John Hofmeister’s War on Oil (ethanol and methanol for the masses?)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 13, 2014 No Comments

“In terms of affordability, availability and scalability – methanol and ethanol are the best prospects to [displace oil in transportation] quickly.”

– John Hofmeister, quoted in John Holeywell, “Q&A: He Ran Shell Oil Co. – and He Thinks We Use Too Much Crude,” Houston Chronicle, September 19, 2014.

Milton Friedman once opined: “The two greatest enemies of free enterprise in the United States … have been, on the one hand, my fellow intellectuals and, on the other hand, the business corporations of this country.”

Enter T. Boone Pickens, crony capitalist extraordinaire. Enter John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Co. (2005–2008), the Houston-based U.S. subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. [1]

Hofmeister maliciously titled his signature book, Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight from an Energy Insider.

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Low Climate Sensitivity: Accumulating Evidence

By Chip Knappenberger -- October 2, 2014 2 Comments

“But while the IPCC chooses to look the other way, the scientific evidence supporting low equilibrium climate sensitivity continues to pile up…. This is all around good news, for it means that we can focus more on expanding energy access (via fossil fuels) around the world rather than curtail our energy growth.”

There are basically three key parameters that determine the pace and magnitude of future climate change: 1) how much carbon are we going to emit, 2) what percentage of those emissions will remain in the atmosphere (as opposed to being taken up by the biosphere), and 3) how much will the climate warm as a result of what remains in the atmosphere. We understand these things a lot better than we often let on.

The first parameter seems difficult to assess on timescales that exceed a couple of decades.…

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BC’s Carbon Tax: Inapplicable to America

By -- September 3, 2014 No Comments

“The chief reason BC is not an appropriate ‘model’ for the U.S. is that the province’s geology, climate, and electric supply system are dissimilar to those of most American states. BC’s peculiar electricity fuel mix sharply limits the damage that a $30/ton carbon tax can do to the province’s economy. Nearly all of BC’s base load electricity is zero-carbon hydropower…. Natural gas is the only part of BC’s electric supply system subject to the tax …. and generates less than 6% of BC’s electricity.”

To persuade Americans — especially conservatives and libertarians — that a carbon tax can “work” (reduce emissions) without harming the economy, some proponents tout British Columbia’s carbon tax, enacted in May 2008. How relevant is the British Columbia (BC) “model” to U.S. climate and tax policy debates?…

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“More People, Greater Wealth, More Resources, Healthier Environment” (Part II: Julian Simon 1994 essay)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 25, 2014 No Comments

“The most important benefit of population size and growth is the increase it brings to the stock of useful knowledge. Minds matter economically as much as, or more than, hands or mouths. Progress is limited largely by the availability of trained workers. The more people who enter our population by birth or immigration, the faster will be the rate of progress of our material and cultural civilization.”

Population and Progress

With respect to population growth: A dozen competent statistical studies, starting in 1967 with an analysis by Nobel prizewinner Simon Kuznets, agree that there is no negative statistical relationship between economic growth and population growth. There is strong reason to believe that more people have a positive effect in the long run.

Population growth does not lower the standard of living – all the evidence agrees.

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Tom Tanton Interview (Part I)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 9, 2014 No Comments Continue Reading

“Advanced Energy for Life”: Peabody Energy Puts Coal on High Moral Ground (energy poverty must end, CEO Boyce argues)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 29, 2014 5 Comments Continue Reading

“Killing Wildlife In the Name of Climate Change” (Part II: Gas, Nuclear, Little Else)

By Robert Bryce -- March 20, 2014 No Comments Continue Reading

‘Climate Change’: Unpacking a Political Term (looking through the looking glass)

By -- January 15, 2014 18 Comments Continue Reading

‘The Limits of Energy Innovation’: Timeless Insight from Vaclav Smil

By Vaclav Smil -- November 22, 2013 5 Comments Continue Reading

California Valley Solar Ranch: What for $1.24 Taxpayer Billion?

By Jerry Graf -- November 7, 2013 27 Comments Continue Reading