Towards Sound Energy Policy (Part I – Current Flaws)

By Kent Hawkins -- January 16, 2013 3 Comments

For well-being, present and future, including overall governance, health and medical care, financial, economic, human rights, equality, peace, security and liberty, etc.,[1] we have to stop playing political games with energy policy in the developed countries in the West and turn to sound approaches.

In particular, Europe must withdraw from its desperate and destructive attempts at regaining some measure of world ‘leadership’, which it deservedly lost in the 20th century as a result of succumbing to dangerous extremist policies in many areas, including political, social, judicial, economic, military and international matters.

Europe’s “leadership” conceit includes questionable, radical energy policies, particularly in electricity systems, to “de-carbonize” the world with “new” (really ancient) renewables. This futility is wasting resources on a grand scale as is now beginning to be realized (here and here).…

Continue Reading

Economic Failure at U.S. EPA: NAM Study Raises the Hard Questions

By -- January 9, 2013 3 Comments

A recent study commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers critically assessed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s cost- benefit analysis with respect to six key regulations: Utility MACT, Boiler MACT, Coal Combustion Residuals, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, Cooling Water Intake Structures, and Ground-Level Ozone. The NAM study details the significant differences between EPA’s cost estimates and those of industry sources, while highlighting problems and inconsistencies with EPA’s methodology. Most importantly for manufacturers, the study estimates the impact of EPA rules on the manufacturing industry, directly and through indirect macroeconomic effects.

A key finding of the report is that “the annual compliance costs for all six regulations range from $36 billion to $111.2 billion (by EPA estimates) and from $63.2 billion to $138.2 billion (by industry estimates).”…

Continue Reading

Wind Power’s Negative Externalities: Here Come the Lawsuits (Part II)

By Sherri Lange -- January 3, 2013 10 Comments

“Eric Bibler of Save Our Seashore writes that there are a MILLION Reasons to be Concerned About Industrial Wind Turbines. He invites you to go to your computer and type in the words: wind turbine lawsuit. The result is a staggering (his caps) ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND. As 2013 evolves, more and more of these cases, we predict, will settle on loss of property values, loss of enjoyment, loss of health.”

The damage of industrial wind turbines is also an international issue. Denmark worked with premeditation and created a “loss of value” clause, 2008, passed to compensate property values depreciated by proximity to turbine arrays, but this has turned out to be a double-edged sword. People may be awarded for a portion of projected losses, but of the 551 claims from persons living next to wind turbines, the average compensated value was only 57,000 kroner ($8,478 US), nothing even close to the actual property losses of upwards of 20%.

Continue Reading

Wind Power’s Negative Externalities (Part I: introducing www.windturbinepropertyloss.org)

By Sherri Lange -- January 2, 2013 13 Comments

“A new website, www.windturbinepropertyloss.org, provides summary materials and emerging events around property loss and wind turbine sprawl, suggesting that a robbery is well under way, stretching well beyond 30 years, and knowing no geographical limits. Some of the focus is on individual lives shattered by loss of property values.”

Wind developers and anyone aiding and abetting the new textbook example of a NEGATIVE EXTERNALITY should pay damages in full for turbine “trickery.” The damage to homes and landscapes–all because of government largesse–is deep and long-lasting. The “green” bill of sale has been utterly false, with no concern about, but even visible contempt for, personal reports of financial losses and personal suffering. It is really not hyberbole to call this uncompensated racket one of the greatest, lengthiest robberies of all times in a free society.

Continue Reading

Environmentalists vs. Biomass (PTC Expiration Carveout Urged)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 19, 2012 1 Comment Continue Reading

New York State Windpower: Enough Business/Government Cronyism

By Mary Kay Barton -- December 10, 2012 5 Comments Continue Reading

Orwellian Freedom: Green Party Platform (Part II)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- November 7, 2012 4 Comments Continue Reading

Twenty Bad Things About Wind Energy, and Three Reasons Why

By -- October 24, 2012 47 Comments Continue Reading

Proud NIMBYISM Against Windpower

By Nick Stanger -- October 11, 2012 10 Comments Continue Reading

Climate Alarmism: Our Sanity and Wallets Need a Break

By -- September 15, 2012 16 Comments Continue Reading