A Free-Market Energy Blog

Energy and Environmental Review: May 23, 2022

By -- May 23, 2022

Ed. note: This post excerpts energy and climate material from the Media Balance Newsletter, a fortnightly published by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. The complete MBN for this post can be found here.

Greed Energy Economics:
*** ‘Green’ Energy Doesn’t Save Money, It’s 4 to 6 Times MORE Expensive
*** Total Failure: Britain’s Grand ‘Cheap’ Wind Power Plan Faces Total Collapse
*** RECs: The Hidden Costs of Renewables
Wind turbine makers selling at a loss and in a ‘self-destructive loop’, bosses admit
Ontario’s Industrial Wind Turbines dig Deep into Ratepayer’s & Taxpayer’s Pockets
NY Electricity prices to rise 12 percent this summer, say analysts

Renewable Energy Health and Ecosystem Consequences:
*** Plagued by wind turbine noise in Massachusetts
*** Unintended consequence: Turbines are impacting the health of nearby residents
*** Biologist’s presentation shows deadly impact of wind power on eagles

Renewables (General):
*** China and Russia rejoice at America’s quest to go green
*** Real Threats to Biodiversity and Humanity
Despicable for Biden to put green agenda ahead of American families’ economies
Renewable Energy, Open Space, and Agriculture – New York Can’t Have it All

Wind Energy — Offshore:
*** US Offshore Wind Jobs are Highly Exaggerated
Long Island (NY) Residents Sue to Stop Offshore Wind Cable
Danish Wind Giant Tries Solution for Cable Problem Affecting Offshore Turbines
Residents Protest Lake Erie Wind Energy Project

Wind Energy — Other:
*** Hundreds show up in opposition of proposed Nebraska wind project
*** Wind project opponents celebrate Ohio commissioners’ vote
Kansas Commissioners take steps to protect county as wind energy topic heats up
Middleburgh NY Residents Against Industrial Wind Turbines
Shasta County CA close to a complete ban on all large wind energy projects

Nuclear Energy:
*** I’m committed to the effort to keep California’s Nuclear facility open.

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CO2 Enrichment Improves Plant Water-Use Efficiency

By -- May 20, 2022

“Gratefully, nature does not have to wait another century or so for the air’s CO2 concentration to double before reaping benefits from enhanced water use efficiency. It has already begun to profit in this regard from the approximate 50% increase in atmospheric CO2 that has occurred since the Industrial Revolution began.”

In my last article I wrote about increased plant productivity as a key ecological benefit of atmospheric CO2 enrichment. This article highlights another well-known and near-universal impact of Earth’s rising carbon dioxide concentration—enhanced plant water-use efficiency.

In basic terms, plant water use efficiency is the amount of biomass produced by a plant per unit of water lost via transpiration. At higher CO2 levels plants generally do not open their leaf stomatal pores through which they give off water vapor as wide as they do at lower CO2 concentrations.…

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Extinction Rebellion vs. African Energy Alliance (affordable, reliable energy at stake)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 19, 2022

“It is unconscionable for the [UK] media to create chaos around a good energy dialogue by depicting the actions of latte Liberators as representing either the actions or the views of the British people, the black community in the diaspora, or Africans.”

“The Africans, energy workers, and investors in the London conference are good people and emphasize self-help and personal responsibility … as the best strategy to combat energy poverty and climate change.” – NJ Ayuk

At best, committing outrageous acts of inconvenience to innocents who are busy living their own lives. At worst, law breaking. And all in a false cause. Theirs is a war against human betterment, modern living, happiness. Meet the nut cases of Extinction Rebellion, “a decentralised, international, and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.”…

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‘The $287 Million Pipeline No One Needed’: Deconstructing an Anti-Natural Gas Argument

By -- May 18, 2022
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“Negative Electricity Prices and the Production Tax Credit” (2012 warning for Texas went unheeded)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 17, 2022
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Watchman on ‘Greenwashing’

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 16, 2022
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‘Hot’ Climate Models: Soft Criticism from the Mainstream

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 15, 2022
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Bird Migration Day: Dim the Lights … or Turn Off the Turbines?

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 13, 2022
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Vaclav Smil: Antidote to Magical Thinking

By Richard W. Fulmer -- May 12, 2022
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“Gasoline Prices: Still Good News” (a 20-year-old op-ed for today)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 11, 2022
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