The most important topics to everyday citizens are the economy, including energy and manufacturing independence; the security of our people on the street and at our borders; and more parental control of the education of their children. Today, I want to focus on the first of these.
Our last two presidents glutted the market with too much money to pay for all their favorite programs. More money with proportionally fewer goods makes inflation. It will take time (at least three years) for the money that has been allocated to be used. To avoid a deep recession, the interest rates are going up. We should not give away any more of our tax money until things have settled.
Let’s look at energy. Is there globaL warming? Have humans contributed to it? We stipulate to both of those questions a resounding “Yes”. The “Green New Deal”, however, is an unrealistic fairy tale solution. If we encourage innovation like we did with the space program, renewable energy should be doable. But there is no reason to punish the farmers and working people when carbon fuels are readily available now.
The evolution of the energy industry is going to happen. But we can not regulate the elimination of this important commodity in the next five years. We should let the market make the transition gradually.
Our national security is dependent on an effective energy program. We have been energy independent. We should be independent again. Canada and our other allies should also be able to benefit from the use of the cleanest energy in the world that was given to this country by the Universe and God.
The destruction of our energy industry with the shutting down of pipelines and over regulation of extracting carbon based energy is a travesty. Democrats play word games with the terms “leasing” and “permits” when they also send out clear signals to the markets that drilling and refining oil based products will be limited or eliminated in the near future. No gas company wants to jump into that situation.
The source of oil and natural gas doesn’t matter. Buying from Arabia doesn’t make the gas cleaner. Add the cost of transport makes it more expensive. This is a market issue, not a regulation issue.
Electricity created by burning carbon based products is not cleaner or more efficient. Allowing for brownouts and blackouts to let people freeze or starve will not end well.
The biggest polluters are to be found in Asia, not North America. Until China can be persuaded to clean up its tons of filth, our improvement of ounces will make no real difference globally. We cleaned up our act once Rachel Carson published her work, The Sea Around Us, in 1951. By 1970, we had clean water and clean air acts. Not everyone followed our rules. But as a society, we were well on the way to a clean environment.
Furthermore, pushing wind and solar power is a disaster waiting to happen. The batteries in cars are too limited unless you commute a short distance. The disposal of those batteries will be an environmental nightmare. The same is true of the wind turbines. They have a 10 to 15 year life and then they have to go into a landfill. One day this fantasy might come true. Maybe in 10 or 20 or 100 years. But it will bankrupt us now.
My next letter will deal with the other items mentioned above.
Holly Geddes
Kent County Republican Party
Michael Davis says
There is so much misinformation or false information it is impossible to know where to start. Ms. Geddes says we are destroying the energy industry.
a. Yesterday Exxon and Mobile reported their largest profits in the history of the companies. How is that destruction?
b. The second largest polluter of CO2 in the entire world is the United States. And Ms. Geddes says, “It’s not us.” It is.
c. Ms. Geddes says we need to be energy independent again. We are as energy independent as we were under the bum, ex President Trump. This is from Forbes magazine. “Again,” makes no sense in what she writes.
d. She writes that wind and solar energy are disasters waiting to happen. Solar power accounts for 4 million jobs worldwide. Biofuels only 2.4 million jobs. We expect growth wind power jobs to increase by 86% over the next ten years. The United States cannot afford to ignore this as suggested by Ms. Geddes.
e. The beloved farmers that Ms. Geddes is worried about are going broke because of droughts. The problems with the Colorado River due to climate change will cripple California agriculture. Farmers in Nebraska are draining and poisoning the Ogallala Aquifer that supplies their agricultural industry with water. It is declining because of droughts. Following Ms. Geddes prescriptions will lead us to depend on farmers in Canada and northern Russia.
The Republican party decided that they need to lie about everything from the Big Lie to Climate Change. That these lies undermine our democracy and the future of our Country is less important to them than their lust for power.
Henry Herr says
It’s interesting to me that most people against the “Green New Deal,” only have Right Wing talking points against it with no sources.
There are so many inaccurate points in this letter that it’s hard to even begin.
First. The pipeline was a short cut in Canada. It still exists. It wasn’t shut down. Second, the US has never been energy independent. Third, emissions by country. Yes China has higher emissions. They also have 4x the population of the US. The US has more emissions than China by capita. It’s not hard to see we are part of the problem. Fourth, what limited range on electric vehicles?
I could continue. I’m happy to provide all sources. These aren’t hard to fact check.
You have to start with real facts, not talking points, in order to have an honest conversation.
Carol Voyles says
These are challenging times; but over 6,000 drilling sites are currently available on public land alone and no functioning pipelines have been shut down. As a matter of fact, more pipelines are being built. And due in large part to Ukraine-related issues, measures possibly impacting the industry have been put on hold.
The fossil fuel industry not only remains our nation’s most heavily subsidized industry, it is reporting historically high earnings this quarter: $17.9 billion (up 273%) for Exxon and $11.6 billion for Chevron. And together with BP, Shell. and Total Energies, the industry is expected to announce over $60 billion in record-breaking profits over just the past three months.
There is nearly universal agreement that efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses are in our best interests; but in the meantime, our fossil fuel industry seems to be doing quite well.
Bob Wenneson says
There are a handful of good points in Ms. Geddes’s letter. Unfortunately, they are considerably outweighed by several misstatements and illogical conclusions. At one point she speaks to some parties’ intent for fossil fuels to be eliminated “in the next five years”. I’d be interested in hearing of even one source for that being intended, projected or stated.
When discussing carbon-based fuels she speaks of how we should be able to benefit from the availability of the “cleanest energy in the world”. Without addressing shortcomings/costs/benefits of alternatives, I can nonetheless say that no one can be serious in labeling carbon-based fuels as “cleaner” than the sun and the wind.
She notes the disposal of the batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) as being “an environmental nightmare”. This anti-EV untrue talking point fails to recognize that the significant cost of the components of EV batteries has naturally led toward the processing and recycling of those components by manufacturers. These aren’t $5 flashlight batteries. It also fails to recognize that EV battery technology (in its infancy, when compared to the 100+ year lifespan of gas-car technology) is already making significant strides toward alternatives to cobalt and lithium EV battery technology.
And when discussing battery/electric vehicles, she comments that such car ranges are “too limited unless you commute a short distance”. This misunderstanding is perpetuated by certain media sources and fossil-fuel-supporting lobbying organizations but is not supported by facts. Anyone making that statement either knows of its falseness or simply has little personal knowledge of the current state of the EV marketplace. Yes, there are many EVs with a range in the 200-300 mile area (does even that limitation support her statement?). However, there are many EVs with notably higher mileage ranges. My wife’s EV has a 335 mile range. My own has a 405 mile range. There are a handful of competing manufacturers with 400+ and even above-500 mile ranges in early production and for sale today. Approximately four, maybe five, years ago there was a reasonable amount of merit to her statement (with the exception of one EV company’s product). Today? Is poppycock. And reflects that perhaps this is an area for which maybe the writer’s expertise is not fully developed.
Tom Hill says
Thank you, Holly. I fear those who are so anxious for energy change will kill a system that has allowed us to live pretty well in regard to energy availability. You mention getting rid of old turbine blades and batteries. Good point. My reading indicates that will be a huge problem. One author said it would take an area the size of Texas to provide the land fill needed.
I clearly remember President Biden saying when he got into office that the most important thing he would seek to solve both domestically and internationally was dealing with climate change. We are certainly seeing the results of his efforts and they aren’t working very well.
Michael Davis says
Thank you, Tom. I agree that Texas would make a great landfill for old turbine blades and batteries.
Charles Barranco says
Mr Hill,
Are you aware there is a Climate Change Bill before Congress? Senator Manchin agreed to vote for it when it reaches the Senate. Just so you know, the Bill, if passed, will make huge changes for climate control.
The reason President Biden’s efforts have not gone well is oblivious. GOP opposition to Any and All efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. I find it amusing that Republicans don’t mention Oil Company profits during this time of crisis, i. e., irrational prices at the pumps, astronomical, never seen before profits at the expense of consumers, but blame The President, and not the Oil Lobbyists. Don’t you find that amusing.
Suzanne Todd says
I know the Spy is accepting of articles submitted by the public. However, after reading these comments, it appears that many points raised in Holly Geodes’ piece are possibly not true. It would be nice if the Spy could provide some links for more information. I know readers may do this on our own. However, some readers will read a piece and not take the time to check out information sites. That’s how the wrong information continues to plague us. Also, I don’t know why her political party affiliation should be included.