe Romm, Rajendra Pachauri, and many others?” (below)

I recently ran across a detailed rebuttal of an essay I wrote back in 2016 at Forbes.com, “Climate Exaggeration is Backfiring,” which received approximately 35,000 views. “Analysis of ‘Climate Exaggeration is Backfiring‘” at the website Climate Feedback was published right after my Forbes piece.…

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Milton Friedman’s Energy Wisdom (would be 106 today)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 31, 2018 2 Comments

“Milton Friedman’s timeless energy insights should be appreciated for all time.”

Born on this day 106 years ago, free-market economist Milton Friedman (1912–2006) was one of a kind. Even the dyspeptic Paul Krugman called his rival “the economist’s economist…a very great man indeed—a man of intellectual courage who was one of the most important economic thinkers of all time and possibly the most brilliant communicator of economic ideas to the general public that ever lived.” The Economist (November 23, 2006) called him “the most influential economist of the second half of the twentieth century… and possibly all of it.”

Milton Friedman’s major professional mark was in monetary economics. But as a public intellectual, writing popular books and a biweekly Newsweek column, he became conversant in different fields, including energy.

Friedman understood how, for much of US history, major energy regulation was sponsored by some segment of the industry.…

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Energy & Environmental Newsletter: May 14, 2018

By -- May 14, 2018 1 Comment

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:

If Solar And Wind Are So Cheap, Why Are They Making Electricity So Expensive?

Wind turbines dramatically decrease attractiveness of a tourist destination

Conservative Groups Take a Stand Against Carbon Tax

Introducing bill to ban non-disclosure clauses in wind contracts

Noise is the New Secondhand Smoke

Wind Turbine Construction Turning Ontario’s Water Supply to Toxic Sludge

NOAA/NWS document: wind turbines affect weather radar, create false storm impressions

The Connection Between Russia and Two Green Groups

Free Market Groups Call for Repeal of Clean Power Plan

Study: An empirical assessment: Have fossil fuels been substituted by renewables?

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The Craziest Regulatory Episode in US History: The 1970s Oil Reselling Boom

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 25, 2018 2 Comments

“When President Reagan decontrolled prices in January 1981, the regulatory arbitrage was over…. The strangest regulatory episode in US history was done.”

Economist Robert Murphy has summarized what I believe is the most unique, confounding, consequential regulatory episode in American history in his piece: “The Crazy Crude Oil Price Controls of the 1970s.” [1]

Yes, it happened some decades ago. But if you want to know why no economist in recent history has espoused price controls for crude oil and petroleum products, this experience rings loud today.

Basically, a large group of opportunistic middlemen seized profits that federal price and allocation regulation kept from the rightful industry parties (wellhead producers, in particular). It is the story of the unintended consequences of government intervention. Or entrepreneurial gaming in the face of regulatory constraints (with positive social outcomes in this case)–what Israel Kirzner called superfluous entrepreneurship.

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Attack on Tom Stacy: “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” (anti-wind effort smeared by crony environmentalist)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 11, 2018 4 Comments Continue Reading

Energy & Environmental Newsletter: March 12, 2018

By -- March 12, 2018 2 Comments Continue Reading

DeSmog Blog: Guilty as Charged (‘hit’ profile looks good to me)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 7, 2018 7 Comments Continue Reading

Julian Simon Remembered (would have been 86 today)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 12, 2018 8 Comments Continue Reading

‘America’s Vast Energy Potential Awaits, Mr President’ (message to Obama revisited)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 11, 2018 No Comments Continue Reading

Mexico’s Energy Reform: Don’t Backslide (a la Venezuela)

By Richard Sigman -- February 9, 2018 1 Comment Continue Reading