Alternate Energy: Faith, Gullibility, Ambition & Greed

Most alternate-energy advocates/climate alarmists are hysterical quasi-religious cultists or gullible technology/market illiterates. The rest are ambitious cynics seeking to weaken America, greedy grifters who benefit financially from government “green” grants and subsidies, or both.

Alt-energy zealots demand transition from combustible sources to wind and solar energy. However, over 70 percent of America’s energy comes from carbon-based fuels that wind and solar alternatives currently providing a meager 5 percent combined simply cannot replace.

Wind turbines generate electricity around 40 percent of the time, solar panels far less – only around 18 percent in much of the world. The cost of the electricity they generate is skyrocketing, and both need conventional energy backup to satisfy peak hot or cold weather power demands. Ironically, burning wood provides far more renewable energy world-wide.

The proper role of wind and solar will always be “supplemental” energy, nothing more.

Nevertheless, there’s this: “Look, kiddo, I want you to look at my eyes. I guarantee you. … We’re going to end fossil fuels.” – Joe Biden, 2019

Today, in hopes of making alternatives affordable by comparison, President(ish) Biden is deliberately discouraging the use of carbon-based energy sources by reducing their availability and increasing their costs. Biden also wants to force the adoption of alt-energy sources and electric automobiles (EVs) through tax, subsidy, and/or regulatory intrusions into multiple markets.

If wind and solar were equally economical or cheaper than carbon-based fuels and the most reliable forms of energy, mandates and subsidies would be unnecessary. But, rational consumers seldom choose inefficient, expensive and/or intermittent energy sources over practical available options.

Real Clear Energy reports: “Oil meets 97% of American transportation needs, is a core component of over 6,000 everyday goods, and has no significant substitute. Oil has to be used, regardless of price. …[O]il is integral to everything that you see. Diesel and jet fuel derived from oil are literally the lifeblood of domestic and international commerce.

“In fact, the world’s 8 billion people are dependent upon fossil fuels for heating, cooling, transport, housing, clothes, and most other necessities of their daily lives.”

Power Line’s John Hinderacker declared, “…[N]o transition from fossil fuels to ‘green’ energy sources is under way, nor will it occur, ever. The green dream is not just a folly but a fraud.”

They function, but EVs are among the virtue-signaling alt-energy crowd’s least practical affectations. Like everything else today, EVs are subject to inflationary pressures, and rising demands for the massive amounts of the metals and rare, highly-toxic and less-accessible minerals required to manufacture them are driving costs even higher.

The government’s EV promotion is a hopelessly corrupt boondoggle that would make America dependent on mineral mining and processing dominated by Communist China, often using immoral child or forced labor.

In addition to the energy necessary to mine, process, manufacture, and assemble all other EV materials and components, manufacturing batteries alone requires lots of conventional energy. Experts calculate that producing them emits 20 tons of CO2 per battery manufactured. In addition, the emissions from recharging EV batteries from natural gas generation plants during their limited seven-year life expectancy roughly equals, or, in the case of coal-fired energy, far exceeds emissions from gasoline-powered automobiles.

Furthermore, as physicist Mark Mills explains, “oil begins with a huge advantage [of] 5,000 percent more energy…per pound. Electric car batteries weigh[ing] 1,000 pounds…replace just 80 pounds of gasoline…” – or 13.3 gallons.

Most drivers dislike EVs, because EV batteries cannot store large amounts of energy, and they leak, so driving ranges are short, plus recharging times are lengthy – longer in cold weather. Unlike gasoline powered vehicles, EVs cannot be driven 400 miles, then “refilled” quickly.

An Associated Press survey revealed that only 9 percent of Americans are “very likely” to purchase EVs. At $66,000 average cost, even fewer can afford one.

Ironically, U.S. Department of Energy models predict that, in the next thirty years, even with alt-energy mandates and subsidies, oil demand will increase incrementally while natural gas demand will jump substantially.

Biden’s energy policies will only benefit unfriendly interests and alt-energy racketeers, reduce the power grid’s reliability, increase overall energy prices, threaten national security, and, especially, fuel greater inflation, because increasing the price of oil increases the price of everything.

Displacing our most important, available, reliable, and economical energy sources will inevitably create energy, economic and security crises.

America’s enemies approve.

https://www.pottsmerc.com/2022/12/19/jerry-shenk-alt-energy-faith-gullibility-ambition-and-greed/