Mass Transit: Perilous Times Ahead (new strategies needed)

By Randal O'Toole -- January 9, 2018 No Comments

“”Lumbering transit buses and railcars not only do not relieve congestion, they often use more road space than the number of automobiles they take off the road.”

“Ride-hailing services … using driverless cars … makes it likely that outside of a few very dense areas, such as New York City, mass transit will be extinct by the year 2030, leaving behind a huge burden of debt and unfunded obligations to former transit employees.”

“Mass transit agencies should begin to prepare for an orderly phase-out of publicly funded transit services as affordable, shared driverless cars become available in the next decade. The industry should stop building new rail lines; replace most existing rail lines with buses as they wear out; pay down debts and unfunded obligations; and target any further subsidies to low-income people rather than continue a futile crusade to attract higher-income people out of their cars.”

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Energy & Environmental Newsletter: January 8, 2018

By -- January 8, 2018 1 Comment

The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy and environmental policies. Our premise is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science (please consult WiseEnergy.org for more information).

A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every three weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and the environment. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.

Some of the more important articles in this issue are:

Report: Gas Saves More CO2 than Wind Does!

Ten Questions about Climate Change

Looking at an actual climate change debate

The Cold Truth About Global Warming

Phony Prophets Painting Fake Pictures to Produce an Alternate Global Warming Reality?

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Tribute for Twelve in the Energy/Climate Debate (Part I)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 4, 2018 8 Comments

“And now that the Obama era has turned into the Age of Trump, each has reaped a modicum of fame (but not fortune!) by tiptoeing into the mainstream of today’s energy/climate debate.”

There are no MacArthur awards for our side of the energy and climate debate. But there are individuals that deserve a place in the history of energy thought and related public policy. These persons have blazed the trail where courage and patience, not only scholarship, were required. And now that the Obama era has turned into the Age of Trump, each has reaped a modicum of fame (but not fortune!) by tiptoeing into the mainstream of today’s energy/climate debate.

I have identified twelve (12) worthy individuals, presented in alphabetical order. This list should in no way diminish the contributions of the rest of us (including the present writer).…

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‘Electrification’: The Road to Higher Energy Prices

By Steve Goreham -- January 3, 2018 15 Comments

“Electrification calls for a massive societal transformation from gasoline to electric vehicles, from traditional power plants to wind and solar generators, and from gas heating to electric and heat pump systems. There is no evidence that this transition will have any measurable effect on global temperatures. But electrification will produce substantially higher energy prices.”

“Electrification” is the new buzz word touted by climate fighters and environmental groups. Where electrification once meant providing electricity to people, today it often means elimination of traditional fuels. But the only tangible result of green electrification policies will be higher energy prices.

Proponents of electrification intend to force transportation and heating and cooling systems to run on electricity, and eliminate the use of hydrocarbon fuels. Electric cars, electric furnaces and water heaters, and heat pumps must replace gasoline-powered vehicles and gas-fueled appliances.…

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Tax Reform: New Uncertainties for Big Wind (political risks for a political business model)

By -- January 2, 2018 3 Comments Continue Reading

Holiday Happy: Energy Policy Victories in 2017

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 21, 2017 5 Comments Continue Reading

Energy & Environmental Newsletter: December 18, 2017

By -- December 18, 2017 1 Comment Continue Reading

ExxonMobil at ALEC: Bring Back Lee Raymond!

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 14, 2017 2 Comments Continue Reading

WSJ Letter: ‘Some Inconvenient Truths of Wind and Solar’

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 13, 2017 3 Comments Continue Reading

Energy Tax Preferences: Rid Them All (2013 Cato letter to House working group revisited)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 12, 2017 No Comments Continue Reading