committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-12--Waging war against invasive species

Waging war against invasive species

Invasive species , impact water supplies , impair hunting and fishing opportunities , interfere with energy production , exacerbate wildfires , damage America ’ s agriculture , and drive native species to extinction .
In Fiscal Year 2020 , the U.S. Department of the Interior alone is investing an estimated $ 143 million to manage invasive species .
In response to federal legislation , the Trump Administration in August released a draft strategic plan that provides a coordinated approach to combat this $ 120 billion assault on American prosperity that seeks to further align existing programs and policies across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and private resources .
A recent report from the History channel notes that , “ The history of invasive species is usually one of unforeseen consequences .
When an animal , fish , insect , or plant is taken out of its original ecosystem and introduced to a new one – whether by accident or on purpose – it is less likely to have any natural predators.
” The report lists seven invasive species that continue to wreak havoc across the United States , including gypsy moths and nutria .
There are many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign species have moved into the U.S. , collectively causing more damage to the environment , economy , and human health than all natural disasters combined , reports the U.S. Geological Society .
Just one species – feral swine ( Sus scrofa ) – causes upward of $ 1.5 billion in damages annually to all manner of agriculture , including rice , corn , and grains , according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture .
An estimated 6 million of these dangerous creatures roam the countryside in 35 states , notably Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crops , erode soil , and uproot tree seedlings , causing deforestation .
They also carry diseases , notably pseudo-rabies and swine brucellosis .
In Hawaii — far from its natural homeland of Puerto Rico ( where it is cherished ) — up to 20,000 coqui ( a tiny tree frog with a big voice ) an acre disturb the quiet , devour enough insects that native birds go hungry , and damage the ecosystem .
According to the National Park Service , the 212-square-mile island of Guam is plagued by up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outnumbering humans 10 to 1 ) that short out electrical systems and have wiped out 10 of the 12 island ’ s native bird species .
Over just the past four years , Interior ’ s Office of Insular Affairs has provided more than $ 12 million for the Brown Tree Snake Control program .
The NPS , however , says that rats are the worst of all invasive predators .
Running free on islands , rats have devoured whole seabird colonies—even whole species .
In fact , rats have caused between 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reptile extinctions in the last four centuries .
Responding to what has been described as an all-out assault on the nation ’ s biodiversity , the Trump plan was designed to meet requirements of the John D. Dingell , Jr. , Conservation , Management , and Recreation Act of 2019 , and in consultation with states , Tribes , and other stakeholders .
The idea is to incorporate ongoing work by the Interior Department and its partners and to respond to emerging issues driven by the priorities of state governors .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bolster mutual priorities , raise awareness to motivate action , strengthen prevention practices to avoid invasive species introductions and spread , improve the coordination of early detection and rapid response efforts across jurisdictions , leverage opportunities for targeted control and eradication , and improve data collection and data management to facilitate more effective decisionmaking .
“ The Trump Administration has been focused on addressing the considerable , negative impacts of invasive species by working across jurisdictional boundaries with our partners , ” said Scott Cameron , Interior ’ s Acting Assistant Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The draft plan sets out a vision for effectively managing invasive species through collaborative conservation to protect our nation ’ s biodiversity and economy.
” But governments alone will not win this war .
In localities across America ( and worldwide ) , people have been banding together to fight back against zebra mussels , Asian carp , Burmese pythons , and other often deadly , definitely costly invasive species .
In Geneva Lake , Wisconsin , volunteers dive underwater to pull out starry stonewort by its roots in an effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fishing and boating and overrunning native aquatic life .
Sometimes the best way to target an invasive species is to turn a negative into a positive .
The lionfish , native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans , has exploded in Florida and the Caribbean .
This venomous predator , with one of the highest breeding rates in the world , has gradually taken over reefs from Venezuela to New York .
The lionfish not only feasts on smaller prey fish , leaving little food for commercially valuable fish , such as snapper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ grazer ” and “ cleaner ” fish which maintain the health of the reefs that provide habitat for other species – reducing native marine life by 80 to 90 percent in just five weeks in some cases .
The $ 2.1 billion Caribbean diving industry , along with fishing and tourism , is under assault , impacting the lives of 42 million people .
The market response to the lionfish invasion has been to make its tasty white meat a popular item in restaurants and high-end grocery stores .
The fly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poisonous spine , which requires cleaning by hand .
Another problem is that , for now , the most efficient way to catch lionfish is slow , labor-intensive spearfishing that requires SCUBA gear .
PERC reports that marketing campaigns are spurring demand for lionfish fillets .
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation ( REEF ) published a lionfish cookbook , while Whole Foods hosted “ Take a Bite Out of Lionfish , ” replete with live filleting and cooking demos and lionfish recipe videos .
Others are investigating making jewelry out of lionfish spines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not disparaging federal and state efforts , PERC ’ s Jonathan Wood beams that , “ With every seafood dinner , necklace , spear-fishing derby , and trap , we are one step closer to overcoming the lionfish invasion ourselves.
” Of course , not everyone is on board with government or private efforts to eradicate the harm done by invasive species .
Veteran ecologist Ken Thompson , a senior research fellow in thete Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield ( United Kingdom ) , thinks there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and animals we often vilify as invasive species only rarely threaten ecosystems .
Thompson argues that efforts to control or eliminate invasive species can be tremendously expensive , are rarely successful , and often have damaging unintended consequences [ yet introducing invasive species itself often results in unintended damages ] .
Using the wrong herbicides to kill invasive species , for example , can damage vulnerable native species .
But Thompson says the chief culprit is not the animals , fish , insects , or plants but rather the humans who traverse the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his words , “ We ’ ve chopped down forests , built dams , and turned the whole world into a giant cattle pasture , and then we ’ re surprised that some species quite like what we ’ ve done .
We shouldn ’ t be surprised.
” And there you have it .
Humans bought Burmese pythons as “ pets , ” then dumped them when they grew too big – and they grew bigger , found partners , and reproduced .
Humans also brought rats and zebra mussels and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time to rid their ships of these unwanted creatures .
And now it is time to pay the piper for bringing these invaders into our nation and letting them roam free , often creating havoc for local ecosystems .
It is going to take a unified nationwide effort to get the job done .

Invasive species, impact water supplies, impair hunting and fishing opportunities, interfere with energy production, exacerbate wildfires, damage America’s agriculture, and drive native species to extinction. In Fiscal Year 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior alone is investing an estimated $143 million to manage invasive species.
In response to federal legislation, the Trump Administration in August released a draft strategic plan that provides a coordinated approach to combat this $120 billion assault on American prosperity that seeks to further align existing programs and policies across the Interior Department and to leverage additional public and private resources.
A recent report from the History channel notes that, “The history of invasive species is usually one of unforeseen consequences. When an animal, fish, insect, or plant is taken out of its original ecosystem and introduced to a new one – whether by accident or on purpose – it is less likely to have any natural predators.”
The report lists seven invasive species that continue to wreak havoc across the United States, including gypsy moths and nutria. There are many others. Nationwide, more than 6,500 foreign species have moved into the U.S., collectively causing more damage to the environment, economy, and human health than all natural disasters combined, reports the U.S. Geological Society.
Just one species – feral swine (Sus scrofa) – causes upward of $1.5 billion in damages annually to all manner of agriculture, including rice, corn, and grains, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An estimated 6 million of these dangerous creatures roam the countryside in 35 states, notably Texas. Their incessant rooting and voracious eating destroy crops, erode soil, and uproot tree seedlings, causing deforestation. They also carry diseases, notably pseudo-rabies and swine brucellosis.
In Hawaii — far from its natural homeland of Puerto Rico (where it is cherished) — up to 20,000 coqui (a tiny tree frog with a big voice) an acre disturb the quiet, devour enough insects that native birds go hungry, and damage the ecosystem.
According to the National Park Service, the 212-square-mile island of Guam is plagued by up to 15,000 brown snakes per square mile (outnumbering humans 10 to 1) that short out electrical systems and have wiped out 10 of the 12 island’s native bird species. Over just the past four years, Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs has provided more than $12 million for the Brown Tree Snake Control program.
The NPS, however, says that rats are the worst of all invasive predators. Running free on islands, rats have devoured whole seabird colonies—even whole species. In fact, rats have caused between 40 to 60 percent of all recorded bird and reptile extinctions in the last four centuries.
Responding to what has been described as an all-out assault on the nation’s biodiversity, the Trump plan was designed to meet requirements of the John D. Dingell, Jr., Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019, and in consultation with states, Tribes, and other stakeholders. The idea is to incorporate ongoing work by the Interior Department and its partners and to respond to emerging issues driven by the priorities of state governors.
This comprehensive approach is designed to promote partnerships to bolster mutual priorities, raise awareness to motivate action, strengthen prevention practices to avoid invasive species introductions and spread, improve the coordination of early detection and rapid response efforts across jurisdictions, leverage opportunities for targeted control and eradication, and improve data collection and data management to facilitate more effective decisionmaking.
“The Trump Administration has been focused on addressing the considerable, negative impacts of invasive species by working across jurisdictional boundaries with our partners,” said Scott Cameron, Interior’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget. “The draft plan sets out a vision for effectively managing invasive species through collaborative conservation to protect our nation’s biodiversity and economy.”
But governments alone will not win this war.
In localities across America (and worldwide), people have been banding together to fight back against zebra mussels, Asian carp, Burmese pythons, and other often deadly, definitely costly invasive species. In Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, volunteers dive underwater to pull out starry stonewort by its roots in an effort to stop the invasive weed from destroying fishing and boating and overrunning native aquatic life.
Sometimes the best way to target an invasive species is to turn a negative into a positive. The lionfish, native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, has exploded in Florida and the Caribbean. This venomous predator, with one of the highest breeding rates in the world, has gradually taken over reefs from Venezuela to New York.
The lionfish not only feasts on smaller prey fish, leaving little food for commercially valuable fish, such as snapper and tuna. It also feeds on “grazer” and “cleaner” fish which maintain the health of the reefs that provide habitat for other species – reducing native marine life by 80 to 90 percent in just five weeks in some cases. The $2.1 billion Caribbean diving industry, along with fishing and tourism, is under assault, impacting the lives of 42 million people.
The market response to the lionfish invasion has been to make its tasty white meat a popular item in restaurants and high-end grocery stores. The fly in the ointment is the fish’s poisonous spine, which requires cleaning by hand. Another problem is that, for now, the most efficient way to catch lionfish is slow, labor-intensive spearfishing that requires SCUBA gear.
PERC reports that marketing campaigns are spurring demand for lionfish fillets. The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) published a lionfish cookbook, while Whole Foods hosted “Take a Bite Out of Lionfish,” replete with live filleting and cooking demos and lionfish recipe videos. Others are investigating making jewelry out of lionfish spines or incorporating carcass scraps in fertilizers.
Not disparaging federal and state efforts, PERC’s Jonathan Wood beams that, “With every seafood dinner, necklace, spear-fishing derby, and trap, we are one step closer to overcoming the lionfish invasion ourselves.”
Of course, not everyone is on board with government or private efforts to eradicate the harm done by invasive species. Veteran ecologist Ken Thompson, a senior research fellow in thete Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield (United Kingdom), thinks there is good evidence to suggest that the plants and animals we often vilify as invasive species only rarely threaten ecosystems.
Thompson argues that efforts to control or eliminate invasive species can be tremendously expensive, are rarely successful, and often have damaging unintended consequences [yet introducing invasive species itself often results in unintended damages]. Using the wrong herbicides to kill invasive species, for example, can damage vulnerable native species.
But Thompson says the chief culprit is not the animals, fish, insects, or plants but rather the humans who traverse the world and bring them along. In his words, “We’ve chopped down forests, built dams, and turned the whole world into a giant cattle pasture, and then we’re surprised that some species quite like what we’ve done. We shouldn’t be surprised.”
And there you have it. Humans bought Burmese pythons as “pets,” then dumped them when they grew too big – and they grew bigger, found partners, and reproduced. Humans also brought rats and zebra mussels and other species largely because they did not take the time to rid their ships of these unwanted creatures.
And now it is time to pay the piper for bringing these invaders into our nation and letting them roam free, often creating havoc for local ecosystems. It is going to take a unified nationwide effort to get the job done.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-12--Man-made West Coast wildfires

Man-made West Coast wildfires

The vast spread of wildfires in the nation ’ s three Pacific Coast states—California , Oregon and Washington—are the fault of politicians , bureaucrats and green interest groups .
In other words , they are man-made .
The tragic result is that men , women and children have died .
“ Climate change , ” man-made or natural , is emphatically not the reason for these wildfires .
This reality does not keep prominent individuals from invoking “ climate change ” as the cause of the fires , nor has it kept credulous journalists from parroting such falsehoods .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of western forestlands by elected officials and government agencies tasked with overseeing them .
Specifically , overgrown trees interfering with power lines and the build-up of dead trees and underbrush over the years are the ingredients for conflagration .
It is not interfering with nature to clear out deadwood and trim trees across forestlands and wilderness any more than it is doing the same in your own yard .
If one neglects the maintenance of one ’ s yard , it becomes an eyesore to neighbors and passersby .
When politicians and bureaucrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deadly fire hazard .
A study by the Reason Foundation from 2015 documents the decades-long problem and the needed reforms to mitigate wildfires .
Some politicians on the “ green ” side of issues have gotten frustrated with the intransigence of the extremist groups that lobby to prevent proper forest management .
Edward Ring at the American Greatness website linked to a headline from 18 years ago that reported California Senator Diane Feinstein blaming the Sierra Club for successfully lobbying against legislation to thin out overgrown forests near residential areas .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this history and logic , politicians continue to manipulate reality and insult our intelligence by claiming “ climate change ” caused the wildfires .
Many journalists , who are so easily duped and incurious when it comes to climate issues , often repeat this political propaganda as truth rather than demand facts and evidence .
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Washington Governor Jay Inslee are among the biggest climate change fanatics in the country and are quick to pass the buck for wildfires from their own dereliction to ‘ climate change.
” Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed .
These governors are culpable , yet they would have us believe they care about the planet while their states burn .
Other prominent examples of this delusion came from former president , Barack Obama who wrote , “ fires across the West Coast are just the latest examples [ of ] changing climate [ . ]
” Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives , Nancy Pelosi , said , “ Mother Earth is angry.
” Gulf coast hurricanes and fires in the west means that “ the climate crisis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the temperature on the west coast increased by a fraction of a degree in recent years , or a half-degree in the last forty years , how does this result in mass wildfires ?
Neither Obama , Pelosi nor the governors elaborated .
A slight temperature increase—i.e.
, global warming—did not cause the build-up of deadwood , nor did it cause power lines to ignite .
This begs the question why obviously intelligent and accomplished people seamlessly fabricate this way .
There are several reasons that come back to power and money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
No one wants to see forests and neighborhoods burn from wildfires .
Rather than correct mismanagement of the outdoors and stand up to the green extremist groups , it is easy to blame “ climate change.
” To the extent people believe such nonsensical cause and effect , they become more willing to give politicians greater control over society to “ fight climate change.
” It gets worse .
Convincing people to fear something is a means to acquire power over them .
We know from history and current events that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely , and often do , relinquish their freedom and empower others in the hopes of erasing their dread .
Certain politicians and public figures often stoke fear , which increasingly empowers them to influence society and dictate how we live .
Politicians do not repeatedly run for office for the salary or the overtime .
Assuming many or most do so in order to do good things , they also do so because the power they wield is intoxicating and insatiable .
Propagating climate change as the cause of dreadful wildfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear and exert societal influence .
Conflagrations in California and elsewhere will not cease by “ fighting climate change.
” Out-of-control fires will cease when clear cutting and controlled burning thin overgrown forests and remove deadwood .
That will occur when politicians care less about amassing power and walking in lockstep with extreme green groups , and care more about protecting their own citizens from wildfires .

The vast spread of wildfires in the nation’s three Pacific Coast states—California, Oregon and Washington—are the fault of politicians, bureaucrats and green interest groups.
In other words, they are man-made. The tragic result is that men, women and children have died.
“Climate change,” man-made or natural, is emphatically not the reason for these wildfires.
This reality does not keep prominent individuals from invoking “climate change” as the cause of the fires, nor has it kept credulous journalists from parroting such falsehoods.
The cause of these wildfires is the mismanagement of western forestlands by elected officials and government agencies tasked with overseeing them. Specifically, overgrown trees interfering with power lines and the build-up of dead trees and underbrush over the years are the ingredients for conflagration.
It is not interfering with nature to clear out deadwood and trim trees across forestlands and wilderness any more than it is doing the same in your own yard. If one neglects the maintenance of one’s yard, it becomes an eyesore to neighbors and passersby. When politicians and bureaucrats neglect maintenance of forestlands, it becomes a deadly tinderbox. A study by the Reason Foundation from 2015 documents the decades-long problem and the needed reforms to mitigate wildfires.
Some politicians on the “green” side of issues have gotten frustrated with the intransigence of the extremist groups that lobby to prevent proper forest management. Edward Ring at the American Greatness website linked to a headline from 18 years ago that reported California Senator Diane Feinstein blaming the Sierra Club for successfully lobbying against legislation to thin out overgrown forests near residential areas. This scenario has repeated often since.
Notwithstanding this history and logic, politicians continue to manipulate reality and insult our intelligence by claiming “climate change” caused the wildfires. Many journalists, who are so easily duped and incurious when it comes to climate issues, often repeat this political propaganda as truth rather than demand facts and evidence.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Washington Governor Jay Inslee are among the biggest climate fanatics in the country and are quick to pass the buck for wildfires from their own dereliction to “climate change.” Their citizens are dying and communities are being destroyed. These governors are culpable, yet they would have us believe they care about the planet while their states burn.
Other prominent examples of this delusion came from former president, Barack Obama who wrote, “fires across the West Coast are just the latest examples [of] changing climate[.]” Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said, “Mother Earth is angry.” Gulf coast hurricanes and fires in the west means that “the climate crisis is real,” the Speaker declared.
If the temperature on the west coast increased by a fraction of a degree in recent years, or a half-degree in the last forty years, how does this result in mass wildfires? Neither Obama, Pelosi nor the governors elaborated. A slight temperature increase—i.e., global warming—did not cause the build-up of deadwood, nor did it cause power lines to ignite.
This begs the question why obviously intelligent and accomplished people seamlessly fabricate this way. There are several reasons that come back to power and money, which add up to influence and control.
No one wants to see forests and neighborhoods burn from wildfires. Rather than correct mismanagement of the outdoors and stand up to the green extremist groups, it is easy to blame “climate change.” To the extent people believe such nonsensical cause and effect, they become more willing to give politicians greater control over society to “fight climate change.”
It gets worse. Convincing people to fear something is a means to acquire power over them. We know from history and current events that when people are fearful, they are more likely, and often do, relinquish their freedom and empower others in the hopes of erasing their dread.
Certain politicians and public figures often stoke fear, which increasingly empowers them to influence society and dictate how we live. Politicians do not repeatedly run for office for the salary or the overtime. Assuming many or most do so in order to do good things, they also do so because the power they wield is intoxicating and insatiable. Propagating climate change as the cause of dreadful wildfires is one of many vehicles to exploit fear and exert societal influence.
Conflagrations in California and elsewhere will not cease by “fighting climate change.” Out-of-control fires will cease when clear cutting and controlled burning thin overgrown forests and remove deadwood. That will occur when politicians care less about amassing power and walking in lockstep with extreme green groups, and care more about protecting their own citizens from hazardous wildfires.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-13--WILDFIRE: Watch California Governor Newsom’s unscientific climate rant

There is widespread fire , death and tragedy up and down America ’ s Pacific coast .
Please add your thoughts and prayers to ours for everyone experiencing suffering and loss .
Please also add your voice to ours for the kind of vitally-needed , effective , real-world solutions that CFACT has advocated for years .
Newsom ’ s for shutting down debate and “ doubling down ” ( his words ) on climate policy , “ de-carbonizing California , ” so-called “ renewable ” energy and the UN ’ s Paris Climate Accord .
“ I ’ m a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to debate this issue .
This is a climate damn emergency .
This is real and it ’ s happening .
This is the perfect storm .
It is happening in unprecedented ways , year in , year out .
You can exhaust yourself with your ideological b.s .
by saying well , ‘ 100 years ago we should have done this , or that , ’ all that may be true .
And I ’ m not going to suggest for a second that the forest management practices in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been ideal .
But that ’ s one point , but it ’ s not THE point.
” Governor Newsom , you ’ ve had since 2011 to move up from California ’ s ideologically-driven , feckless forest management as both Governor and Lt .
Governor .
Why did you not take meaningful action that would actually protect people ?
That is THE point , Governor .
More to come .

There is widespread fire, death and tragedy up and down America’s Pacific coast.
Please add your thoughts and prayers to ours for everyone experiencing suffering and loss.
Please also add your voice to ours for the kind of vitally-needed, effective, real-world solutions that CFACT has advocated for years.
How would California Governor Gavin Newsom combat devastating wildfires?
Newsom’s for shutting down debate and “doubling down” (his words) on climate policy, “de-carbonizing California,” so-called “renewable” energy and the UN’s Paris Climate Accord.
Here’s a quick sample from Newsom’s climate rant:
“I’m a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue. This is a climate damn emergency. This is real and it’s happening. This is the perfect storm. It is happening in unprecedented ways, year in, year out. You can exhaust yourself with your ideological b.s. by saying well, ‘100 years ago we should have done this, or that,’ all that may be true. And I’m not going to suggest for a second that the forest management practices in the state of California over a century plus have been ideal. But that’s one point, but it’s not THE point.”
Governor Newsom, you’ve had since 2011 to move up from California’s ideologically-driven, feckless forest management as both Governor and Lt. Governor. Why did you not take meaningful action that would actually protect people? That is THE point, Governor.
Who’s really in denial?
Watch for yourself.
More to come.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-13--ENERGYCAST: What did the massive TXU buyout mean for American energy?

In a multi-part series , energy analyst Jay Dauenhauer explores the events surrounding the 2006 coal expansion and subsequent buyout of TXU Corporation .
Ten years later , this remains the largest leveraged buyout in the history of finance .
In April 2006 , following a rolling blackout , TXU Corporation announced plans to build 11 new coal-fired power units in the state of Texas .
The Lone Star State has its own electrical grid , and estimates from the organization that manages that grid , also predicted that Texas could run dangerously close to experiencing rolling blackouts in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with criticism from several sides .
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and Houston mayor Bill White fought the expansion , even outside their own communities .
Local Dallas businesses united , and even large energy companies such as NRG Energy and Chesapeake Energy were critical of the expansion , with Chesapeake even creating a “ Coal is Filthy ” media campaign .
On February 23 , 2007 , CNBC broke the story that private equity firms KKR and TPG were close to a deal to buy TXU for $ 45B , making this the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon revealed that the environmental community had helped craft terms of the deal , which included the cancellation of 8 of the 11 planned coal-fired units .
The deal was ultimately approved by shareholders September 7 , 2007 , and TXU was officially sold to the buyers , now known as Energy Future Holdings , on October 10 .
On April 28 , 2014 , EFH filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy .
It was $ 40B in debt and was making $ 4B in annual interest payments .
Part of the problem was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural gas prices would stay high .
By producing power with coal and charging electric prices based on power generated by natural gas , they thought , margins would be huge .
However , the shale revolution quickly dropped prices to 1/3 of their high in 2008 , and this strategy was no longer viable .
This story is important because : • None It remains the largest leveraged buyout in the history of finance • None It changed the way the American public viewed coal as a power source • None It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economics of energy • None It demonstrated the influencing power of the environmental community

In a multi-part series, energy analyst Jay Dauenhauer explores the events surrounding the 2006 coal expansion and subsequent buyout of TXU Corporation. Ten years later, this remains the largest leveraged buyout in the history of finance.
In April 2006, following a rolling blackout, TXU Corporation announced plans to build 11 new coal-fired power units in the state of Texas. The Lone Star State has its own electrical grid, and estimates from the organization that manages that grid, also predicted that Texas could run dangerously close to experiencing rolling blackouts in the near future.
The expansion was met with criticism from several sides. Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and Houston mayor Bill White fought the expansion, even outside their own communities. Local Dallas businesses united, and even large energy companies such as NRG Energy and Chesapeake Energy were critical of the expansion, with Chesapeake even creating a “Coal is Filthy” media campaign.
On February 23, 2007, CNBC broke the story that private equity firms KKR and TPG were close to a deal to buy TXU for $45B, making this the largest leveraged buyout ever. It was soon revealed that the environmental community had helped craft terms of the deal, which included the cancellation of 8 of the 11 planned coal-fired units.
The deal was ultimately approved by shareholders September 7, 2007, and TXU was officially sold to the buyers, now known as Energy Future Holdings, on October 10.
On April 28, 2014, EFH filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It was $40B in debt and was making $4B in annual interest payments. Part of the problem was that TXU and EFH had bet that natural gas prices would stay high. By producing power with coal and charging electric prices based on power generated by natural gas, they thought, margins would be huge.
However, the shale revolution quickly dropped prices to 1/3 of their high in 2008, and this strategy was no longer viable.
This story is important because:


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-13--ENERGYCAST: The TXU energy deal called in an energy “crisis consultant”

Jay Dauenhauer is the host of the Energy Cast podcast , now in its fourth year .
Jay was a @ @ @ @ @ the energy sector .
He has been an executive director of a carbon capture association @ @ @ @ @ a project manager in the fracking industry , and now serves as a project manager @ @ @ @ @ .
Visit Jay at https : //www.energy-cast.com/

Jay Dauenhauer is the host of the Energy Cast podcast, now in its fourth year. Jay was a news producer before moving to the energy sector. He has been an executive director of a carbon capture association in Texas, served as a project manager in the fracking industry, and now serves as a project manager for Transmission in the Carolinas. Visit Jay at https://www.energy-cast.com/


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-13--ENERGYCAST: TXU energy and the climate campaigner


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-13--ENERGYCAST: The TXU buyout — a reporter’s scoop?


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-14--Systemic racism is not racism

Systemic racism is not racism

Tank farms are not farms .
Machine gun nests are not nests .
In the same way , what is called systemic racism is not a case of racism .
It might include some racism , or not , but that is not part of the definition .
Racism is deliberate action of a racist nature by individuals .
Systemic racism is a widespread feature of a society .
Such features are often expressed as statistics .
These are not statistics about the incidence of racism by individuals .
In fact whether or not a specific case of systemic racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientific question .
This question may be hard to answer .
Unfortunately , these days a lot of people are simply making the false assumption that certain cases of systemic racism are full of racism , even though no one can point to any .
Kamala Harris in particular stands out .
As I explain in my “ Systemic racism ” is emotional semantics , the term systemic racism refers to certain kinds of unhappy statistics .
Typically these are statistics where members of a non-white population look to be worse off than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blacks in America are estimated to have a larger percentage homeless people than whites do .
This is also true of prison inmates convicted of drug crimes .
In cases like this blacks are said to suffer from systemic racism .
But whether or not there is any actual racism going on , or how much if there is , is simply unknown .
Actual racism requires specific racist actions by specific people , while systemic racism can occur for other reasons .
The fact is that our complex social system may well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unhappy statistics , even though no one is being a racist .
Social systems are like that .
For example , and this is just an idea , not a claim of facts , the relative prevalence of homelessness might be do to the prevalence of a certain level of poverty .
Likewise for drug use .
Then that level of poverty might be a structural feature that begun under segregation .
Social structures can be amazingly persistent .
We see this system persistence in the recovery from disasters , where things go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many cases these underlying structures can be hard to see , and even harder to change .
Understanding that systemic racism may not be due to widespread individual racism is very important if we want to overcome it .
Just as in medicine , getting the diagnosis wrong can be much worse than useless .
Trying to cure supposedly widespread individual racism that does not in fact exist can simply make matters worse , not better .
Blaming people for things they are not doing just makes them angry .
In fact there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism , also called institutional racism .
There have been over 20,000 research articles and books on these two topics in just the last ten years .
That is a lot of research !
It is here in the social sciences that we should look for solutions to systemic racism , not by name calling and guilt trips as the Democrats are doing .
Kamala Harris and the rest of her party are just making things worse .
They are literally inciting people to riot .
A comprehensive listing of scientific books and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar listing on institutional racism is .
Conclusion : Systemic racism is not racism .
It is not even evidence of racism .
That people think it is , and are being told so , is a destructive conceptual confusion .
Instead of coming together we are being torn apart .

Tank farms are not farms. Machine gun nests are not nests. In the same way, what is called systemic racism is not a case of racism. It might include some racism, or not, but that is not part of the definition.
Racism is deliberate action of a racist nature by individuals. Systemic racism is a widespread feature of a society. Such features are often expressed as statistics. These are not statistics about the incidence of racism by individuals.
In fact whether or not a specific case of systemic racism includes some actual individual racism is a scientific question. This question may be hard to answer.
Unfortunately, these days a lot of people are simply making the false assumption that certain cases of systemic racism are full of racism, even though no one can point to any. Kamala Harris in particular stands out.
As I explain in my article “Systemic racism” is emotional semantics, the term systemic racism refers to certain kinds of unhappy statistics. Typically these are statistics where members of a non-white population look to be worse off than a white population.
For example, blacks in America are estimated to have a larger percentage homeless people than whites do. This is also true of prison inmates convicted of drug crimes.
In cases like this blacks are said to suffer from systemic racism. But whether or not there is any actual racism going on, or how much if there is, is simply unknown.
Actual racism requires specific racist actions by specific people, while systemic racism can occur for other reasons. The fact is that our complex social system may well be structured in ways that cause these unhappy statistics, even though no one is being a racist. Social systems are like that.
For example, and this is just an idea, not a claim of facts, the relative prevalence of homelessness might be do to the prevalence of a certain level of poverty. Likewise for drug use. Then that level of poverty might be a structural feature that begun under segregation.
Social structures can be amazingly persistent. We see this system persistence in the recovery from disasters, where things go “back to normal”. In many cases these underlying structures can be hard to see, and even harder to change.
Understanding that systemic racism may not be due to widespread individual racism is very important if we want to overcome it. Just as in medicine, getting the diagnosis wrong can be much worse than useless. Trying to cure supposedly widespread individual racism that does not in fact exist can simply make matters worse, not better. Blaming people for things they are not doing just makes them angry.
In fact there is a large scientific literature on systemic racism, also called institutional racism. There have been over 20,000 research articles and books on these two topics in just the last ten years. That is a lot of research!
It is here in the social sciences that we should look for solutions to systemic racism, not by name calling and guilt trips as the Democrats are doing. Kamala Harris and the rest of her party are just making things worse. They are literally inciting people to riot.
A comprehensive listing of scientific books and papers on systemic racism is here . Plus a similar listing on institutional racism is here .
Conclusion: Systemic racism is not racism. It is not even evidence of racism. That people think it is, and are being told so, is a destructive conceptual confusion. Instead of coming together we are being torn apart.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-13--ENERGYCAST: Communicating the massive TXU buyout


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-14--Now is not the time to abandon core American values

As avowed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , noted last month at the Democratic National Convention , “ We have come a very long way in five years.
” Saluting his success at moving Democrats away from more centrist views , he said , “ Many of the ideas we fought for , that just a few years ago were considered radical , are now mainstream.
” So what has changed ?
As far as the sharp leftward progressive shift toward socialism is concerned , quite a lot .
Modern progressives decry and ignore true progress made possible through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving force behind the most remarkable decline in global poverty ever witnessed in history .
In many parts of the world where extreme poverty conditions prevail , it is not because capitalism has failed , but rather because access to benefits of capitalism don ’ t exist .
Where given a chance , capitalism is and will always be the best pathway out of extreme poverty .
While to quote Winston Churchill , “ The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
” Whereas economic cruelty visited upon citizens can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to realizing the “ American dream ” is evidenced by generations of immigrants of all geographic , racial , ethnic and religious backgrounds who began poor and worked their way upward to bestow better lives to their children .
Socialism has never been known anywhere to protect against human greed any more than capitalism encourages it , nor does it in any way encourage “ fairness.
” Quite the opposite , state-controlled means of resources and production have always served as a toxic recipe for more — not less — mass-scale greed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wield that power .
Modern progressives who stereotype groups as monoliths promote the rankest examples of bigotry and division they purport to disdain .
In doing so , capitalism is blamed by some as a political scapegoat for almost every social and economic problem befalling our society , while socialism is naively or disingenuously promoted as a more equitable alternative .
America celebrates diversity .
We broadly recognize that all communities , very much including Black , Asian , Latino , Muslim and other minority populations possess a diverse array of opinions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique challenges .
Progressives routinely define racial and ethnic populations as monolithic categories — divisively designating some as helplessly oppressed by others .
America is not a systemic racist society .
Yet ideological attacks on America ’ s history which are being incorporated into a growing number of public K-12 school programs throughout our country portray America as a hopelessly racist culture .
This New York Times-sponsored “ 1619 Project ” is expressly intended to “ reframe the country ’ s history ” by replacing 1776 as America ’ s founding date and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaves were brought to Jamestown , Virginia .
Accurately describing such a curriculum as “ educational malpractice , ” the New York Post editorial board wrote , “ If this effort succeeds in shaping the nation ’ s youth — tomorrow ’ s leaders — it will be a grievous blow to this country ’ s noble experiment in liberty , in which Americans have always fought to make the promises of the Declaration of Independence true for all its citizens.
” The Cancellation of American Culture and Free Speech : Language is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a complicit press who conflate urban looters and arsonists with “ peaceful protesters , ” and covenance the desecration and destruction of national monuments as symbols of racism and “ white privilege.
” Those daring to speak out or violate the speech code or accused of getting out of step are vulnerable to shaming , or for some , losses of jobs and professional careers .
Among countless examples , New York Times editorial page chief , James Bennet , was forced to resign for the crime of simply posting a piece by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-Ark .
for advocating use of federal troops to prevent violence amid protests , a position most Americans agreed with .
Assaults on Defense of Public Order and Safety : Months of pandemic shutdowns and protests have compressed many years of progressive economic business and lifestyle ruin by liberal domination of major cities into endlessly tragic scenes of unchecked public disorder and violence .
Most all of the worst riot and crime-plagued urban casualties have long histories of far-left Democratic rule , including Minneapolis ; Manhattan ; Portland , Ore. ; Seattle ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Philadelphia ; and Washington , D.C .
Conditions now worsen as progressive prosecutors refuse to prosecute ; and police hold back because progressive mayors and governors don ’ t have their backs .
To be clear , the decline of many of our greatest American cities is a tragedy not only for their residents , but for our nation as a whole .
The Dissolution of National Borders and Sovereignty : America has a long history of welcoming immigrants who want to assimilate and pursue the American dream by learning a common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , and supporting freedom and safety of others .
That American appeal is strong and effective .
According to the United Nations , in 2019 , the United States had the largest number of immigrants of any country .
All countries that value their freedoms and safety implement homeland security border controls to protect their citizens from the illegal movement of illegal contraband and criminal elements , while also while promoting lawful trade and travel essential to provide economic prosperity , and national sovereignty .
Progressive open border and sanctuary city campaigns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspired spirit and unlimited promise of our republic .
And while we can ’ t predict what wonderful new capitalist-free enterprise-enabled opportunities and innovations will occur in the future , there should be no doubt whatsoever that some will improve the quality of our lives in ways we can ’ t presently even imagine .
Americans have every good reason to believe this , and to rededicate ourselves to the core values essential to make true progress continue .

As avowed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., noted last month at the Democratic National Convention, “We have come a very long way in five years.”
Saluting his success at moving Democrats away from more centrist views, he said, “Many of the ideas we fought for, that just a few years ago were considered radical, are now mainstream.”
So what has changed?
As far as the sharp leftward progressive shift toward socialism is concerned, quite a lot.
The Deconstruction and Replacement Capitalism:
Modern progressives decry and ignore true progress made possible through capitalism – not government – as the driving force behind the most remarkable decline in global poverty ever witnessed in history.
In many parts of the world where extreme poverty conditions prevail, it is not because capitalism has failed, but rather because access to benefits of capitalism don’t exist.
Where given a chance, capitalism is and will always be the best pathway out of extreme poverty. While to quote Winston Churchill, “The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
The Social Injustice and Economic Inequity Mantra:
Whereas economic cruelty visited upon citizens can be witnessed where ever socialism exists, access to realizing the “American dream” is evidenced by generations of immigrants of all geographic, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds who began poor and worked their way upward to bestow better lives to their children.
Socialism has never been known anywhere to protect against human greed any more than capitalism encourages it, nor does it in any way encourage “fairness.” Quite the opposite, state-controlled means of resources and production have always served as a toxic recipe for more — not less — mass-scale greed and corruption, benefiting only those who wield that power.
The Weaponization of Victim Identity Stereotypes:
Modern progressives who stereotype groups as monoliths promote the rankest examples of bigotry and division they purport to disdain. In doing so, capitalism is blamed by some as a political scapegoat for almost every social and economic problem befalling our society, while socialism is naively or disingenuously promoted as a more equitable alternative.
America celebrates diversity. We broadly recognize that all communities, very much including Black, Asian, Latino, Muslim and other minority populations possess a diverse array of opinions and priorities as well as distinct strengths and unique challenges.
Progressives routinely define racial and ethnic populations as monolithic categories — divisively designating some as helplessly oppressed by others.
The False Marketing of “Systemic Racism”:
America is not a systemic racist society. Yet ideological attacks on America’s history which are being incorporated into a growing number of public K-12 school programs throughout our country portray America as a hopelessly racist culture.
This New York Times-sponsored “1619 Project” is expressly intended to “reframe the country’s history” by replacing 1776 as America’s founding date and substituting 1619 when 20 or so African slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia.
Accurately describing such a curriculum as “educational malpractice,” the New York Post editorial board wrote, “If this effort succeeds in shaping the nation’s youth — tomorrow’s leaders — it will be a grievous blow to this country’s noble experiment in liberty, in which Americans have always fought to make the promises of the Declaration of Independence true for all its citizens.”
The Cancellation of American Culture and Free Speech:
Language is being hijacked by a neo-Marxist left and a complicit press who conflate urban looters and arsonists with “peaceful protesters,” and covenance the desecration and destruction of national monuments as symbols of racism and “white privilege.”
Those daring to speak out or violate the speech code or accused of getting out of step are vulnerable to shaming, or for some, losses of jobs and professional careers.
Among countless examples, New York Times editorial page chief, James Bennet, was forced to resign for the crime of simply posting a piece by a U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark. for advocating use of federal troops to prevent violence amid protests, a position most Americans agreed with.
Assaults on Defense of Public Order and Safety:
Months of pandemic shutdowns and protests have compressed many years of progressive economic business and lifestyle ruin by liberal domination of major cities into endlessly tragic scenes of unchecked public disorder and violence.
Most all of the worst riot and crime-plagued urban casualties have long histories of far-left Democratic rule, including Minneapolis; Manhattan; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Chicago; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.
Conditions now worsen as progressive prosecutors refuse to prosecute; and police hold back because progressive mayors and governors don’t have their backs.
To be clear, the decline of many of our greatest American cities is a tragedy not only for their residents, but for our nation as a whole.
The Dissolution of National Borders and Sovereignty:
America has a long history of welcoming immigrants who want to assimilate and pursue the American dream by learning a common English language, obtaining productive and rewarding work, and supporting freedom and safety of others.
That American appeal is strong and effective. According to the United Nations, in 2019, the United States had the largest number of immigrants of any country.
All countries that value their freedoms and safety implement homeland security border controls to protect their citizens from the illegal movement of illegal contraband and criminal elements, while also while promoting lawful trade and travel essential to provide economic prosperity, and national sovereignty.
Progressive open border and sanctuary city campaigns contradict these fundamental assurances that underpin the inspired spirit and unlimited promise of our republic.
And while we can’t predict what wonderful new capitalist-free enterprise-enabled opportunities and innovations will occur in the future, there should be no doubt whatsoever that some will improve the quality of our lives in ways we can’t presently even imagine.
Americans have every good reason to believe this, and to rededicate ourselves to the core values essential to make true progress continue.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-14--Governor Newsom’s unscientific fire hustle

Millions of acres have been devastated .
Houses and communities destroyed .
Twenty-two people have died including a 13-year-old boy and his grandmother .
More tragedy is on the way .
Yet , Governors Gavin Newsom of California , Kate Brown of Oregon , and Jay Inslee of Washington tell us that the way to fight wildfires is with wind turbines , solar panels , and electric cars .
California Governor Gavin Newsom chose September 11th to indulge in an unbelievably unscientific climate rant .
Watch it at CFACT.org .
“ I ’ m a little bit exhausted that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Newsom said .
“ This is a climate damn emergency .
This is real and it ’ s happening .
This is the perfect storm .
It is happening in unprecedented ways , year in , year out.
” “ The hots are getting a lot hotter , ” Newsom explained , “ the drys are getting a lot dryer , and the wets are getting a lot wetter .
That ’ s climate change… The debate is over on climate change , just come to the state of California… it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WRONG !
That ’ s the kind of shamefully unscientific climate hustle that CFACT looks forward to exposing on September 24th during our worldwide streaming event at 8 PM .
Join us !
You need this debate Governor if you are going to learn the facts .
The fires on the West Coast are the result of natural weather conditions that were not caused by you , me , or anyone .
The most extreme UN climate computer model is the infamous RCP8.5 .
That ’ s the climate simulation that far outdoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality has ever approached .
Even under the most extreme model , any global warming severe enough to cause the extreme conditions Newsom describes lies well in the future .
Real-world temperature observations show too little change today to name global warming the culprit that set the West on fire .
We ’ re talking about less than a degree C that occurred nearly entirely last century .
Not long ago the UK Met Office gathered world temperature data into a handy , understandable chart every year .
That is until the chart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became inconvenient and they stopped publishing it .
Good thing we posted it to CFACT.org .
This year ’ s temperatures remain in line with past temperatures .
Here is the NOAA temperature data for August from 1940 until today : Historical temperature fluctuations tell us little about global temperature , which as I just showed you , has only varied by a degree or less over a century .
The temperature data does show us that hot , dry summers have often occurred in the past and will continue to occur .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ box must take notice — Governors in particular !
WE MUST PREVENT AND PREPARE FOR FIRE BEFORE IT BURNS .
“ I ’ m not going to suggest for a second that the forest management practices in the state of California over a century plus have been ideal , ” Newsom said on 9/11 , “ but that ’ s one point , but it ’ s not THE point .
The reality is the mega-fires that we are experiencing come from these mega-droughts that we ’ ve experienced.
” Get real , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drought was not something we need to be fully prepared for ?
You ’ ve had since 2011 to move up from California ’ s ideologically-driven , feckless forest management as both Governor and Lt .
Governor .
Why did you not take early decisive action that would actually protect people ?
That is THE point .
You say you finally started clearing out the dead wood .
Too little , too late .
You had over a decade .
All three Pacific-West governors could have taken action that would have saved lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solar panels , electric vehicles , carbon offsets , and the rest would have meaningfully altered the hot , dry conditions that led to this year ’ s devastating fires .
If we ’ d never heard of light bulbs , refrigerators and SUVs California would still be ablaze .
CFACT has advocated for years for real-world , essential preparations for the scourge of wildfire .
These include effective forest management , firebreaks , controlled burns , settlement planning and emergency preparedness .
California ’ s Death Valley is the hottest , driest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included it in his climate hustle .
“ We ’ re experiencing world record-breaking temperatures in the state of California , 130 degrees , ” Newsom said , “ arguably the hottest recorded temperature in the history of mankind.
” A temperature of 130 degrees F in Death Valley is certainly hot , but the reason it is “ arguable ” is because the actual world record of 134.06 was set right there in Death Valley way back in 1913 .
The second place record of 131 was set in Tunisia in 1931 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deflect from California ’ s failure to manage its forests is weather porn .
This is climate hustling at its worst .
When the Greens got control of California , they thought eliminating fuel clearing , fire breaks and controlled burns were what the environment needed .
Peter Murphy posted details at CFACT.org .
Green ideologues insisted that ending forest management was the way to protect species such as the now-infamous spotted owl .
Instead the Left burned out people and owls both .
Join CFACT for a worldwide debunking of the tricks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let the West burn September 24th at 8 PM anywhere on Earth

America’s Pacific Coast is on fire.
Millions of acres have been devastated. Houses and communities destroyed. Twenty-two people have died including a 13-year-old boy and his grandmother.
More tragedy is on the way.
Yet, Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Kate Brown of Oregon, and Jay Inslee of Washington tell us that the way to fight wildfires is with wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars.
These Green ideologues live in a dangerous left-wing fantasy world.
California Governor Gavin Newsom chose September 11th to indulge in an unbelievably unscientific climate rant. Watch it at CFACT.org.
“I’m a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue,” Newsom said. “This is a climate damn emergency. This is real and it’s happening. This is the perfect storm. It is happening in unprecedented ways, year in, year out.”
“The hots are getting a lot hotter,” Newsom explained, “the drys are getting a lot dryer, and the wets are getting a lot wetter. That’s climate change… The debate is over on climate change, just come to the state of California… it is not even debatable any longer.”
WRONG! That’s the kind of shamefully unscientific climate hustle that CFACT looks forward to exposing on September 24th during our worldwide streaming event at 8 PM. Join us!
You need this debate Governor if you are going to learn the facts. The fires on the West Coast are the result of natural weather conditions that were not caused by you, me, or anyone.
The most extreme UN climate computer model is the infamous RCP8.5. That’s the climate simulation that far outdoes the others in projecting more warming than reality has ever approached. Even under the most extreme model, any global warming severe enough to cause the extreme conditions Newsom describes lies well in the future. Real-world temperature observations show too little change today to name global warming the culprit that set the West on fire. We’re talking about less than a degree C that occurred nearly entirely last century. Not long ago the UK Met Office gathered world temperature data into a handy, understandable chart every year. That is until the chart, even after “adjustments,” became inconvenient and they stopped publishing it. Good thing we posted it to CFACT.org.
This year’s temperatures remain in line with past temperatures. Here is the NOAA temperature data for August from 1940 until today:
Historical temperature fluctuations tell us little about global temperature, which as I just showed you, has only varied by a degree or less over a century. The temperature data does show us that hot, dry summers have often occurred in the past and will continue to occur. Everyone who lives anywhere near this tinder box must take notice — Governors in particular! WE MUST PREVENT AND PREPARE FOR FIRE BEFORE IT BURNS.
“I’m not going to suggest for a second that the forest management practices in the state of California over a century plus have been ideal,” Newsom said on 9/11, “but that’s one point, but it’s not THE point. The reality is the mega-fires that we are experiencing come from these mega-droughts that we’ve experienced.”
Get real, Governor. Did you actually think natural drought was not something we need to be fully prepared for? You’ve had since 2011 to move up from California’s ideologically-driven, feckless forest management as both Governor and Lt. Governor. Why did you not take early decisive action that would actually protect people? That is THE point. You say you finally started clearing out the dead wood. Too little, too late. You had over a decade. All three Pacific-West governors could have taken action that would have saved lives.
No amount of wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, carbon offsets, and the rest would have meaningfully altered the hot, dry conditions that led to this year’s devastating fires. If we’d never heard of light bulbs, refrigerators and SUVs California would still be ablaze.
CFACT has advocated for years for real-world, essential preparations for the scourge of wildfire. These include effective forest management, firebreaks, controlled burns, settlement planning and emergency preparedness.
California’s Death Valley is the hottest, driest place on Earth. Governor Newsom shamelessly included it in his climate hustle. “We’re experiencing world record-breaking temperatures in the state of California, 130 degrees,” Newsom said, “arguably the hottest recorded temperature in the history of mankind.” A temperature of 130 degrees F in Death Valley is certainly hot, but the reason it is “arguable” is because the actual world record of 134.06 was set right there in Death Valley way back in 1913. The second place record of 131 was set in Tunisia in 1931. Exploiting the naturally-scorching Death Valley to deflect from California’s failure to manage its forests is weather porn. This is climate hustling at its worst.
When the Greens got control of California, they thought eliminating fuel clearing, fire breaks and controlled burns were what the environment needed. Peter Murphy posted details at CFACT.org.
Green ideologues insisted that ending forest management was the way to protect species such as the now-infamous spotted owl.
Instead the Left burned out people and owls both.
Join CFACT for a worldwide debunking of the tricks used
daily by the radical ideologues who let the West burn
September 24th at 8 PM anywhere on Earth
Get tickets now!


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-14--EP 103: Biden vs. Trump: Who’s Better for True Conservationists?

In Episode 103 of District of Conservation , Gabriella compares the 2020 candidates on the issues of Second Amendment rights @ @ @ @ @ wildlife conservation , land management , public lands access , and more .
She dissects @ @ @ @ @ s proposals on firearms and conservation issues against President Donald Trump ’ s record .
@ @ @ @ @ Trump terrible on public lands issues and the environment as reported ?
Is Biden offering @ @ @ @ @ from the Trump Administration ?
You , the listener , can decide for yourself .
@ @ @ @ @ for Biden & alleged Trump failures regarding sportsmen and women

In Episode 103 of District of Conservation, Gabriella compares the 2020 candidates on the issues of Second Amendment rights, hunting, fishing, wildlife conservation, land management, public lands access, and more.
She dissects and assesses Joe Biden’s proposals on firearms and conservation issues against President Donald Trump’s record. Is it better? Is Trump terrible on public lands issues and the environment as reported? Is Biden offering something new or largely borrowing from the Trump Administration?
You, the listener, can decide for yourself.
SHOW NOTES
Sportsmen for Trump | Sportsmen for Biden & alleged Trump failures regarding sportsmen and women
Biden on guns
December 2016 lead tackle ban on USFWS lands (Obama-Biden)
Trump awarding $320M to Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (February 2020)
Trump awards $250M to Everglades Restoration
Trump on wildlife corridors
Trump DOI announces $130 Million in Public-Private Funding for Wetland Conservation Projects
Trump signed GAOA into law
Trump Interior news and accomplishments
Trump signs Modern Fish Act
Recreational anglers happy with Trump administration
2013 Biden Interview on MSNBC
2013 Biden Interview in Field & Stream
Obama-Biden cut CWD funding in 2015
—
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/district-of-conservation/support
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Photo Credit: Green Winged Teal — Gabriella Hoffman


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-15--Biden responds to fires with his own unscientific climate hustle

The Biden-Harris campaign posted the video above What should have been done to prevent and prepare for the fires ravaging the West Coast ?
You ’ re wasting your time if you ask Joe Biden .
The Democratic nominee offered no constructive solution that would actually have an impact , such as forest management , fire breaks , planning and emergency preparedness .
Instead he read out an unbelievable list of radical global warming talking points that contrary to the scientific evidence , falsely attributes every extreme weather event to climate change .
This is pure science fiction .
Watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocking samples : “ It shouldn ’ t be so bad that millions of Americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking , ‘ is doomsday here ?
’ And I know , I know this feeling of dread and anxiety extends well beyond the fires .
We ’ re seeing record hurricane seasons , costing billions of dollars .
Well last month Hurricane Laura intensified at a near record rate .
Just before its landfall in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast .
It ’ s a troubling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequencies of the hurricanes , but more powerful and destructive storms .
They ’ re causing record damage to people ’ s homes , lives , and livelihoods… The Arctic is literally melting .
Parts are actually on fire… With every bout of nature ’ s fury caused by our own inaction on climate change , more Americans see and feel the devastation .
Whether in a big city , small towns , on coastlines or on farmlands .
It ’ s happening everywhere , and it ’ s happening now and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more years of Trump ’ s climate denial , how many suburbs will be burned ?
How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out ?
How many suburbs will be burned away in superstorms ?
If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House , why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze ?
If you give a climate denier four more years in the White House , why would anyone be surprised when more of America is under water ?
We need a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the damage from climate change is already here… ” WRONG , Mister Biden .
You ’ ve just pulled an even worse climate hustle than CA Governor Newsom unleashed on 9/11 .
The Wall Street Journal described it as “ a speech that claims to revere science but is utterly detached from it.
” “ As for climate and hurricanes , ” The WSJ continued , “ sigh , let ’ s repeat that there is little evidence that storm frequency and the modest global warming of the last century are linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted , hurricanes hitting the U.S. have not increased in frequency or intensity since 1900.
” Science tells us that hurricanes , fires , and floods are historically normal .
The scientific data , as Craig Rucker laid out in his post on Governor Newsom , shows too little temperature change to attribute extreme weather events to human emissions .
Joe Biden has gone all-in on a radical climate hustle .
This is as ignorant as it is dangerous .
America needs sound energy and environmental policies grounded in reality .
Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The Biden-Harris campaign posted the video above
What should have been done to prevent and prepare for the fires ravaging the West Coast?
You’re wasting your time if you ask Joe Biden.
The Democratic nominee offered no constructive solution that would actually have an impact, such as forest management, fire breaks, planning and emergency preparedness. Instead he read out an unbelievable list of radical global warming talking points that contrary to the scientific evidence, falsely attributes every extreme weather event to climate change. This is pure science fiction. Watch for yourself.
Here are a few shocking samples:
“It shouldn’t be so bad that millions of Americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking, ‘is doomsday here?’ And I know, I know this feeling of dread and anxiety extends well beyond the fires. We’re seeing record hurricane seasons, costing billions of dollars. Well last month Hurricane Laura intensified at a near record rate. Just before its landfall in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. It’s a troubling marker, not just for the increased frequencies of the hurricanes, but more powerful and destructive storms. They’re causing record damage to people’s homes, lives, and livelihoods…
The Arctic is literally melting. Parts are actually on fire…
With every bout of nature’s fury caused by our own inaction on climate change, more Americans see and feel the devastation. Whether in a big city, small towns, on coastlines or on farmlands. It’s happening everywhere, and it’s happening now and it affects us all…
If we have four more years of Trump’s climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned? How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out? How many suburbs will be burned away in superstorms?
If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?
If you give a climate denier four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised when more of America is under water?
We need a president who respects science. Who understands that the damage from climate change is already here…”
WRONG, Mister Biden. You’ve just pulled an even worse climate hustle than CA Governor Newsom unleashed on 9/11.
The Wall Street Journal described it as “a speech that claims to revere science but is utterly detached from it.”
“As for climate and hurricanes,” The WSJ continued, “sigh, let’s repeat that there is little evidence that storm frequency and the modest global warming of the last century are linked. As scientist Roger Pielke Jr. has noted, hurricanes hitting the U.S. have not increased in frequency or intensity since 1900.”
Science tells us that hurricanes, fires, and floods are historically normal. The scientific data, as Craig Rucker laid out in his post on Governor Newsom, shows too little temperature change to attribute extreme weather events to human emissions.
Joe Biden has gone all-in on a radical climate hustle. This is as ignorant as it is dangerous.
America needs sound energy and environmental policies grounded in reality.
Joe Biden should not indulge in alarmist science fiction.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-17--The U.S. Constitution Preamble and the Bill of Rights

We the People of the United States , in Order to form a more perfect Union , establish Justice , insure domestic Tranquility , provide for the common defence , promote the general Welfare , and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity , do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America .
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridging the freedom of speech , or of the press ; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redress of grievances .
A well regulated Militia , being necessary to the security of a free State , the right of the people to keep and bear Arms , shall not be infringed .
No Soldier shall , in time of peace be quartered in any house , without the consent of the Owner , nor in time of war , but in a manner to be prescribed by law .
The right of the people to be secure in their persons , houses , papers , and effects , against unreasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violated , and no Warrants shall issue , but upon probable cause , supported by Oath or affirmation , and particularly describing the place to be searched , and the persons or things to be seized .
No person shall be held to answer for a capital , or otherwise infamous crime , unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury , except in cases arising in the land or naval forces , or in the Militia , when in actual service in time of War or public danger ; nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb ; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself , nor be deprived of life , liberty , or property , without due process of law ; nor shall private property be taken for public use , without just compensation .
In all criminal prosecutions , the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial , by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ascertained by law , and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation ; to be confronted with the witnesses against him ; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor , and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence .
In Suits at common law , where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars , the right of trial by jury shall be preserved , and no fact tried by a jury , shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the common law .
Excessive bail shall not be required , nor excessive fines imposed , nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted .
The enumeration in the Constitution , of certain rights , shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people .
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution , nor prohibited by it to the States , are reserved to the States respectively , or to the people .

As originally adopted September 17, 1787
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
AMENDMENT I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
AMENDMENT II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
AMENDMENT III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
AMENDMENT IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
AMENDMENT V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
AMENDMENT VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
AMENDMENT VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
AMENDMENT VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
AMENDMENT IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
AMENDMENT X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-17--ENERGYCAST: Geothermal energy — Subterranean steam

In Washington , we discuss the geothermal industry with a leading expert in renewable project finance .
Nearly every Energy Cast interviewee has supported geothermal energy , and many have wondered aloud why we don ’ t see more of it .
I ’ ve been equally curious , and set out to find out why .
That is when I came across Chadbourne and Parke , a DC-based member of the Geothermal Energy Association .
Their representative is Keith Martin , Partner at Chadbourne and one of the preeminent experts on renewable energy project finance .
Chadbourne represents Ormat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Martin and I focused on the policy and project financing component of geothermal technology .
The reason geothermal is still such a small portion of the national portfolio ( 0.4 % ) is because several facilities have underperformed expectations .
For instance , developers have had to drill more wells than expected to yield the desired output .
In addition , many financial benefits that wind and solar have received have not been extended to geothermal .
It also does not help that a geothermal facility takes longer to develop than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geothermal facilities produce about 3,500 MW of electricity , but estimates from USGS indicate that undiscovered resources could yield as much as 73,000 MWe of energy .
Currently , commercial Geothermal consists of 3 technologies ( photos on right ) : • None Flash–The most common .
Fluid is greater than 182 Celsius , and under great pressure it is pumped into a “ Flash Tank ” at the surface , where at the lower pressure , it quickly vaporizes , or Flashes , and drives an electric turbine .
• None Dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fluid from a production well travels to the surface as steam , it drives a turbine , the steam condenses and returns to the injection well .
The steam only has to be 150 Celsius .
• None Binary Cycle–Most promising for future facilities .
Use a heat exchanger to transfer heat between a water loop cycling underground and a closed loop system powering the turbine .

In Washington, we discuss the geothermal industry with a leading expert in renewable project finance.
Nearly every Energy Cast interviewee has supported geothermal energy, and many have wondered aloud why we don’t see more of it. I’ve been equally curious, and set out to find out why.
That is when I came across Chadbourne and Parke, a DC-based member of the Geothermal Energy Association. Their representative is Keith Martin, Partner at Chadbourne and one of the preeminent experts on renewable energy project finance. Chadbourne represents Ormat Technologies, an Israeli geothermal energy developer.
Mr. Martin and I focused on the policy and project financing component of geothermal technology. The reason geothermal is still such a small portion of the national portfolio (0.4%) is because several facilities have underperformed expectations. For instance, developers have had to drill more wells than expected to yield the desired output. In addition, many financial benefits that wind and solar have received have not been extended to geothermal. It also does not help that a geothermal facility takes longer to develop than a wind or solar farm.
U.S. Geothermal facilities produce about 3,500 MW of electricity, but estimates from USGS indicate that undiscovered resources could yield as much as 73,000 MWe of energy.
Currently, commercial Geothermal consists of 3 technologies (photos on right):
Flash–The most common. Fluid is greater than 182 Celsius, and under great pressure it is pumped into a “Flash Tank” at the surface, where at the lower pressure, it quickly vaporizes, or Flashes, and drives an electric turbine.
Dry Steam–The oldest technology of the three. Fluid from a production well travels to the surface as steam, it drives a turbine, the steam condenses and returns to the injection well. The steam only has to be 150 Celsius.
Binary Cycle–Most promising for future facilities. Use a heat exchanger to transfer heat between a water loop cycling underground and a closed loop system powering the turbine.
Resources:


committeeconstructivetomorrowcfactorg--2020-09-17--If you like lockdowns, you’ll love Biden’s empty, green future

If you haven ’ t been paying much attention to presidential candidate Joe Biden ’ s “ if elected ” promises and the contents of his 90-page-plus Democratic Party policy platform jointly drafted and heralded by the Bernie Sanders Socialist camp as the most progressive set of agendas ever , perhaps it ’ s a very good idea to do so now .
Welcome to California green brownouts and blackouts : The Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on Climate Change co-chaired by self-avowed Socialist Rep. Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , and former U.S .
Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change like the emergency that it is and answer the crisis with an ambitious , unprecedented , economy-wide mobilization to decarbonize the economy and build a resilient , stronger foundation for the American people.
” The plan incorporates a commitment to eliminating “ carbon pollution ” from power plants by 2035 , and for zeroing out net greenhouse emissions across the entire country by 2050 .
The agenda also calls for humongous expenditures in renewable energy , including installing 500 million solar panels and manufacturing 60,000 wind turbines .
Among this phantasmagoria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it takes to “ retrofit ” energy reduction improvements on four million buildings and two million households in five years , and will require that all new American buildings will be “ net-zero ” in carbon emissions by 2030 .
Additionally , the government will replace all 500,000 school buses with zero-emission alternatives within five years .
In addition , all public works projects requiring federal permission or money will have to pass a climate test .
Read this as providing leverage to eliminate or hold ideological activist hostage to all new fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , Biden accurately argued that the U.S. represents only a minor and shrinking share of global emissions and therefore can ’ t fix an alleged climate problem with measures designed to grease domestic constituencies .
Nevertheless , the former vice president said during a 2019 CNN Climate Crisis Town Hall that his administration would support stopping all “ oil drilling or gas drilling on federal lands.
” He also claims that his version of the Green New Deal will stimulate the economy by creating lots of new jobs .
Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders climate mafia who hold great policy sway over him , however , have no such compunction about banning fracking and drilling of fossil fuels everywhere .
It requires no imagination whatsoever to predict the results .
As providently forecast by Paul Tice in the Wall Street Journal , if you like current coronavirus lockdowns , you ’ ll love a carbon-free future with dead cities and town centers , empty highways and shopping malls , and abandoned airports and stadiums .
Tice writes , “ Without fossil fuels , Americans would face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diminished , with higher unemployment and perennial supply chain disruptions since hydrocarbons are used to make and transport most goods.
” A major matter of missing money : Although the Democratic fossil energy-starving , mythical zero-emission replacement costs aren ’ t identified , they will certainly run into many-trillions of dollars .
So where will that green energy-subsidizing green come from ?
I think you can probably already guess .
We should have learned from the 2009 Obama-Biden administration ’ s failed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , which included more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that extending low-cost loans and investment and production tax credits to solar and wind projects did little to stimulate their weak economy or lagging employment .
Covid pandemic business shutdowns , employment layouts and four government bailout packages have since added nearly $ 3 trillion to the national debt .
Now add to this , growing deficits accruing to losses of businesses and tax revenues to disproportionately Democrat cities that are experiencing the nation ’ s worst riot and crime-plagued economic and social casualties .
Most notable among these are Minneapolis , Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Philadelphia , and Washington , D.C. As I elaborated in my Sept. 2 column , Barron ’ s asked Eaton Vance ( a major muni investor ) to prepare a comparative financial creditworthiness ranking of all 50 states based upon financial and economic data taken from the past fiscal year along with a variety of projected COVID-19 influences .
All eight of the top-ranked states had Republican governors .
Farthest at the other end of the rankings are Democratic Illinois at the very bottom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Growing hordes of businesses and families are fleeing for the suburbs as decades of liberal governance have made many metropolitan centers unaffordable , unlivable , and unable to provide for their citizens ’ basic needs in housing , public safety and education .
As I also discussed in a July 7 column , Democrats under Biden are committed to embrace New Jersey Dem .
Senator Cory Booker ’ s social engineering strategy to end local control of single-family suburban zoning in order to end meaningful choices of how Americans can live .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Development ( HUD ) regulations that the Trump administration abolished , the Biden White House would compel the construction of high-density “ stack and pack ” apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods , and forcibly transform neighborhoods across America so they look and feel the way far left ideologues and technocratic bureaucrats think they should .
Under threat of withholding federal money , HUD ’ s 2015 “ Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing ” ( AFFH ) rule pressured Westchester County , N.Y. which was never found to have discriminated against anyone , to raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11,000 low-income , high-density apartments .
Crime-plagued Minneapolis abolished single-family zoning this year – a few months before it voted to abolish its police force , and Oregon outlawed single-family zoning last year .
For the past three years , the state senator who represents Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s San Francisco has led a push to abolish single-family zoning in California .
Little more than a decade ago — before Obama and Biden — who could have possibly imagined that a major sector of American politics would devolve to even contemplate such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and are — don ’ t imagine for a moment that Joe ’ s promises can be taken lightly .

If you haven’t been paying much attention to presidential candidate Joe Biden’s “if elected” promises and the contents of his 90-page-plus Democratic Party policy platform jointly drafted and heralded by the Bernie Sanders Socialist camp as the most progressive set of agendas ever, perhaps it’s a very good idea to do so now.
Welcome to California green brownouts and blackouts:
The Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on Climate Change co-chaired by self-avowed Socialist Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry stated that it “urges that we treat climate change like the emergency that it is and answer the crisis with an ambitious, unprecedented, economy-wide mobilization to decarbonize the economy and build a resilient, stronger foundation for the American people.”
The plan incorporates a commitment to eliminating “carbon pollution” from power plants by 2035, and for zeroing out net greenhouse emissions across the entire country by 2050.
The agenda also calls for humongous expenditures in renewable energy, including installing 500 million solar panels and manufacturing 60,000 wind turbines.
Among this phantasmagoria of proposals, Democrats will spend what it takes to “retrofit” energy reduction improvements on four million buildings and two million households in five years, and will require that all new American buildings will be “net-zero” in carbon emissions by 2030.
Additionally, the government will replace all 500,000 school buses with zero-emission alternatives within five years.
In addition, all public works projects requiring federal permission or money will have to pass a climate test. Read this as providing leverage to eliminate or hold ideological activist hostage to all new fossil fuel and pipeline projects.
A year ago, Biden accurately argued that the U.S. represents only a minor and shrinking share of global emissions and therefore can’t fix an alleged climate problem with measures designed to grease domestic constituencies.
Nevertheless, the former vice president said during a 2019 CNN Climate Crisis Town Hall that his administration would support stopping all “oil drilling or gas drilling on federal lands.” He also claims that his version of the Green New Deal will stimulate the economy by creating lots of new jobs.
Biden’s running mate, along with the Bernie Sanders climate mafia who hold great policy sway over him, however, have no such compunction about banning fracking and drilling of fossil fuels everywhere.
It requires no imagination whatsoever to predict the results.
As providently forecast by Paul Tice in the Wall Street Journal, if you like current coronavirus lockdowns, you’ll love a carbon-free future with dead cities and town centers, empty highways and shopping malls, and abandoned airports and stadiums.
Tice writes, “Without fossil fuels, Americans would face limited mobility and economic activity would be diminished, with higher unemployment and perennial supply chain disruptions since hydrocarbons are used to make and transport most goods.”
A major matter of missing money: Although the Democratic fossil energy-starving, mythical zero-emission replacement costs aren’t identified, they will certainly run into many-trillions of dollars.
So where will that green energy-subsidizing green come from? I think you can probably already guess.
We should have learned from the 2009 Obama-Biden administration’s failed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included more than $90 billion for clean energy programs, that extending low-cost loans and investment and production tax credits to solar and wind projects did little to stimulate their weak economy or lagging employment.
Covid pandemic business shutdowns, employment layouts and four government bailout packages have since added nearly $3 trillion to the national debt.
Now add to this, growing deficits accruing to losses of businesses and tax revenues to disproportionately Democrat cities that are experiencing the nation’s worst riot and crime-plagued economic and social casualties.
Most notable among these are Minneapolis, Manhattan, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
As I elaborated in my Sept. 2 column, Barron’s asked Eaton Vance (a major muni investor) to prepare a comparative financial creditworthiness ranking of all 50 states based upon financial and economic data taken from the past fiscal year along with a variety of projected COVID-19 influences.
All eight of the top-ranked states had Republican governors. Farthest at the other end of the rankings are Democratic Illinois at the very bottom, along with second worst rated New Jersey.
Sayonara to safe suburban refuges from urban upheaval:
Growing hordes of businesses and families are fleeing for the suburbs as decades of liberal governance have made many metropolitan centers unaffordable, unlivable, and unable to provide for their citizens’ basic needs in housing, public safety and education.
Don’t count on those attractive small community conditions continuing.
As I also discussed in a July 7 column, Democrats under Biden are committed to embrace New Jersey Dem. Senator Cory Booker’s social engineering strategy to end local control of single-family suburban zoning in order to end meaningful choices of how Americans can live.
Reapplying Obama-Biden Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations that the Trump administration abolished, the Biden White House would compel the construction of high-density “stack and pack” apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods, and forcibly transform neighborhoods across America so they look and feel the way far left ideologues and technocratic bureaucrats think they should.
Under threat of withholding federal money, HUD’s 2015 “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” (AFFH) rule pressured Westchester County, N.Y. which was never found to have discriminated against anyone, to raise property taxes in order to build nearly 11,000 low-income, high-density apartments.
Crime-plagued Minneapolis abolished single-family zoning this year – a few months before it voted to abolish its police force, and Oregon outlawed single-family zoning last year. For the past three years, the state senator who represents Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco has led a push to abolish single-family zoning in California.
Little more than a decade ago — before Obama and Biden — who could have possibly imagined that a major sector of American politics would devolve to even contemplate such dystopian circumstances?
Now that you can — and are — don’t imagine for a moment that Joe’s promises can be taken lightly.