Being “free and green” requires just what classical liberals and conservatives want: defeat of the anti-capitalist, anti-technology, anti-energy agenda. Market pricing, not carbon taxes. Open international trade, not carbon tariffs. Avoidance of one-world government in the perilous, futile crusade to “stabilize” the planet. In short, no climate road to serfdom.
Bad incentives have created a peculiar situation in which alleged classical liberals and conservatives push climate alarm and open-ended governmental energy activism. I have called out several of my former free-market colleagues in this regard, including Jerry Taylor (here and here vs. his previous view here); Josiah Neeley (here vs. his previous view here); and Jonathan Adler (here vs. his earlier view here).
In each case, these individuals published prior analysis that can easily neuter if not refute their present views.…
Continue Reading“Beyond Petroleum” BP needs to own up to the facts that it is a fossil fuel company and fossil fuels are inherently good compared to dilute, intermittent, non-scalable alternatives. Instead, it takes the moral low ground and wonders why it is losing the PR war against the critics of economic growth and prosperity.
Try to find out what the global market share of oil, gas, and coal is today. It will not be easy. You have to hunt and compute it yourself in many cases. I did.
Take BP’s Annual Statistical Review for 2019. In the front summary, simple market shares for each fossil fuel are not stated, just changes in growth rates and country-by-country statistics. This hides what could be the most relevant statistic of all: the global market share of fossil fuels.…
Continue Reading[Editor Note: Advertising for the premier energy conference CERAWeek 2020 (March 9–13) is in full swing. Several years ago, Daniel Yergin was urged to invite Alex Epstein to present the moral case for fossil fuels. Today, with fossil fuels on the ascent, and a distracted industry engaged in greenwashing, it is past time to feature the world’s leading energy philosopher. My post from four years ago on this subject is updated below.]
… Continue Reading“If good and evil are measured by the standard of human well-being and human progress, we must conclude that the fossil fuel industry is not a necessary evil to be restricted but a superior good to be liberated.”
“We don’t need green energy–we need humanitarian energy.”
– Alex Epstein, “At CERAWeek Fossil Fuel Leaders Should Make A Moral Case For Their Industry,” Forbes.com.,