American Energy Alliance — Legislative and public policy advocacy concerning energy and environmental issues.

Keystone XL Pipeline

The Keystone XL pipeline project could provide an estimated $20 billion in value to the United States economy, according to an independent analysis conducted by The Perryman Group. The project would expand existing pipelines to connect facilities in Alberta, Canada to facilities along the Texas Gulf Coast. All told, at least 20,000 American workers would be employed in building the 1,700-mile pipeline. The estimated investment to build the pipeline is is $7 billion.

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In the Pipeline: 5/15/13

May 15

A senior adviser to McCain 2008 wrote this piece, arguing (I kid you not) that a carbon tax is a good thing because it is “relatively hidden.” Since when did hiding taxes from the American people become fashionable for conservatives? RealClearEnergy (5/14/13) reports: “Enter the carbon tax. Besides its intended purpose of reducing carbon emissions, it is politically advantageous, in that it is a tax that is relatively hidden. If phased in over a decade, the annual increase in gas prices that would result would be less than the typical annual fluctuations we already observe. And its other manifestations are also somewhat less than obvious—power bills will go up, but they’ve been inexorably increasing since time immemorial, even in places that get most of their power via natural gas.”

The rule of law? Screw it. FuelFix (5/14/13) reports: “The Obama administration has never fined or prosecuted a wind farm for killing eagles and other protected bird species, shielding the industry from liability and helping keep the scope of the deaths secret, an Associated Press investigation has found… Each death is federal crime, a charge that the Obama administration has used to prosecute oil companies when birds drown in their waste pits, and power companies when birds are electrocuted by their power lines. No wind energy company has been prosecuted, even those that repeatedly flout the law.”

This study raises interesting questions not only about suicide rates in counties where coal-fired electrical plants operate, but also about the suicide rates among individuals who are forced to fend off this nonsense on a daily basis. Science Daily (5/13/13) reports: “New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center finds that suicide, while strongly associated with psychiatric conditions, also correlates with environmental pollution… Lead researcher John G. Spangler, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of family medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, looked specifically at the relationship between air pollution and emissions from coal-fired electricity plants.”

What happens when the greenies realize they’ve lost the scarcity narrative? I hope they don’t think they can compete on price… The Atlantic (5/13/13) reports: “That’s the big story: Like whale oil in the 1860s, oil has become uncompetitive even at low prices, long before becoming unavailable even at high prices… This comparison doesn’t even consider hidden or external costs. Just the economic and military costs of U.S. oil dependence, if paid at the pump rather than through taxes and reduced wealth, would triple the price of oil — plus any costs to health, safety, environment, climate, global stability and development, or our nation’s independence and reputation.”

We call this a dangerously maligned incentive structure. Denver Business Journal (5/8/13) reports: “After a mad dash throughout 2012 to install wind turbines across the United States — ahead of the expiration of a federal tax credit for wind-generated energy at the end of 2012 — Vestas Wind Systems didn’t deliver a single machine to a U.S. wind farm during the first three months of 2013.”

These kids put on a pretty show, and it’s good to see that not all 11 year olds are wasting their lives on Playstation 7. But it’d be cool if they also learned about the consequences of top-down, anti-growth government policies. Free markets and free people are their best bet for a bright future and a cleaner environment… It’s science. Huffington Post (5/13/13) reports: “The youths presentation included a rap that they wrote about the dangers of fracking stating, “poisoned the water, poisoned the air, poisoned the people, do you think that’s fair?” and included a call-and-response for the students, ‘When I say what the, you say frack. What the… frack, what the… frack.’”

Blog In the Pipeline

SEQUESTER HELL: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT EDITION

May 14

Washington DC – AEA President Thomas Pyle responded today to the announcement by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that the Pentagon will furlough 800,000 civilian employees for 11 days in order to pay for budget cuts under sequestration:

“This is another example of the Obama Administration using budget cuts to inflict maximum harm on the American people. It is unjustifiable for Secretary Hagel to furlough 800,000 employees while his department continues to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on wasteful green energy initiatives. While Secretary Hagel’s employees are sitting at home for 11 days without pay, the Defense Department will continue spending $59 per gallon on biofuels and ensuring that naval bases produce 50 percent of their energy from expensive alternative sources.

“The Obama-Hagel priorities have never been clearer. This administration would rather furlough hardworking Americans who support our men and women in uniform rather than sacrifice their failing green schemes. Unfortunately, as long as the Obama Administration values their green-above-all political agenda over the well being of the American people, we can expect more of the same.”

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Press Releases

In the Pipeline: 5/14/13

May 14

See if you can figure out what the following have in common: the IRS targeting political enemies; the Benghazi cover up; tapping the AP’s phones; EPA’s unwillingness to respond to the simplest of requests. That’s right – they are all symptomatic of a closed, paranoid, and corrupt regime. PoliticoPro (5/13/13) reports: “The Environmental Defense Action Fund is starting a TV ad campaign tomorrow or Wednesday to spur Senate approval of Gina McCarthy’s bid to head EPA and chastise Republicans for stalling a committee vote. The 30-second ad quotes business leaders praising McCarthy and notes that Mitt Romney had named her to an environmental post when he was Massachusetts governor. “So why are Republicans in Congress trying to block this highly qualified woman?” the ad asks. ‘Stop playing politics. Confirm Gina.’”

Some people on the right are asking why the government is out to get them, while others on the left are wondering why the government isn’t doing enough to stop them. All we have to say at this time: “Who is John Galt?”. Huffington Post (5/13/13) reports: “But who is Thomas Pyle and what is the American Energy Alliance?”

The Governor knows what the right thing to do is. We remain optimistic, mostly because optimism is free. Real Vail (5/11/13) reports: “Democrats on Thursday told the Denver Post they don’t expect Gov. John Hickenlooper to veto any of the bills currently awaiting his signature, including SB 252. But many Republicans – and a majority of the state’s rural electric associations (REAs) want him to kill the bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass, and Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs… On Thursday, Hickenlooper spokesman Eric Brown told Real Vail that the governor is “still reviewing the legislation” and has not made a decision on whether to sign it into law for veto it. However, he added that the governor must act by June 7.”

As writers and producers begin working on Ironman 4, early reports indicate that Senator James Inhofe will get the nod to replace Robert Downey Jr. Investor’s Business Daily (5/10/13) reports: “To accomplish this, I am introducing the Iran Sanctions Implementation Act of 2013. The bill requires the president to designate portions of the federal land estate as “Iranian Oil Replacement Zones” so that production on federal lands will increase by 1.25 million barrels of oil per day, enough oil to fully offset current Iranian exports… Significant oil reserves, to the magnitude of tens of billions of barrels, are locked away on federal lands in the Mountain West, Alaska and offshore. The Institute for Energy Research estimates that if we aggressively pursue these resources, $14.4 trillion in economic activity will be generated, 2.5 million jobs will be created and the federal deficit will be reduced by $2.7 trillion.”

There is no longer rule of law in this country. There is only the imposition of rules that apply unevenly to different entities and individuals. LA Times (5/10/13) reports: “Federal wildlife officials took the unprecedented step Friday of telling private companies that they will not be prosecuted for inadvertently harassing or even killing endangered California condors… In a decision swiftly condemned by conservationists and wildlife advocates, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said operators of Terra-Gen Power’s wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains will not be prosecuted if their turbines accidentally kill a condor during the expected 30-year life span of the project.”

At least there’s still hope for the California condor. Condor Wind Energy specializes in two bladed technology, we assume to cut down on the killing of this endangered species by 33%.

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 5/13/13

May 13

If you support construction of Keystone XL, you are racist (on top of all the other names you’ve already been called). Politico (5/10/13) reports: “As business leaders, philanthropists and supporters of your 2008 and 2012 campaigns, we write to urge you to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and to do everything in your power to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and to clean energy sources,” reads the missive that 150 donors sent to Obama on Thursday… They note Obama’s admiration for Lincoln, writing that “he made one of the most important decisions of his presidency and for our nation when he decided that he would fight for the 13th Amendment to end slavery even if it took every ounce of his political capital.”

Start your week off with a dose of sanity. Bangor Daily News (5/9/13) reports: “Gov. Paul LePage wants to strip from state law goals for increasing the state’s wind energy capacity over the next two decades.”

Hey! We’re famous (again). Maybe the House will join in the fun. Rep Stockman (5/10/13) reports: “‘For almost two years, Gina McCarthy has failed to live up to promises to provide Congress with the basic data that underlies this administration’s billion dollar Clean Air Act regulations. The public has been denied the opportunity to review the science that underpins alleged benefits from these regulations. Utilizing secret science is no way to develop credible regulations. I commend my Senate colleagues for drawing this critical line in the sand.’… A recent poll by the Institute for Energy Research indicates that the American people agree with making data public and stand for transparent science; 90 percent of people agree that studies and data used to make federal government decisions should be made public and 91 percent think studies and data funded by taxpayers should be made public.”

“Bureaucratic inefficiency”. That’s what they are going to lead with? Even Senator Hatch knows that dog can’t possibly hunt. NYTimes (5/11/13) reports: “But Ms. Lerner said the examinations of the Tea Party groups were not a response to such pressure. She portrayed it more as a bureaucratic mix-up. Between 2010 and 2012, applications for 501(c)(4) tax exemptions nearly doubled, to more than 2,400. As the agency has done in the past, it centralized the processing of the surge at its Cincinnati office, where about 300 were flagged for further examination.”

The fact that the only person representing the “bad guys” in this piece is our friend Tim tells you all you need to know. We like Coral, but this piece is pure advocacy. National Journal should rethink their approach on this beat. National Journal (5/9/13) reports: “Soon after his experience in South Carolina, Emanuel changed his lifelong Republican Party registration to independent. “The idea that you could look a huge amount of evidence straight in the face and, for purely ideological reasons, deny it, is anathema to me,” he says… Emanuel predicts that many more voters like him, people who think of themselves as conservative or independent but are turned off by what they see as a willful denial of science and facts, will also abandon the GOP, unless the party comes to an honest reckoning about global warming.”

California was destroyed by its culture of fairy tales long ago, but at certain point you’d have to believe that people would not be enthralled by the next remake of Robin Hood when they’re out of work and can’t afford dinner and a movie. Los Angeles Times (5/5/13) reports: “These Zero Emission Vehicle credits could put as much as $250 million in Tesla’s coffers this year, according to one Wall Street analyst, and they are a key reason the 10-year-old automaker has survived this long. Tesla gets to sell the credits to other automakers that need them to satisfy tough California regulations.”

Prince Harry is going to get a beating for this, but we love those unscripted moments of honesty. Retraction in 5…4…3… The Telegraph (5/11/13) reports: “Susan Reilly, chief executive officer of Renewable Energy Systems Americas, said after speaking to the prince that she had to reassure Harry about the benefits of wind turbines – just as she’d done with his father… She said: ‘Prince Harry said he was worried about their visual impact, I told him that I had met his father some years ago and when we discussed wind farms he shared his concerns.’”

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 5/8/13

May 8

Their machine is impressive and sinister. The goal is to “Organize for Automation”, remove your individual identity, and replace it with a lump of collectivity.

Drinking champagne every night sounds appealing too, but there’s a reason most people don’t do it. Civitas Institute (5/8/13) reports: “North Carolinians oppose the state law requiring utility companies to purchase a percentage of their energy from so-called renewable energy sources by more than 3-to-1, according to a new Civitas Institute poll. Additionally, ratepayers strongly oppose the use of such energy sources as wind or solar if it means paying higher utility bills… ‘North Carolinians may feel that using renewable energy sounds appealing — but they don’t want to be forced to pay higher prices for it,’ said Civitas President Francis X. De Luca.”

Bob Inglis has been doing a lot of soul searching, and apparently crushing the lives of poor people is the answer to his salvation. Politico (5/6/13) reports: “’Losing an election is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Losing your soul is considerably worse.’… The controversial tax proposal has long won the backing of many economists, who say it is the simplest and purest means of reducing emissions blamed for contributing to climate change. And while it has also won tentative backing from oil giants like Shell and ExxonMobil, it’s been pilloried by many oil-state politicians and conservatives, who say it would raise energy costs and hurt fossil fuel industries.”

I can’t wait to drive a hovercraft. Hopefully the government doesn’t put a noose around the industry with their special way of doing things. WSJ (5/6/13) reports: “Terrafugia Inc., the Woburn, Mass., company developing the Transition flying car, said it plans to begin delivering the vehicle to customers in 2015 or 2016. In the meantime it is working on a successor model called the TF-X, which will take off and land vertically, fly at more than 200 mph and seat four people… The TF-X is also a plug-in hybrid. It uses electric motors and tilting rotor blades take off and a gasoline engine and ducted fan to propel it in forward flight.”

Apparently wind hit a “turning point” in 1981, nine years before the wind PTC was enacted. Is the joke on them or on us? MasterResource (5/6/13) reports: “It is entertaining and even humorous to bring up the “oil short world” and wind power’s “turning point” in today’s energy debate. Oil is more abundant than ever and growing in reserves and resources as technology improves. Wind power remains intermittent and government-dependent some decades after Flavin declared its tipping point reached.”

Warning! Graphic picture of government-sponsored killing!

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 5/7/13

May 7

The only thing I see when I look at this dude’s “aura” is a black hole where your taxpayer dollars go to die. Bloomberg (5/6/13) reports: “Whatever you think of Gore, one thing is indisputable: leveraging his aura as a technology seer and his political and climate work connections, Gore has remade himself into a wealthy businessman, amassing a fortune that may exceed $200 million.”

Marsha Blackburn deserves an apology from Al Gore. CSPAN (4/24/09) reports: “Rep. Marsha Blackburn challenged Former Vice President Al Gore’s contribution to environmental charities during an exchange at a subcommittee hearing on global climate change legislation.”

You can do a lot of these comparisons. North and South Korea, for instance, have some different rules that impact economic growth. Manhattan Institute (May 2013) reports: “If New York lifts its moratorium, companies will be drilling the same type of wells to exploit the same subterranean source of gas—the Marcellus Shale. Pennsylvania’s experience is a good guide to what would happen in New York… In this paper, we analyze the effect of hydrofracturing—at modest, moderate, and high levels—on jobs and income growth in Pennsylvania counties. We then use these data to project the benefits that New York counties stand to gain if the state again permits hydrofracturing.”

Does “minimally viable” involve making a profit? Or were those things just a 20th century fad? The Hill (5/6/13) reports: “Kiernan said AWEA suggested ramping down the production tax credit over the course of six years as part of an analysis of what the industry needed to be “minimally viable.” He stressed the House Ways and Means Committee requested the exercise, and that it was performed in the context of broad tax code changes.”

These people have no shame. But I guess it’s cool if they want to put their credibility on trial and provide us with some solid entertainment (all at the expense of taxpayers, of course). WSJ (5/6/13) reports: “Now, SolarCity is pushing back with a lawsuit that alleges the opposite: some of the taxpayer-funded grants it received weren’t as big as originally promised… The suit, filed quietly in February in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, comes as SolarCity and other industry players are defending solar-friendly government policies, and it could undermine the industry’s message that solar power will soon be viable without government help.”

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 5/6/13

May 6

Relax, Michelle. Your husband has already dug plenty of other holes for the country.

The Marshall crew is as cool as the other side of the pillow. George C. Marshall Institute (5/3/13) reports: “The year 2013 will see a major political debate over proposals for a carbon tax—a tax on emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). The justifications for the proposals include: (1) a desire to reduce emissions to prevent a rise in global temperatures; and (2) the hope that a carbon tax could substitute for other taxes and improve economic efficiency, while raising enormous sums for the government. The carbon tax finds theoretical justification in economic theory, but it is a deeply flawed idea. Five sets of consideration militate against it—the five circles of Carbon Tax Hell:” [Emphasis added]

It’s bad enough to be someone who hates progress and people and prosperity, but it is much worse to be a coward: “She declined to be interviewed for this story.” National Journal (5/5/13) reports: “One notably high-profile former Obama adviser whose position differs from the several people interviewed both on and off the record for this article is Carol Browner. Browner was Obama’s top energy and climate adviser until she left in January 2011.’Until we do have a climate policy, the idea that we should be supportive of a pipeline that will increase greenhouse-gas emissions is deeply troubling,’ Browner said at an energy forum in November 2011, according to a Reuters article.”

Another one bites the dust… Renewable Energy World (5/2/13) reports: “After selling just 100 units of its product, electric car manufacturer Coda Holdings has filed for Chapter 11 in a Delaware bankruptcy court… Coda Automotive’s only vehicle was its Coda Car, an all-electric sedan with four doors and a battery pack. The company has its headquarters in Los Angeles. Coda Cars have an EPA-rated battery range of about 88 miles to a charge — less than electric vehicles made by competitor Tesla Motors.”

Progressives should invest all of their money in “green energy” companies, like the Obama Administration does with our tax money.The Nation (5/1/13) reports: “Now it turns out that some green groups are literally part owners of the industry causing the crisis they are purportedly trying to solve. And the money the green groups have to play with is serious. The Nature Conservancy, for instance, has $1.4 billion in publicly traded securities, and boasts that its piggybank is ‘among the 100 largest endowments in the country.’ The Wildlife Conservation Society has a $377 million endowment, while the endowment of the World Wildlife Fund-US (WWF-US) is worth $195 million.”

You might think we were a bunch of tech geeks if you could see our excitement for new toys that actually work. AP (5/3/13) reports: “Fossil fuels? They were going to be expensive and scarce, relics of an earlier, dirtier age… But in the race to conquer energy technology, Old Energy is winning… Oil companies big and small have used technology to find a bounty of oil and natural gas so large that worries about running out have melted away.”

Seriously, it has been a tough year for the bad guys. Real Science (5/5/13) reports: 2013 is having the coldest spring on record, the fewest tornadoes on record, and also the fewest forest fires on record.

If some is good, more is better. Chron (5/3/13) reports: “Earlier today, in response to Brooks’ post, former New York Times environmental report Andrew Revkin, who now can be found at Dot Earth, wondered whether scientists and reporters who jumped on the climate angle in 2011 would do so again now, tweeting:”

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 5/3/13

May 3

These are the people on the other side. Watts Up With That (5/2/13) reports: “From the Fahrenheit 451 department comes this indictment of California’s higher education’s “tolerance” for opposing views. When I first got the tip on this, I thought to myself “nobody can be this stupid to photograph themselves doing this” but, here they are, right from the San Jose State University Meteorology Department web page:”

So, if someone lies to you, and they know they lied, that would make them a . . . Washington Post (5/2/13) reports: “Readers should always be skeptical when political ads attach a particular meaning to a congressional vote. In this case, the Obama group has twisted the meaning of a relatively minor amendment — which was clearly intended to become fodder for future campaign ads… There’s little evidence that a vote against this amendment meant that a lawmaker was affirming that climate change was a “hoax.” There are clearly lawmakers who voted against the amendment who believe that human activity contributes in some way to climate change — and the underlying bill actually states that there is “established scientific concern” that climate change exists.”

We worry that the Republic is doomed when “profits” are confused with “legalized theft”. E&ENews (5/2/13) reports: “The nation’s largest biodiesel company posted its strongest first quarter ever on the heels of the retroactive reinstatement of a key tax credit and the incentives provided by the renewable fuel standard.”

Murkowski strikes again. Huffington Post (4/25/13) reports: “Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the ranking Republican on the Senate energy committee, has acknowledged climate change is ‘real’ and ‘we need to fight it.’… Following her keynote speech at the Bloomberg New Energy conference in New York City, Murkowski discussed her views on climate change with Fortune’s Brian Dumaine. ‘It doesn’t make sense to argue about how much global warming is caused by man — whether it’s 5 percent or 50 percent. The best approach is to have a no-regrets policy,’ she said Tuesday.”

We’ll throw AEA’s hat in the ring for this horse at the Derby. Fuel Fix(4/26/13) reports: “‘Ken and I kind of consider this horse, named Frac Daddy with all the fracking going on, as a tribute to the oilfield workers of America,’ Stewart said told the paper… The men talk about their history with horse racing, energy and this horse in the story.”

The following think tank chiefs are opposed to a carbon tax. Please contact us at nocarbontax@energydc.org if you wish to join our growing ranks.

Tom Pyle, American Energy Alliance / Institute for Energy Research
Myron Ebell, Freedom Action
Phil Kerpen, American Commitment
William O’Keefe, George C. Marshall Institute
Lawson Bader, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Andrew Quinlan, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Tim Phillips, Americans for Prosperity
Joe Bast, Heartland Institute
David Ridenour, National Center for Public Policy Research
Michael Needham, Heritage Action for America
Tom Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Sabrina Schaeffer, Independent Women’s Forum
Barrett E. Kidner, Caesar Rodney Institute
George Landrith, Frontiers of Freedom
Thomas A. Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
Bill Wilson, Americans for Limited Government
Wayne Brough, FreedomWorks
Rich Collins, Positive Growth Alliance
Craig Richardson, American Tradition Institute

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 5/1/13

May 1

Apparently Al Gore has forgotten about his own invention. Hollywood Reporter (4/30/13) reports: “Al Gore, one of Hollywood’s favorite sons because of his commitment to the environment, rocked a large crowd in Beverly Hills on Tuesday with an impassioned plea to solve the ‘climate change crisis,’ part of which is getting media right… Gore lamented that a modern-day Thomas Paine would not be able to get his ‘Common Sense’ message to the masses today because he couldn’t afford TV airtime, and he criticized the ‘rise of television at the expense of the printing press.’”

There is no honor among thieves. Politico (5/1/13) reports: “An effort by ethanol backers to get the Environmental Protection Agency to scale back the amount of advanced biofuels required in the U.S. gasoline supply this year has opened a rift in a decades-old friendship within the biofuels industry… The Renewable Fuels Association made the request to EPA in an attempt to limit imports of Brazilian-based sugar cane ethanol.”

Is it just me, or is Colorado starting to look like California? I wonder where its refugees will go. Denver Post (4/30/13) reports: “A Democratic bill doubling the renewable-energy standard for rural electric co-ops has turned into one of the more contentious measures of the 2013 session… Lawmakers say no other bill — even gun legislation — has been debated as long as Senate Bill 252, which increases the renewable-energy standard for the state’s second-largest utility and rural electric co-ops with more than 100,000 customers to 20 percent from 10 percent by 2020.”

It has been tough for these guys. The whole scarcity narrative has blown up. President Rig Count keeps talking about oil and gas production. Now they are going to lose Keystone. Politico (4/30/13) reports: “The Obama administration may be just months away from green-lighting the 1,700-mile oil pipeline despite an all-out opposition campaign that has seen anti-Keystone activists staging massive sit-ins and arrests outside the White House and dogging the president’s speeches and fundraisers with rallies.”

Do you think maybe the “lack of data” also had something to do with lack of production? Wind Power (4/30/13) reports: “The decision follows a warning in March by interim energy minister Asen Vasilev that around 40% of wind and solar plants could potentially be curtailed… Vasilev claimed their failure to provide real-time data on production was threatening the stability of the system and made them non-compliant with the law.”

It’s no fun if the guys who write rules play by the rules. Daily Caller(4/29/13) reports: “The Environmental Protection Agency’s revised draft assessment of an Alaska mine project cites research from environmental consultants who admitted falsifying a report in an environmental lawsuit.”

Team IER will be in Houston next week. They said we could invite you to their party.

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline: 4/30/13

April 30

Van Jones, previously Deputy Assistant to the President for Destroying Coal Miners’ Jobs, deflects responsibility by pretending to care about the very people whose lives he and his former boss have worked so diligently to destroy. Twitchy (4/29/13) reports: “Jones is in St. Louis today to show his solidarity with the United Mine Workers of America and protest the ‘corporate greed’ of ‘Big Coal’:”

Why just women? Maybe it would drive some of the House Democrats to transactional sex. And who says ‘transactional sex’ when they mean ‘prostitution’? The Hill (4/29/13) reports: “The resolution, from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and a dozen other Democrats, says the results of climate change include drought and reduced agricultural output. It says these changes can be particularly harmful for women… ‘[F]ood insecure women with limited socioeconomic resources may be vulnerable to situations such as sex work, transactional sex, and early marriage that put them at risk for HIV, STIs, unplanned pregnancy, and poor reproductive health,’ it says.”

Maybe someone should give Rep. Barbara Lee the heads up. The Breakthrough (Winter 2013) reports: “Huge swaths of the world have been developing over the last three decades at an unprecedented pace and scale. That remarkable transformation has come not from the forced redistribution of global wealth or renewable energy but instead from the rapid growth of the global economy fueled by cheap fossil energy. China, India, and Brazil have become the manufacturers, farmers, and phone centers to the world, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in the process.”

As we have discussed before, the science is settled. So please ignore all facts that are contrary to the prevailing narrative. USA Today (4/29/13) reports: “Record cold and snow has been reported in dozens of cities, with the worst of the chill in the Rockies, upper Midwest and northern Plains. Several baseball games have been snowed out in both Denver and Minneapolis.”

Try saying ‘post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy’ ten times fast.Washington Examiner (4/29/13) reports: “No wonder Institute for Energy Research President Thomas J. Pyle contends that ‘Obama has kept keep billions of acres of federal lands and waters behind the most onerous regulatory blockade in American history. Yet that hasn’t stopped him for taking credit for the increases in production on private and state lands.’”

Let’s think about this for a moment. Why would EPA do something like this? Could it be because they are setting the table to slide natural gas in as a substitute for the cellulosic ethanol (that doesn’t exist) in the RFS, and they want to make sure that life cycle assessments can be offered with a straight face? Stay tuned. AP (4/28/13) reports: “The Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered its estimate of how much of a potent heat-trapping gas leaks during natural gas production, in a shift with major implications for a debate that has divided environmentalists: Does the recent boom in fracking help or hurt the fight against climate change?”

This is kind of fun to watch. Although you have to wonder about a guy that announces they are going to drive support for one issue by focusing on another. And you have to wonder about people who take his money. You also have to wonder about the idiots who are upset with Zuckerberg but are still buying Facebook ads. Politico (4//13) reports: “Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is taking fire from the left in his quest to reform the country’s immigration system… Progressives and environmental activists are fuming over recent television ads from the subsidiaries of Zuckerberg’s FWD.us umbrella group that tout lawmakers’ pro-Keystone XL pipeline and oil drilling positions.”

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Keystone XL Pipeline

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