German ministers as the Dwarves in the Lord of the Rings. “We must retake the Mines of Moria and restore our former glory”. With apologies to the great Tolkien. We all know how that turns out. 😊
Irina, great article!! - Also the CEO for TotalEnergies saying that they did not perform as well as the U.S. oil companies is due to the European market listings, and not their business decisions to move to more expensive renewable. Turning their back on the products and services that brought TotalEnergies wealth and growth was not a smart move. - You made my day with your humor.
Just excellent and a morning smile in the midst of my wheat trading blues. The way you described the bit about fellow Canuck Carney manipulating the message to enable increased riches for his employer captures one aspect of the folly of North America's green investment. I mean we really hould have Brookfield lead the greening of the oil sands in Alberta. Greed and enrichment for the elite at the expense of the many. I should be thinking of investing in that stock now. How could I lose? Well it might be because of your other succinct phrase, driving with the emergency brake on while looking for other emergency brakes to apply. And I am reminded that in the USA the majority of the pandemic business relief was tied to conditions so onerous much of the industrial development went to building of sidewalks. Evil, stupid, evil, stupid. I share your quandry. Have a great day!
Nice piece.... I liked the emergency brake analogy. Here's my favorite emergency brake at the moment. The California Tiger Salamander. A cute little wiggly thing that apparently loves to live near electric substations. Every new grid scale Solar, Wind, and storage project needs either a new substation or an expansion of an existing one. The Salamander is always lurking. Here's timeline. Two years to study and engineer the project, two years for permitting, two years to do salamander mitigation only to discover the substation transformer is on backorder...wait time 5 years.
That isn't slowing anyone down. In April California ISO (Peak demand 50,000MW) received applications for 100,000 MW of new solar, 30,000 MW of onshore and off shore wind and 150,000MW of batteries (600,000 MWH). Six hundred thousand MWH of battery storage is about 2% of what CA will need to get to nut zero.
Talking the developers, they are so awash in investor cash, subsidies, that they are showing up with a record number of projects that will not fit into the CA grid.
The EPA is also doing PR damage control on PFAS, the multi-fluorinated carbon chemicals, referred to as “Forever Chemicals” because they do not break down easily. For decades, the EPA ignored the alarms about PFAS, but in late 2019 Marvel’s Hulk actor, Mark Ruffalo starred in the film “Dark Waters” which caused a public outrage against PFAS.
PFAS also creates a buzz on the climate change front: “the global warming potential (GWP) values of CF4 and hexafluoroethane (C2F6) are 11,200 and 18,200 times that of carbon dioxide, respectively (Geiser et al., 2016)”
The big-money vested corporate interests involved with fluoride are tremendous. One example of many: Phosphate mining and the aluminum industry pull off fluoride as a waste product. They water scrub it out of the smoke stacks so it doesn’t enter the air. This fluoride waste normally goes to specialized hazardous waste dumps. Even though it is caustic, hazardous waste which can melt concrete and iron pipes, it can be legally resold (thanks EPA) to City water companies which fluoridate the drinking water. – Document EPA link - https://archive.ph/76HXk
There is no viable reason that the Käfersteige mine needs to reopen, because there is a super abundance of fluoride available.
They aren’t interested in the Fluorine, they are interested in the bit of Rare Earths that are in the crystal formations, but it will mostly be a PR exercise.
RFK Jr. is a kook. Period. There is nothing pure about his bodily fluids. It will be fun to watch the left get conspiratorial again!
Well said Irina "we are witnessing the easily predictable result of falling educational standards in the West." - You have captured this whole current paradigm in this sentence. This is quite evident in total lack of critical thinking or questioning the narratives from MSM.
In this regard, I also heard something about a new mental health issue called "Range Anxiety"....Western states including CA, OR, WA are building more charging stations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Gpqdn-8K8) to overcome this anxiety problem. Perhaps one should also watch this movie (www.leavingcamovie.com) and this should give you an idea about how nation states collapse (or on the verge of collapse) with a combination of disastrous policies including the green policies!
As always, words fail to capture the rank stupidity of those in charge when it comes to energy issues. I really appreciate that you are able to catalog all the insanity, but the dosage is becoming dangerous to those with any intelligence or common sense.
"I mean, there’s $3 trillion just waiting to start pouring into incentivised low-carbon energy projects, what’s another few trillion in debt to make sure they do pour?"
And everyone who is a member of the Climate Change ideology is absolutely, utterly drooling, Pavlov-dog style, over the mere mention of that kind of money.
We're not talking billions anymore. We're talking trillions upon trillions of dollars. And this is not just the end because our self-anointed superiors have NEVER given us an end-point to this whole "project".
And yet, at the same time, the same people from whom this money will come - i.e., the average person - are the same people who will suffer the most from the consequences of this "project".
Again, it's the MONEY that is exactly the point of this whole exercise. (And with it comes power, of course.)
The AGW / Climate Change / Environmental / Whatever-it's-Called is really, ultimately, a pyramid scheme.
For example, BC (Canada) applies a 50% "carbon" tax on domestic natural gas usage. Then they use that money to bribe, sorry, "incentivize" more wealthy people into buying an expensive car (i.e., an EV).
"Give us the money and we'll save the Earth for you! Just give us the money and we'll get that Earth's temperature right down. We will! We promise!!"
Agreed on the massive joke unfortunately the joke is on us. How do these folks propose to manufacture plastic products without oil? Maybe I’m missing something but I haven’t seen nor heard that explanation yet. Plastic is a vital part of the economy, everything has it these days and I mean everything. I don’t see a path forward in that respect. So only needing oil and gas for the next 3-4 decades is a little short sighted.
German ministers as the Dwarves in the Lord of the Rings. “We must retake the Mines of Moria and restore our former glory”. With apologies to the great Tolkien. We all know how that turns out. 😊
Irina, great article!! - Also the CEO for TotalEnergies saying that they did not perform as well as the U.S. oil companies is due to the European market listings, and not their business decisions to move to more expensive renewable. Turning their back on the products and services that brought TotalEnergies wealth and growth was not a smart move. - You made my day with your humor.
Always happy to make.your day, Stu!
Just excellent and a morning smile in the midst of my wheat trading blues. The way you described the bit about fellow Canuck Carney manipulating the message to enable increased riches for his employer captures one aspect of the folly of North America's green investment. I mean we really hould have Brookfield lead the greening of the oil sands in Alberta. Greed and enrichment for the elite at the expense of the many. I should be thinking of investing in that stock now. How could I lose? Well it might be because of your other succinct phrase, driving with the emergency brake on while looking for other emergency brakes to apply. And I am reminded that in the USA the majority of the pandemic business relief was tied to conditions so onerous much of the industrial development went to building of sidewalks. Evil, stupid, evil, stupid. I share your quandry. Have a great day!
Thanks, Bruce, you too! I hope the wheat trading blues are a temporary thing.
@Irina great article. It is amazing to me the level of frosting they will put on a cake that is already half eaten.
I know, right? And it's going stale fast, too. Thanks!
Nice piece.... I liked the emergency brake analogy. Here's my favorite emergency brake at the moment. The California Tiger Salamander. A cute little wiggly thing that apparently loves to live near electric substations. Every new grid scale Solar, Wind, and storage project needs either a new substation or an expansion of an existing one. The Salamander is always lurking. Here's timeline. Two years to study and engineer the project, two years for permitting, two years to do salamander mitigation only to discover the substation transformer is on backorder...wait time 5 years.
That isn't slowing anyone down. In April California ISO (Peak demand 50,000MW) received applications for 100,000 MW of new solar, 30,000 MW of onshore and off shore wind and 150,000MW of batteries (600,000 MWH). Six hundred thousand MWH of battery storage is about 2% of what CA will need to get to nut zero.
Talking the developers, they are so awash in investor cash, subsidies, that they are showing up with a record number of projects that will not fit into the CA grid.
Anyone remember “shovel ready” projects? Maybe the feds can just float the interest costs of all these delays...
The Käfersteige mine – fluorspar - QUOTE from Irina’s link:
“Fluorine is the most chemically reactive element and world fluorspar demand is dominated by the chemical industry.”
COINCIDENCE?! Here is what is really going on, because the EPA and industry are on a burning hot plate…
The U.S. EPA is being sued by citizens in an unprecedented Federal Court Trial in order to halt Water Fluoridation in the U.S.
You can get a 30 minute brief about the trial when Robert F Kennedy, Jr. interviews the trial lawyer.
See LINKS here “Censor the Science on Fluoride” – Dallas Newspaper
https://dallasexpress.com/opinion/opinion-censor-the-science-on-fluoride/
https://archive.is/nd3oH
The EPA is also doing PR damage control on PFAS, the multi-fluorinated carbon chemicals, referred to as “Forever Chemicals” because they do not break down easily. For decades, the EPA ignored the alarms about PFAS, but in late 2019 Marvel’s Hulk actor, Mark Ruffalo starred in the film “Dark Waters” which caused a public outrage against PFAS.
PFAS also creates a buzz on the climate change front: “the global warming potential (GWP) values of CF4 and hexafluoroethane (C2F6) are 11,200 and 18,200 times that of carbon dioxide, respectively (Geiser et al., 2016)”
“The Devil We Know” Documentary full film (2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJFbsWX4MJM gives a good account of what the “Dark Waters” film is about.
The big-money vested corporate interests involved with fluoride are tremendous. One example of many: Phosphate mining and the aluminum industry pull off fluoride as a waste product. They water scrub it out of the smoke stacks so it doesn’t enter the air. This fluoride waste normally goes to specialized hazardous waste dumps. Even though it is caustic, hazardous waste which can melt concrete and iron pipes, it can be legally resold (thanks EPA) to City water companies which fluoridate the drinking water. – Document EPA link - https://archive.ph/76HXk
There is no viable reason that the Käfersteige mine needs to reopen, because there is a super abundance of fluoride available.
Ah, but not in Germany, you see. They want to be self-sufficient.
They aren’t interested in the Fluorine, they are interested in the bit of Rare Earths that are in the crystal formations, but it will mostly be a PR exercise.
RFK Jr. is a kook. Period. There is nothing pure about his bodily fluids. It will be fun to watch the left get conspiratorial again!
Well said Irina "we are witnessing the easily predictable result of falling educational standards in the West." - You have captured this whole current paradigm in this sentence. This is quite evident in total lack of critical thinking or questioning the narratives from MSM.
In this regard, I also heard something about a new mental health issue called "Range Anxiety"....Western states including CA, OR, WA are building more charging stations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Gpqdn-8K8) to overcome this anxiety problem. Perhaps one should also watch this movie (www.leavingcamovie.com) and this should give you an idea about how nation states collapse (or on the verge of collapse) with a combination of disastrous policies including the green policies!
Every sane person has range anxiety, I think. With good reason.
As always, words fail to capture the rank stupidity of those in charge when it comes to energy issues. I really appreciate that you are able to catalog all the insanity, but the dosage is becoming dangerous to those with any intelligence or common sense.
Yes, it is. That's why I take 24-hour breaks from news every week.
"I mean, there’s $3 trillion just waiting to start pouring into incentivised low-carbon energy projects, what’s another few trillion in debt to make sure they do pour?"
And everyone who is a member of the Climate Change ideology is absolutely, utterly drooling, Pavlov-dog style, over the mere mention of that kind of money.
We're not talking billions anymore. We're talking trillions upon trillions of dollars. And this is not just the end because our self-anointed superiors have NEVER given us an end-point to this whole "project".
And yet, at the same time, the same people from whom this money will come - i.e., the average person - are the same people who will suffer the most from the consequences of this "project".
Again, it's the MONEY that is exactly the point of this whole exercise. (And with it comes power, of course.)
The AGW / Climate Change / Environmental / Whatever-it's-Called is really, ultimately, a pyramid scheme.
For example, BC (Canada) applies a 50% "carbon" tax on domestic natural gas usage. Then they use that money to bribe, sorry, "incentivize" more wealthy people into buying an expensive car (i.e., an EV).
"Give us the money and we'll save the Earth for you! Just give us the money and we'll get that Earth's temperature right down. We will! We promise!!"
Con artists, the whole lot of them.
The absurdity ceiling meets the debt ceiling!
The absurdity ceiling meets the debt ceiling!
Agreed on the massive joke unfortunately the joke is on us. How do these folks propose to manufacture plastic products without oil? Maybe I’m missing something but I haven’t seen nor heard that explanation yet. Plastic is a vital part of the economy, everything has it these days and I mean everything. I don’t see a path forward in that respect. So only needing oil and gas for the next 3-4 decades is a little short sighted.