Self-Awareness Erupts Among Climate Cultists? — Coming Clean on Not So Clean Green Energy — California Thinking About Going Full Soviet! — BUK Leading Lemmings Over the Cliff! — and much more.
Don’t you love it when spoiled brat trust-funders learn no one cares what they think?
The Austrian branch of the climate action group, Last Generation, have disbanded in the country after saying they no longer see any prospect of success from their action.
Last Generation announced on Tuesday in a letter addressed to "society" that they would be ending their protests, saying that Austria wished to "remain in fossil ignorance."
Source: By Stefan Müller (climate stuff, 1 Mio views) from Germany - Der Aufstand der Letzten Generation blockiert Straße am Hauptbahnhof
…Last Generation had several tactics, but mostly relied on disruptive forms of action. The group are known for blocking traffic by gluing themselves to busy roads and airport tarmacs…
Currently several members of the group are being investigated by the Austrian public prosecutor's office for allegedly damaging public property and forming a criminal organisation.
Jakob-Moritz Eberl, a communications expert, says that these disruptive forms of action were often negatively perceived by the general public.
He acknowledged that the group's aim was often to draw attention to themselves however their stunts rarely translated into political action.
Do you suppose the criminal investigation had something to do with this?
The dirty business no green energy goon wants to admit:
Hidden behind the solar panels, wind turbines, and EV batteries are some dirty secrets that get swept under the rug and ignored by climate enthusiasts…
The life cycle of all three—the wind turbine, solar panel, and EV battery—involve significant environmental consequences that should not be overlooked and need to be part of the discussion when implementing energy policies.
One of the biggest issues involved with these forms is the extraction and manufacturing processes of various critical minerals that are required for wind turbines, solar panels, and EV batteries. Many underdeveloped nations, where there’s an abundance of minerals, are at risk. The operations and procedures not only overtake land but contaminate surrounding soil and water sources. In the worst cases, this work is accomplished through slave labor…
China dominates the green energy supply chains, but their environmental standards are subpar. CO2 emissions associated with refineries in China are 1.5 times greater than those in the EU or U.S..
All three energy sources are also creating a huge waste problem. Since any kind of recycling is very limited on a large scale, more than 90% wind turbine blades, solar panels, and EV batteries end up in landfills. By 2050 it is predicted that used turbine blades will exceed 43 million tons of waste worldwide. Solar waste is predicted to be close to 80 million tons. And, with the U.S. projecting 33 million EVs on the road by 2030, that is a lot of batteries to end up in landfills.
Ironically, the same folks who want to charge customers for every plastic bag they use at the grocery store, out of fear of single-use plastics ending up in landfills, don’t seem to have a problem with potentially toxic machinery filling that space instead.
If climate advocates truly want a honest discussion, it needs to start with truthful admissions about the dirty aspects of clean energy.
Hat Tip: D.S.
California Thinking About Going Full Soviet!
California doesn't need an earthquake to fall away. It’s going Soviet!
California’s energy regulators are pushing the envelope with their newest proposals.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has put forward ideas that some critics say go too far, including state ownership of oil refineries.
As California pursues its green energy goals, the CEC expects some of the state’s nine oil refineries to close due to falling demand.
They worry this could lead to higher gas prices. Their solution? More government control over the energy sector.
The most striking proposal is for California to buy and operate its own oil refineries.
The CEC report states: “The State of California would purchase and own refineries in the State to manage the supply and price of gasoline.”
This idea ranges from owning one refinery to taking over all of them in the state…
By Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA - Los Angeles, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61356827
It’s worth noting that Californians already pay more for gas than the national average.
In 2022, when energy prices spiked globally, California’s wholesale gas prices hit $6.21 per gallon – $2.61 higher than the U.S. average.
While the state plans to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, the CEC acknowledges that “millions of petroleum fueled vehicles are anticipated to remain on California’s roads and highways beyond 2035.”
This puts the state in a tricky position as they try to balance their environmental goals with the practical needs of residents, especially lower-income families who may rely on older, gas-powered vehicles.
The proposal for state-owned refineries seems like a step into uncharted territory.
Having the government directly control oil production and distribution is reminiscent of the old Soviet Union where the state owned and controlled the means of production.
There is no arrogance or foolishness like that of yesterday's world leaders, who still imagine they're leading…
In China and much of the rest of the “developing world”, net zero targets appear to mean nothing at all beyond their usefulness in undermining the West. Economic growth is routinely prioritised over climate change goals.
Similarly in the US, which pays lip service to net zero while simultaneously celebrating its position as the world’s largest oil producer; big tax breaks for fracking go hand in hand with the hundreds of billions the Biden administration is pouring into the green energy transition.
Even holier-than-thou little Norway, which aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, seeks to extend the life of its North Sea oil and gas reserves long into the future with big ongoing incentives to invest.
In a bid to revive economic growth, Christopher Luxon’s new centre-Right government in New Zealand is meanwhile in wholesale retreat from the environmental commitments of his saintly predecessor, Jacinda Ardern.
"Turn back? Not after we've come this far! Source:By Gerhard Mester - Gerhard Mester, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42626957
Only in the UK does the torch of net zero still burn strong, with the newly installed Labour Government determined to double down on emission targets whatever the costs. Even Brussels demonstrates at least a modicum of common sense on these matters.
Britain isn’t “world leading” in much these days, but when it comes to climate change we aim to be well ahead of the pack, with some of the most demanding regulatory requirements on the planet.
“Over the top, lads,” shouts the energy secretary, Ed Miliband with all the righteous self-belief of a cross-carrying crusader, only to look behind and find that nobody is following. There are few first-mover advantages in this game, only the certainty of being mown down in the charge…
As things stand, Britain’s net zero targets are little more than virtue-signalling policy on the hoof; their industrial, economic and security implications have not been properly thought through.
The UK has no future whatsoever with this kind of thinking.
I always look forward to these recaps. I had missed the one on volcanoes and read it now - thanks. Also thanks for mentioning my piece on Charger Hogs - it was kind of a fun one to write.
I always look forward to these recaps. I had missed the one on volcanoes and read it now - thanks. Also thanks for mentioning my piece on Charger Hogs - it was kind of a fun one to write.