“Do you have a loved one or just friend who needs to escape a mental rut about climate alarm and forced energy transformation? Someone with intellect and passion to examine the other side of a supposedly ‘closed’ debate? Someone who might even reverse course to challenge climate exaggeration, energy statism, and global government? This conference is for them.”

Bill McKibben writes a series for The New Yorker, “Climate Change: Documenting the Unfolding Environmental Crisis.” His most recent entry, “Climate Anxiety Makes Good Sense,” begins:

Even as we begin to emerge from the stress of the pandemic year, mental-health professionals are noting a steady uptick in a different form of anxiety—the worry over climate change and the future that it will bring.

He refers to surveys showing “about forty per cent of Americans feeling ‘disgusted’ or ‘helpless’ about global warming, and a poll from the American Psychiatric Association finding that more than half of the respondents were concerned about the effects of climate change on their mental health.”…

“[CEO Bernard Looney] and other BP executives have suggested that the company could play down future investment in areas including solar energy and offshore wind, according to some of the people. Discussions about the company’s direction have caused rifts inside BP over the past year, people close to the company say.”

The Wall Street Journal published a very revealing piece yesterday. “Bernard Looney seeks to sharpen strategic focus, with less emphasis on environmental goals,” reported Jenny Stasburg (February 1, 2023).

She begins:

Chief Executive Bernard Looney plans to dial back elements of the oil giant’s high-profile push into renewable energy, according to people familiar with recent discussions.

Mr. Looney has said he is disappointed in the returns from some of the oil giant’s renewable investments and plans to pursue a narrower green-energy strategy, the people said.

“The Houston Chronicle editorialists can cancel me, but they cannot cancel energy density and the perils of dilute, intermittent substitutes for real, stock energies. Reality bats last, and climate alarm and the ‘energy transition’ are doing very poorly outside of getting government favor to keep the mirage going. It is sad that political cronies are the only winners in the futile crusade, and real challenges, opportunity, and need are foregone.”

My longtime hometown paper, The Houston Chronicle, always left-of-center, has gone fully climate alarmist and glowingly reports about the “energy transition”. The paper reports as a PR department with some real energy news (the booming fossil fuel industries) thrown in. Nothing bad about wind and solar except that there is not enough subsidy to make it go faster against the entrenched fossil fuel interests.…

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

Renewables (General):
*** The New RPS: RELIABLE Portfolio Standard 
*** Level Playing Field
*** Future Grid: Really?
*** US Renewable Power Projects Slow Over High Costs and Community Opposition
Wind and Solar Projects Face Uphill Battles Despite Subsidy
Wind and solar energy ‘flatlines’ in frigid state at worst time
Major Biomass Facility to Close at Large Military Base, this Spring
Deep seabed mining plans pit renewable energy demand against ocean life

Wind Energy — Offshore:
*** Federal Agency Failing to Protect the Environment from Offshore Wind
*** Evidence says offshore wind development is killing lots of whales
The strange coincidence of the Offshore Wind Industry and 178 dead whales
Calls mount to stop offshore wind project as more whales wash up dead
Biden Hypocrisy Overflows, Harming Lobster Fishers and Right Whales
Killing Whales and Never Having to Say You’re Sorry!…