Weekly Local weather and Power Information Roundup #517 – Watts Up With That?

The Week That Was: 2022-08-27 (August 27, 2022)
Brought to You by SEPP (www.SEPP.org)
The Science and Environmental Policy Project

Quote of the Week: “What historians will definitely wonder about in future centuries is how deeply flawed logic, obscured by shrewd and unrelenting propaganda, actually enabled a coalition of powerful special interests to convince nearly everyone in the world that carbon dioxide from human industry was a dangerous, planet-destroying toxin.“

“It will be remembered as the greatest mass delusion in the history of the world – that carbon dioxide, the life of plants, was considered for a time to be a deadly poison.”—Richard Lindzen, https://www.sec.gov/comments/climate-disclosure/cll12-8855233-238421.pdf

Number of the Week: Down 16%; Up 53%

THIS WEEK:

By Ken Haapala, President, Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)

Scope: No longer with the Center for Astrophysics of Harvard-Smithsonian Institute, astrophysicist Willie Soon gave a blunt assessment of the current state of global climate modeling at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP). He addressed what he called the extreme green dreams with physical evidence, facts.

Noted professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, Vaclav Smil, has over forty books on energy, environment, population, food production, and similar issues for modern civilization. In a disturbing paragraph in Numbers Don’t Lie (2020) Smil unintentionally summarizes how effective the propaganda produced by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been in misleading the public on human influence on climate, especially carbon dioxide emissions.

The great misunderstanding of the effectiveness of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will be discussed in light of the atmospheric window for infrared energy, described below. This window was suggested in the work of Karl Schwarzschild who died during World War I and was established by laboratory experiments in the 1920s. Yet it is ignored by the IPCC and global climate modelers, including defense experts even though some weapons systems depend on it.

Donn Dears has three essays on sustainable accounting and how false concepts about sustainability erode our energy and financial security.

Essays by Francis Menton and in the Wall Street Journal discuss why the “feel good” belief in an energy transition will fail. Western governments are rushing madly into net zero without knowing what they are doing. This teenage “feel good” thinking extends to the White House and many in Washington. Senator Manchin may find out that many in his party will not support his agreements to protect production of coal, oil, and natural gas, even though the public will suffer.

Politically appointed bureaucrats in California have banned new gasoline powered automobiles after 2035, all in the name of public health and safety. Is this the new form of authoritarianism?

Last week, a glitch occurred in the distribution of TWTW to some readers. This has been corrected, but another may occur. Alternative solutions to readers are suggested below.

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Is It the Sun? Freed from the restraints of the Harvard-Smithsonian Institute, astrophysicist Willie Soon gave a forceful opening presentation on the poor status of climate science at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP). Perhaps it can be summed up as how in thirty years of advancing knowledge about the atmosphere and the sun the UN IPCC has gone from science speculation to science fiction.

Soon covers a broad range of topics concerning climate models including climate deaths and extreme weather events, comparing model results with observations. He considers that climate models are tools to scare humans. He asks if false climate reports could fall under “18 U.S. Code § 2074 – False weather reports” which states:

“Whoever knowingly issues or publishes any counterfeit weather forecast or warning of weather conditions falsely representing such forecast or warning to have been issued or published by the Weather Bureau, United States Signal Service, or other branch of the Government service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ninety days, or both.”

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2074#:~:text=Whoever%20knowingly%20issues%20or%20publishes,fined%20under%20this%20title%20or

Soon goes into some detail on how the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6, 2021) misrepresented work by Connolly, et al. (2019) in which he was personally involved. The IPCC emphasized the Spring and Summer, but the work focused on the Fall and Winter.

[Jim Steele has a clear presentation on how snow cover is affected by changing weather patterns such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Consequently, snowfall patterns are not a good indicator of climate change, particularly global warming.]

Soon goes into some of the many false predictions of impending doom from global warming and how dates have changed as doom did not materialize. Backed by huge expenditures from government authorities, academic publications are also infected by false science. Even the Nobel Committee on Physics gave the prize to modelers for what the Committee said where their remarkably accurate model predictions. Yet, the central forecast for a doubling of CO2 causing a global temperature to increase by 3°C plus or minus 1.5°C has not change in over 40 years since the Charney Report was published in 1979, and it appears increasingly unlikely, far too high.

Soon considers it a human mystery why scientists ignore evidence contrary to their views. It is a problem of trying to attribute the complex problem of climate change to a single cause, CO2. To do so the modelers avoid and hide contradictions, which is contrary to the scientific method. Soon cites the Quote of the Week, above, from Richard Lindzen.

Soon considers CO2 is a bit player in climate change and compares it with the sun, a huge but underappreciated player. As he points out, climate models fail to simulate seasonal cycles, but solar models can explain seasonal cycles. If climate models cannot even explain seasonal cycles why use them to predict the future? The entire presentation by Soon is thoughtful and worthwhile. See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy.

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Effectiveness of IPCC Propaganda: In Numbers Don’t Lie, Vaclav Smil begins the chapter titled “Running into Carbon” with the following.

“In 1896, Svante Arrhenius, of Sweden, became the first scientist to quantify the effects of man-made carbon dioxide on global temperatures. He calculated that doubling the atmospheric level of the gas from its concentration in his time would raise the average mid-latitude temperature by 5 to 6°C. That’s not too far from the latest results obtained by computer models running more than 200,000 lines of code.”

From his section on “Further Reading,” it appears that this interpretation of history came from a special report for the UN Climate Action Summit, September 2019. In 2014, Friends of Science Society published a 1906 paper from Arrhenius translated from German that gives a range of 1.6 to 3.9℃, with qualifiers. Since 1979, satellite measurements and databases compiled from atmospheric measurements indicate that the 1906 numbers are still too high, even assuming no clouds. Since clouds have a cooling effect in general, the actual increase may be below 1℃, hardly reason to destroy modern civilization by destroying the energy it needs. See: https://friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/Arrhenius%201906,%20final.pdf

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The Hole In The Blanket: In discussing greenhouse gases, many commentators refer to them as a blanket trapping outgoing radiation (heat) from the surface to space. Yet seldom discussed is the hole in the blanket which permits outgoing radiation to escape undisturbed. Since this “spectral” hole has existed since time immemorial, the earth’s temperature has adjusted accordingly and increasing carbon dioxide will do little to block this hole. The hole is known as the Infrared Window and as stated in Wikipedia: [references omitted]

The infrared atmospheric window refers to a region of the Infrared spectrum where there is relatively little absorption of terrestrial thermal radiation by atmospheric gases. The window plays an important role in the atmospheric greenhouse effect by maintaining the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing IR [infrared radiation] to space. In the Earth’s atmosphere this window is roughly the region between 8 and 14 μm [micrometer, one millionth of a meter] although it can be narrowed or closed at times and places of high humidity because of the strong absorption in the water vapor continuum or because of blocking by clouds. It covers a substantial part of the spectrum from surface thermal emission which starts at roughly 5 μm. Principally it is a large gap in the absorption spectrum of water vapor. Carbon dioxide plays an important role in setting the boundary at the long wavelength end. Ozone partly blocks transmission in the middle of the window.

The importance of the infrared atmospheric window in the atmospheric energy balance was discovered by George Simpson in 1928, based on G. Hettner’s 1918 laboratory studies of the gap in the absorption spectrum of water vapor. In those days, computers were not available, and Simpson notes that he used approximations; he writes about the need for this in order to calculate outgoing IR radiation: “There is no hope of getting an exact solution; but by making suitable simplifying assumptions . . ..” Nowadays, accurate line-by-line computations are possible, and careful studies of the spectroscopy of infrared atmospheric gases have been published.[Boldface added]

These “accurate line-by-line computations are possible, and careful studies of the spectroscopy of infrared atmospheric gases” were used by van Wijngaarden and Happer in “Dependence of Earth’s Thermal Radiation on Five Most Abundant Greenhouse Gases” and extended by AMO physicist Howard Hayden in “Basic Climate Physics” available on the SEPP website.

In combining the Planck Curve of outgoing blackbody radiation based on surface temperature with the Karl Schwarzschild curve of actual outgoing radiation from Earth, Hayden demonstrates the actual Greenhouse Effect, eliminating many of the complications arising from changing weather patterns. These can be seen in Figures 1 & 2 of Hayden’s “Basic Climate Physics #2.”

The success of many modern munitions known for their accuracy is dependent on understanding the Infrared Window. These infrared guided (heat seeking) weapons include the Sidewinder (named after the pit viper, an infrared hunter), the Stinger, and the Javelin missiles. Thus, it is ironic to hear Department of Defense officials claiming greenhouse gases trap heat. Obviously, they don’t know why their weapons work. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_window and

http://www.sepp.org/science_papers/Climate%20Physics%202.pdf

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Sustainable? “Sustainable” is one of the most abused terms used today. Solar power fails every night, yet it is called sustainable. Not if one needs a nightlight. Donn Dears has three short essays on how Washington is destroying America’s Energy Security in the name of sustainability. He writes:

“The integrity of the FASB [The Financial Accounting Standards Board] is crucial to the safe operation of America’s financial system. Retirement accounts, for example, would be put in danger if GAAP [GenerallyAccepted Accounting Principles] rules were fiddled with for political reasons.”

“Until now, Americans could trust that the FASB would establish unbiased, accounting principles without political interference.

“But is this about to change?” See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy.

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Hitting the Green Wall: In discussing why the goal of Net Zero is complete fiction for a modern society, Francis Menton writes: [Boldface in original]

“There is a total absence in the entire world of any functioning Net Zero demonstration project.”

TWTW has sought examples and has found unsuccessful attempts such as El Hierro in the Canary Islands and King Island off Tasmania, both of which Menton discusses. It is completely irresponsible for politicians to promote the Net-Zero path to energy oblivion.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, James Freeman cites an upcoming work he reviewed by Mark Mills. Freeman writes: [Boldface added]

“In a new report due out next week from the Manhattan Institute, Mark Mills takes on the ‘dangerous delusion’ of a global energy transition that eliminates the use of fossil fuels. Surveying energy markets and public policy around the world, Mr. Mills asks readers to ‘consider that years of hypertrophied rhetoric and trillions of dollars of spending and subsidies on a transition have not significantly changed the energy landscape.’ He notes:

“Civilization still depends on hydrocarbons for 84% of all energy, a mere two percentage points lower than two decades ago. Solar and wind technologies today supply barely 5% of global energy. Electric vehicles still offset less than 0.5% of world oil demand.

“Mr. Mills then explains why the global appetite for energy is not heading south:

“’One can begin with a reality that cannot be blinked away: energy is needed for everything that is fabricated, grown, operated, or moved… digital devices and hardware—the most complex products ever produced at scale—require, on average, about 1,000 times more energy to fabricate, pound for pound, than the products that dominated the 20th century… it takes nearly as much energy to make one smartphone as it does one refrigerator, even though the latter weighs 1,000 times more. The world produces nearly 10 times more smartphones a year than refrigerators. Thus, the global fabrication of smartphones now uses 15% as much energy as does the entire automotive industry, even though a car weighs 10,000 times more than a smartphone. The global Cloud, society’s newest and biggest infrastructure, uses twice as much electricity as the entire nation of Japan. And then, of course, there are all the other common, vital needs for energy, from heating and cooling homes to producing food and delivering freight.

“’Advocates of a carbon-free world underestimate not only how much energy the world already uses, but how much more energy the world will yet demand… In America, there are nearly as many vehicles as people, while in most of the world, fewer than 1 in 20 people have a car. More than 80% of the world population has yet to take a single flight.’

“He then proceeds to take on the argument that wind and solar power are now becoming competitive with fossil fuels:

’Claims that wind, solar, and [electrical vehicles] have reached cost parity with traditional energy sources or modes of transportation are not based on evidence. Even before the latest period of rising energy prices, Germany and Britain—both further down the grid transition path than the U.S.— have seen average electricity rates rise 60%–110% over the past two decades. The same pattern is visible in Australia and Canada. It’s also apparent in U.S. states and regions where mandates have resulted in grids with a higher share of wind/solar energy. In general, overall U.S. residential electricity costs rose over the past 20 years. But those rates should have declined because of the collapse in the cost of natural gas and coal—the two energy sources that, together, supplied nearly 70% of electricity in that period. Instead, rates have been pushed higher thanks to elevated spending on the otherwise unneeded infrastructure required to transmit wind/solar-generated electricity, as well as the increased costs to keep lights on during ‘droughts’ of wind and sun that come from also keeping conventional power plants available (like having an extra, fully fueled car parked and ready to go) in effect by spending on two grids.

“None of the above accounts for the costs hidden as taxpayer-funded subsidies that were intended to make alternative energy cheaper. Added up over the past two decades, the cumulative subsidies across the world for biofuels, wind, and solar approach about $5 trillion, all of that to supply roughly 5% of global energy.

“Whether it’s to cool a home, heat steel, or power a data center, the eternal engineering challenge has always been to find the lowest-cost way to make energy available when it’s needed to meet inherently variable demands, especially in the face of inevitable challenges from nature’s attacks as well as supply chain and machine failures. Oil, natural gas, coal, and even wood and water are easy to store in very large volumes at very low cost, but not so electricity. Hence, grid-scale electric availability has been made possible by using electricity-producing machines (turbines) that can be turned on when needed, fueled by large quantities of primary energy sources (such as natural gas, coal, and flowing water) that are easily and inexpensively stored. Such metrics characterize, for now, more than 80% of U.S. electricity production and more than 90% of transportation. The U.S., on average, has about one to two months’ worth of national demand in storage for each kind of hydrocarbon. Such enormous quantities are possible because it costs less than $1 a barrel per month to store oil or the energy equivalent of natural gas. Storing coal is even cheaper. Thus, over the past century, engineers achieved the feat of building a nation-spanning group of electricity grids that powers nearly everything, anytime, while still consuming less than 3% of the GDP.”

Freeman then goes into the problem of storage, which Menton has well discussed. Nothing has worked that is replenished by wind or solar. Replenishment by fossil fuel or nuclear generation does work but requires approvals that are difficult to get in the US. See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy and Article # 1.

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Democracy California Style: According to reports on August 25, The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to ban the sale of gas-powered cars starting in 2035. According to its website:

“CARB is charged with protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution and developing programs and actions to fight climate change. From requirements for clean cars and fuels to adopting innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, California has pioneered a range of effective approaches that have set the standard for effective air and climate programs for the nation, and the world.”

“CARB’s mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. CARB is the lead agency for climate change programs and oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards.”

“The California Air Resources Board consists of 16 members. 12 are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate.” See links under California Dreaming and https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/about

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Not My Deal: According to The Hill:

“House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is circulating a letter asking leadership to separate the Manchin deal out from a continuing resolution that would temporarily avert a government shutdown.”

Senator Manchin may be left holding only his hat. See Problems in the Orthodoxy and Change in US Administrations.

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Burying the Problem: Many students opted to take on large debt when going to college, others did not. The Biden administration has decided to forgive part of the debt to households making under $250,000 per year. About 5% of households filing federal income taxes make more than $250,000. If Mr. Biden desires to please nearly everyone, he can declare that all those making less than $250,000 need not file income tax returns. See links under Change in US Administrations.

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Email Glitch: Last week some readers did not receive TWTW in a timely manner, particularly those in France. Our system administrator spent several days working with the service providers to eliminate glitches, but there are no assurances it will not happen again. We endeavor to have TWTW posted on the SEPP website by 9 pm US Eastern Time on Sundays, which is accessible to all without charge. On weeks there is no TWTW, an announcement to that effect will be posted as well.

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Number of the Week: Down 16%; Up 53%: According to World Bank estimates, in 2007 US emissions of carbon dioxide were 5,736,000 kilotons, in 2019 they were 4,818,000 kilotons, a decline of 16%. In 2007 emissions from China were 6,993,000 kilotons and in 2019 they were 10,707,000 kilotons, an increase of 53%. In 2019, China had 2.2 times the CO2 emissions that the US had. And Washington is punishing the US oil and gas industry for Washington’s false claim of a climate emergency from CO2 emissions? Will Washington punish China? How? See Change in US Administrations, Article # 2, https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/carbon-co2-emissions, and https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/CHN/china/carbon-co2-emissions

Science: Is the Sun Rising?

New Study: A Post-2000 Increase In Absorbed Solar Energy ‘By Far The Largest Contribution’ To Warming

By Kenneth Richard, No Tricks Zone, Aug 22, 2022

Link to latest study: The changing nature of Earth’s reflected sunlight

By Graeme L. Stephens, et al. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, July 27, 2022

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspa.2022.0053

From the abstract: “The majority of recent studies now clearly point to this energy imbalance being positive, while forced by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, being amplified significantly by decreases to the amount of sunlight reflected by Earth to space. Here, we show that the global changes observed appear largely from reductions in the amount of sunlight scattered by Earth’s atmosphere. These reductions, in turn, are found to be almost equally split between reduced reflection from the cloudy and clear regions of the atmosphere, with the latter being suggestive of reduced scattering by aerosol particles over the observational period. Climate models, however, show an almost exclusive response from clouds, and a slightly exaggerated darkening of the surface. Thus, models that match the global shortwave change do so for the wrong reasons.” [Boldface added]

The Sun-Climate Effect: The Winter Gatekeeper Hypothesis (IV). The climate shift of 1997

By Javier Vinós & Andy May, Climate Etc. Aug 22, 2022

Commentary: Is the Sun Rising?

Scientists: Only 10% Of The 1984-2017 Greenhouse Gas (Longwave) Forcing Was From CO2

By Kenneth Richard, No Tricks Zone, Aug 25, 2022

Link to paper: Drivers of Global Clear Sky Surface Downwelling Longwave Irradiance Trends From 1984 to 2017

By J. P. Clark, et al, Geophysical Research Letters, Oct 28, 2021

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2021GL093961

[SEPP Comment: Uses ERA-Interim: ERA-Interim is a global atmospheric reanalysis that is available from 1 January 1979 to 31 August 2019. It has been superseded by the ERA5 reanalysis. According to NCAR, the key limitations are: 1) Too intense water cycling (precipitation, evaporation) over the oceans and 2) In the Arctic: positive biases in temperature and humidity below 850hPA compared to radiosondes; does not capture low-level inversions. According to the abstract, the areas with strongest downwelling changes are the Arctic and deserts.]

https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/datasets/reanalysis-datasets/era-interim

https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/era-interim

Challenging the Orthodoxy — NIPCC

Climate Change Reconsidered II: Physical Science

Idso, Carter, and Singer, Lead Authors/Editors, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), 2013

Summary: https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/CCR/CCR-II/Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf

Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts

Idso, Idso, Carter, and Singer, Lead Authors/Editors, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), 2014

Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts

Summary: https://www.heartland.org/media-library/pdfs/CCR-IIb/Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf

Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels

By Multiple Authors, Bezdek, Idso, Legates, and Singer eds., Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change, April 2019

CCR II: Fossil Fuels

Download with no charge:

http://climatechangereconsidered.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Climate-Change-Reconsidered-II-Fossil-Fuels-FULL-Volume-with-covers.pdf

Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming

The NIPCC Report on the Scientific Consensus

By Craig D. Idso, Robert M. Carter, and S. Fred Singer, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), Nov 23, 2015

Home

Download with no charge:

https://www.heartland.org/policy-documents/why-scientists-disagree-about-global-warming

Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate

S. Fred Singer, Editor, NIPCC, 2008

http://www.sepp.org/publications/nipcc_final.pdf

Global Sea-Level Rise: An Evaluation of the Data

By Craig D. Idso, David Legates, and S. Fred Singer, Heartland Policy Brief, May 20, 2019

Challenging the Orthodoxy

Failed Climate Predictions – Willie Soon, PhD

Doctors for Disaster Preparedness, August 19, 2022

https://rumble.com/v1gj3td-failed-climate-predictions-willie-soon-phd.html

The Energy of Nations

Energy blindness is leading to policy blunder.

By John Constable and Debra Lieberman, Quillette, Aug 24, 2022 [H/t Paul Homewood]

https://quillette.com/2022/08/24/the-energy-of-nations/?mc_cid=598040100b&mc_eid=4961da7cb1

“With the Chinese economy on a thermodynamically sound footing and those in the West very much not, the world has turned upside down in the blink of an eye. The economic consequences of this are serious, the security implications potentially terrifying. Our energy blindness is both costly and dangerous.”

The Science of Snowfall and Climate Snowjobs

By Jim Steele, A Walk On The Natural Side, Aug 25, 2022

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8udmYbXiOI

Text: https://perhapsallnatural.blogspot.com/2022/08/science-of-snowfall-and-climate-snowjobs.html

“Furthermore, many studies unscientifically simply assume a global average temperature affects all regions equally. But as illustrated by Cohen 2014, much of the mid latitudes have experienced winter cooling for the past 2 decades.”

“The many possible interactions amongst the natural oscillations, described in this video, have huge effects on moisture transport and thus snow accumulation.

“So snowpacks will naturally ebb and flow accordingly.

You Can Be Sure That Net Zero Carbon Emissions From Electricity Generation Will Never Be Achieved. Here’s Why.

By Francis Menton, Manhattan Contrarian, Aug 22, 2022

https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2022-8-22-you-can-be-sure-that-net-zero-carbon-emissions-from-electricity-generation-will-never-be-achieved-heres-why

Lake Mead Low Water Levels, Part 2: Colorado River Inflow Variations and Trend

By Roy Spencer, His Blog, Aug 26, 2022

Part 1: https://www.drroyspencer.com/2022/08/lake-mead-low-water-levels-overuse-not-climate-change/

Nothing Alarming: Europe Data Show No Upward Trend In Droughts And Forest Fires

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Aug 24, 2022

Destroying Energy Security, Part 3

By Donn Dears, Power For USA, Aug 19, 2022

Part 2: https://ddears.com/2022/08/16/destroying-energy-security-part-2/

Part 1: https://ddears.com/2022/08/13/destroying-energy-security-part-1/

Climate Alarmist Claim Fact Checks

By Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP, Aug 26, 2022

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/political-climate/alarmist_claim_rebuttals_updated/

“Below are a series of fact checks of the 13 most common climate claims such as those made in the recently released Fourth National Climate Assessment Report.” [The 4th National Climate Assessment was released in 2017 and 2018. It is a national disgrace.]

A Truth the Climateers Simply Won’t Tolerate

By Tony Thomas, Quadrant, Aug 24, 2022

Defending the Orthodoxy – Bandwagon Science

Nearly all marine species face extinction if greenhouse emissions don’t drop: study

By Zack Budryk, The Hill, Aug 22, 2022

“Maintaining the status quo for greenhouse gas emissions could risk the extinction of up to 90 percent of marine species, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.”

Link to study: A climate risk index for marine life

By Daniel G. Boyce, et al. Nature Climate Change, Aug 22, 2022

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01437-y

From the abstract: “Under high emissions (SSP5-8.5), almost 90% of ~25,000 species are at high or critical risk, with species at risk across 85% of their native distributions.”

[SEPP Comment: Most marine species evolved in an atmosphere many times richer in carbon dioxide than today, or than will exist under fictional SSP5-8.5.]

Climate law could reduce costs associated with emissions up to $1.9 trillion: OMB

By Zack Budryk, The Hill, Aug 23, 2022

“To model the reductions beyond 2030, the analysis uses the ‘social cost of carbon’ metric, or the financial damages associated with a projected future level of carbon pollution.”

Questioning the Orthodoxy

Democrats’ $369 Billion Green New Virtue Signal Barely Scratches Global Warming

By Deroy Murdock, The Daily Signal, Aug 21, 2022

“The IRA’s ‘aggressive action’ includes, among much more:

•$160 billion for clean-electricity tax credits

•$35 billion for clean fuel and vehicle tax credits

•$27 billion for a new EPA “Green Bank.” What do federal eco-crats know about banking? About as much as bankers do about agricultural nitrous oxide emissions.”

How To Fix The Broken Electricity Market

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 21, 2022

Climate hypocrites are all tell, no show

Editorial by Washington Examiner, Aug 23, 2022

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/climate-hypocrites-are-all-tell-no-show

Genocidal Green Quotes from a post 10 years ago

By Staff, ICECAP, Aug 26, 2022

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-blog/genocidal_green_quotes_from_11_years_ago/

New Studies Claim The More CO2 In The Venus Atmosphere The Colder It Gets

By Kenneth Richard, No Tricks Zone, Aug 18, 2022

Link to latest study: Atmospheric Overturning Circulation on Dry, Tidally Locked Rocky Planets Is Mainly Driven by Radiative Cooling

By Shuang Wang and Jun Yang, Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, The Planetary Science Journal, July 25, 2022

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ac6d65/pdf

[SEPP Comment: Question implying atmospheric overturning on dry planets can explain atmospheric overturning on the blue marble.]

Change in US Administrations

The Biden Administration’s Most Audacious Lawless Act Yet; And A Potential Response

By Francis Menton, Manhattan Contrarian, Aug 25, 2022

https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2022-8-25-the-governments-most-audacious-lawless-act-yet-and-a-potential-response

The Dems’ big new $739B climate bill will do almost nothing for the climate

By Deroy Murdock, New York Post, Aug 19, 2022

https://nypost.com/2022/08/19/bidens-inflation-reduction-act-will-not-help-the-climate/

“The wags at MIT’s satirical Babbling Beaver understand this perfectly: ‘It’s not the actual impact of climate legislation on global temperatures that matters. It’s how it makes you feel.’”

WSJ: The Inflation Reduction Act Does Little to Reduce Climate Change

By Eric Worrall, WUWT, Aug 25, 2022

Biden’s War On Natural Gas Will Kill

Biden could save millions of lives that will be lost to hunger, cold temperatures, and pollution by simply expanding rather than repressing natural gas production. Why doesn’t he?

By Michael Shellenberger, His Blog, Aug 23, 2022

https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/bidens-war-on-natural-gas-will-kill?utm_source=email

Joe Biden’s climate bill is gaslighting the nation

The green-tinged ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ won’t cut prices or carbon emissions.

By Sean Collins, Spiked, Aug 4, 2022

What the Inflation Reduction Act Teaches the Environmental Movement

By Kelsey Grant, Real Clear Energy, August 24, 2022

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2022/08/24/what_the_inflation_reduction_act_teaches_the_environmental_movement_849639.html

Energy secretary calls on US refiners to limit exports ahead of hurricane season

By Zack Budryk, The Hill, Aug 26, 2022

[SEPP Comment: Washington to oil and gas companies: Build resilience in the Fall so we can punish you in the Spring?]

Biden’s Green New Deal Will Make Little Difference

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 23, 2022

[SEPP Comment: Except for those it harms.]

Biden’s Climate Law Is Ending 40 Years of Hands-Off Government

For America to decarbonize, it must reindustrialize.

By Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, Aug 18, 2022

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/climate-law-manchin-industrial-policy/671183/

“But consider the world if even a few of the IRA’s [Inflation Reduction Act] policies do succeed. Electricity will be cheap and plentiful, much of it coming from farms of U.S.-made solar panels or offshore wind turbines.”

[SEPP Comment: Available only when nature is kind?]

Social Benefits of Carbon Dioxide

Yields and antioxidants of cabbage and lettuce in CO2-enriched air

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

From CO2 Science Archive

Problems in the Orthodoxy

Democrats clash over Manchin side deal, raising shutdown risk

By Rachel Franzin, The Hill, Aug 26, 2022

Seeking a Common Ground

Numbers  — Tricky Tricky Numbers: Part 3

By Kip Hansen, WUWT, Aug 21, 2022

Uncertainty Estimates for Routine Temperature Data Sets.

By Geoff Sherrington, WUWT, Aug 24, 2022

Science, Policy, and Evidence

Poor Energy Policy Decisions at State and Federal Levels Leave Americans Vulnerable

By Marc Ang, Real Clear Energy, August 22, 2022

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2022/08/22/poor_energy_policy_decisions_at_state_and_federal_levels_leave_americans_vulnerable_849392.html

The Reform Party’s Emergency Energy Plan

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 25, 2022

“Declare Force Majeure Situation

“Warlike situation requires wartime response.

“Energy market no longer fit for purpose

“In Energy War: Govt Must Take Control of UK Energy Production Pricing.”

We’re talking about people

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

“’Many people could face the awful choice between skipping meals to heat their homes and having to live in cold, damp and very unpleasant conditions’. See, without affordable reliable energy one of the world’s most advanced economies, in the 21st century, a period of prosperity that dwarfs anything in human history, will be unable to afford food, shelter and proper clothing.”

What’s up, doc? Trees in flames?

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

“Omitted in all the OMA verbiage is the observation that climate policy, not climate change, is wrecking real people’s health in the real world in real time. Something is pushing up energy prices relentlessly and it’s not the failure to deliver health care in Kernewek.”

Models v. Observations

Deadly heat to surge by 2100, even with emissions reductions: study

By Sharon Udasin, The Hill, Aug 25, 2022

Link to “study:” Probabilistic projections of increased heat stress driven by climate change

By Lucas R. Vargas Zeppetello, et al. Nature, Communications Earth & Environment, Aug 25, 2022

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00524-4

From the abstract: “Even if the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 2 °C is met, the exposure to dangerous Heat Index levels will likely increase by 50–100% across much of the tropics and increase by a factor of 3–10 in many regions throughout the midlatitudes.”

[SEPP Comment: Except for urbanization and other local land use changes, the warming is occurring in the polar regions, not the tropics.]

Model Issues

Corruption of Climate Science Supported by Flawed Models

By Gregory Wrightstone, CO2 Coalition, Aug 21, 2022

Measurement Issues — Surface

SH and Tropics Lead Ocean Cooling July 2022

By Ron Clutz, Science Matters, Aug 26, 2022

Changing Weather

DEBUNKED: Europe’s claimed ‘worst drought in 500 years’

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 20, 2022

Changing Seas

Our Washington Coastal Water Temperatures are Warmer Than Normal. Why?

By Cliff Mass, Weather Blog, Aug 25, 2022

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/08/our-washington-coastal-water.html

Changing Cryosphere – Land / Sea Ice

Northern Europe Mid-Summer Hasn’t Warmed In 25 Years….Late Summer Arctic Ice Near 15-Year High!

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Aug 26, 2022

End Of The Greenland Melt Season

By Tony Heller, His Blog, Aug 25, 2022

https://realclimatescience.com/2022/08/end-of-the-greenland-melt-season/

[SEPP Comment: Wait until next year!]

Inuit are concerned about public safety as Davis Strait polar bears numbers increase

By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, Aug 25, 2022

[SEPP Comment: Surely, they must be cuddly.]

Acidic Waters

Ocean Acidification Cut Down to Size

By Craig D. Idso, Master Resource, Aug 22, 2022

[SEPP Comment: Falsely called “ocean acidification’ will not cause sharks to lose their teeth?]

Agriculture Issues & Fear of Famine

EU Energy Crisis Forces Major Fertilizer Producer To Halt Production

By Irina Slav, Oil Price.com, Aug 23, 2022

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/EU-Energy-Crisis-Forces-Major-Fertilizer-Producer-To-Halt-Production.html

Lowering Standards

BOM Buries Record Daily Rainfall During Lismore Floods

By Jennifer Marohasy, Her Blog, Aug 23, 2022

“I am not suggesting a conspiracy, rather a combination of incompetence and an ambivalence towards correct information and its public availability.

“For many years management at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology have been more interested in output from their simulation models, attending Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meetings, and warning of endless drought whereby dams will never fill again, rather than considering how to improve the skill of their rainfall forecasts. Never mind accurate record keeping.”

Communicating Better to the Public – Use Yellow (Green) Journalism?

More Climate Misinformation from the Seattle Times

By Cliff Mass, Weather Blog, Aug 21, 2022

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/08/more-climate-misinformation-from.html

“Society can not properly deal with this issue if the true nature of the problem is not accurately described.   How can we adapt to climate change if people don’t understand the true threat?   Hype and exaggeration not only turn people off from dealing with the issue but politize it in a way that can lead to division and inaction.

“And hype/exaggeration damages the most psychologically vulnerable.”

Climate change fallout demands urgent action

Editorial, The Age, Aug 22, 2022

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/climate-change-fallout-demands-urgent-action-20220822-p5bbur.html

“From China to Europe to North America, the world’s major economies are being disrupted by record-breaking droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and floods.”

No, Mr Marlow – Renewable Energy Is Not “The Way Out Of This”

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 26, 2022

“Isn’t it time the Telegraph started employing proper financial journalists?”

Fires burning nearly twice as much forest as 20 years ago: study

By Zack Budryk, The Hill, Aug 25, 2022

[SEPP Comment: During the time “let it burn” took over from fire suppression.]

“Rio Grande Runs Dry”

By Tony Heller, His Blog, Aug 24, 2022

https://realclimatescience.com/2022/08/rio-grande-runs-dry/

Communicating Better to the Public – Exaggerate, or be Vague?

How to Engage with Co-Workers About Climate Change Challenges

Words by Alexis Normand, Triple Pundit, Aug 22, 2022

https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/engage-workers-climate-change/752746

[SEPP Comment: Treat hyperbole (extreme exaggeration) as fact?]

The Social, Cultural and Economic Implications of Climate Change

By Charlie Fletcher, Earth.org, Aug 22, 2022

“Worst of all is the detriment to human health. Minority cultures and poor populations are most at risk, but everyone everywhere is starting to feel the impacts of climate change on their health. Greenhouse gases are polluting the air, meaning everyone is breathing in more toxins.”

[SEPP Comment: The author states she is “from the lovely ‘city of trees’- Boise, Idaho.” Without the primary greenhouse gases, water vapor and carbon dioxide, both toxins according to her, the trees would die!]

Communicating Better to the Public – Make things up.

Scientific ‘Integrity’

By John Stossel, Townhall, Aug 24, 2022

https://townhall.com/columnists/johnstossel/2022/08/24/scientific-integrity-n2612142?utm_campaign=rightrailsticky3

“Did the White House punish Lubchenco for her ethics violations? No. In fact, after her testimony, she was appointed co-head of President Joe Biden’s Scientific Integrity Task Force!

“Last week, the National Academy of Sciences banned her for five years. Yet she’s still on the White House’s Scientific Integrity Task Force.”

[SEPP Comment: Also, Jane Lubchenco serves as the deputy director for climate and environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She strongly promoted the “ocean acidification” myth.]

Everybody knows: heat is the biggest weather risk in the US

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

“This week, a reader points us to NBC news where we learn that the US National Weather Service is claiming extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather-related factor, including floods, cold, tornadoes, wind, winter and hurricanes.”

Climate change is a secret driver of inflation

By Hope King, Axios, Aug 18, 2022

https://www.axios.com/2022/08/18/inflation-climate-change-economy-extreme-weather

“sea level is projected”

By Tony Heller, His Blog, Aug 25, 2022

https://realclimatescience.com/2022/08/sea-level-is-projected/

Communicating Better to the Public – Go Personal.

In the name of open debate, you’re fired

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

Communicating Better to the Public – Use Propaganda on Children

WEF: Teach Compulsory Climate Change Studies to Alleviate Youth Anxiety

By Eric Worrall, WUWT, Aug 24, 2022

Communicating Better to the Public – Protest

‘There is No Climate Emergency’ (1,107 signatories and counting)

By Robert Bradley Jr., Master Resource, Aug 24, 2022

Expanding the Orthodoxy

Extinction Rebellion’s (Diesel) Bus Tour

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 24, 2022

[SEPP Comment: “The Big One: 100,000 people in central London” in Spring 2023?]

Questioning European Green

German Power Prices Smash Record as Energy Panic Engulfs Europe

Nord Stream pipe set for three-day maintenance from Aug. 31

Gas settles at record high, while French power, coal surge

ByVanessa Dezem and Anna Shiryaevskaya, Bloomberg, August 22, 2022

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-22/europe-gas-jumps-as-supply-fears-return-with-planned-pipe-works

Analysis: Heat or eat? Winter protests loom as energy poverty sweeps Europe

By Joanna Gill, Reuters, Aug 25, 2022

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/heat-or-eat-winter-protests-loom-energy-poverty-sweeps-europe-2022-08-25/

Green Energy Fail: Germany Imposes Strict Winter Rationing on Individuals and Companies

By Eric Worrall, WUWT, Aug 25, 2022

Litigation Issues

The Inflation Reduction Act doesn’t get around the Supreme Court’s climate ruling in West Virginia v. EPA, but it does strengthen EPA’s future abilities

By Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law School, WUWT, Aug 26, 2022

“The act not only provides substantial increases in EPA’s budget across a wide range of air pollution programs, it also, for the first time, explicitly defines greenhouse gases to include the six specific gases that the EPA determined in 2009 pose a risk to public health and welfare. That 2009 “endangerment finding” was upheld by the Supreme Court in the 2014 case Utility Air Regulatory Group v EPA.

“As Sen. Tom Carper, one of the principal architects of the Inflation Reduction Act, said, ‘The language makes pretty clear that greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act.’”

Energy Issues – Non-US

Europe’s power crisis overtaking gas crisis

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 22, 2022

Link to report: Europe’s power crisis overtaking gas crisis

By Staff, Timera Energy, Aug 22, 2022

“There are a couple of take-home messages:

“1) Lack of power capacity is driving up demand for gas, and therefore gas prices, which of course drives up power prices in turn.

“2) High gas prices look set to continue for at least the next three years.”

The latest from the front lines of the European Energy Crisis

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 20, 2022

“Electricity Crisis”: German Wholesale Prices “Virtually Exploding”…2,347% Rise Over Single Year!

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Aug 21, 2022

Every Watt in Europe is shockingly expensive

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 24, 2022

Europe’s Gas Price Is Now Equivalent To $410 Per Barrel Of Oil

By Tsvetana Paraskova, Oil Price.com, Aug 20, 2022

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Europes-Gas-Price-Is-Now-Equivalent-To-410-Per-Barrel-Of-Oil.html

Energy Issues – Australia

Aussie Senator Malcolm Roberts Slams False Net Zero Inflation Claims

By Eric Worrall, WUWT, Aug 26, 2022

How the Elites Will Keep Their Lights On

By Christopher Akehurst, Quadrant, Aug 23, 2022

Energy Issues — US

The Inflation Reduction Act Could Push Power Grid Reliability Into a Tailspin

By Rich Nolan, Real Clear Energy, Aug 23, 2022

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2022/08/23/the_inflation_reduction_act_could_push_power_grid_reliability_into_a_tailspin_849626.html

20 Million American Households Are Behind On Energy Bills

By Michael Kern, Oil Price.com, Aug 24, 2022

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/20-Million-American-Households-Are-Behind-On-Energy-Bills.html

[SEPP Comment; Another problem to bury with money?]

Dominion threatens to abandon 2.6-GW offshore wind farm over performance guarantee

By Ethan Howland, Utility Dive, Aug 25, 2022

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/dominion-offshore-wind-performance-standard/630397/

“The Virginia State Corporation Commission’s decision that Dominion’s customers must be held harmless for any shortfall in energy production below the project’s expected 42% average annual capacity factor, measured on a three-year rolling average, is ‘untenable,’ the utility said in a Monday filing with the agency.”

[SEPP Comment: Imagine if industrial wind had to accurately predict output with a 99.99% reliability!]

Washington’s Control of Energy

Inflation Reduction Act Could Hurt Power Grid Reliability

Rich Nolan, Real Clear Energy August 24, 2022

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2022/08/23/the_inflation_reduction_act_could_push_power_grid_reliability_into_a_tailspin_849626.html

Mountain Valley Pipeline opponents vow to keep up fight despite Manchin deal

Activists who have fought the Mountain Valley Pipeline project for years say Democrats’ reported deal with the West Virginia senator won’t deter their opposition. They plan to keep pressure on financial backers.

By Elizabeth McGowan, Energy News Network, Aug 18, 2022

Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?

Blurred Lines – As The U.S. Races Toward 30 Bcf/D Of LNG Exports, What Could It Mean For Upstream Markets?

By Lindsay Schneider, RBN Energy, Aug 21, 2022

https://rbnenergy.com/blurred-lines-as-the-us-races-toward-30-bcf-lng-exports-what-could-it-mean-for-upstream-markets

“Gas is no longer a local commodity; it’s a global product and the U.S. is poised to become the dominant supplier. The Shale Revolution completely changed the landscape of U.S. gas markets, and LNG has the potential to bring that to the rest of the world. The conversation around the shifting role of the U.S. in the rapidly globalizing gas market doesn’t stop here.”

OPEC+ Is Now Almost 3 Million Bpd Behind Its Production Target

By Tsvetana Paraskova, Oil Price.com, Aug 22, 2022

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/OPEC-Is-Now-Almost-3-Million-Bpd-Behind-Its-Production-Target.html

Mozambique to Export First LNG

By Charné Hollands, Energy Capital & Power, Aug 22, 2022

Oil Has Become Too Volatile For Traders

By Irina Slav, Oil Price.com, Aug 21, 2022

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Oil-Has-Become-Too-Volatile-For-Traders.html

“Businesses will continue to need energy that is in tight supply, but high prices for this energy will continue threatening their growth prospects and the growth prospects of their respective economies. Governments, meanwhile, will continue pouring money and legislation into the energy transition, further discouraging the oil industry from doing something meaningful about supply.”

As imports of US gas surge, so does concern over its environmental impact

By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer, EURACTIV.com, Aug 23, 2022

Interior grants $560 million across 24 states to plug more than 10,000 orphaned wells

By Brad Dress, The Hill, Aug 25, 2022

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Solar and Wind

Offshore Wind: Ecologists Tip-Toe into the Negatives

By Robert Bradley Jr., Master Resource, Aug 23, 2022

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Vehicles

COHEN: The Democrats’ Road To EV Utopia Is About To Get A Whole Lot Bumpier. Here’s Why

By Bonner Cohen, Daily Caller, Aug 25, 2022

https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/25/opinion-the-democrats-road-to-ev-utopia-is-about-to-get-a-whole-lot-bumpier-heres-why-cohen/

Carbon Schemes

How Norway Can Expand Its Oil Industry And Reduce Emissions

By Felicity Bradstock, Oil Price.com, Aug 21, 2022

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/How-Norway-Can-Expand-Its-Oil-Industry-And-Reduce-Emissions.html

[SEPP Comment: It works in areas with significantly depleted wells and available CO2.]

California Dreaming

California approves 2035 sales ban for gas cars

By Rachel Frazin, The Hill, Aug 25, 2022

California’s Auto Sales Plan

By Tony Heller, His Blog, Aug 26, 2022

https://realclimatescience.com/2022/08/californias-auto-sales-plan/

“Not Cheap, Not ‘Green’” at the California Energy Commission

By Tom Tanton, Master Resource, Aug 26, 2022

Environmental Industry

Greens ask EPA to ban new natural gas heating

By Rachel Frazin, The Hill, Aug 23, 2022

[SEPP Comment: Do the greens heat their buildings by burning dung?]

BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE

What’s this blasted ice doing in the Arctic?

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

[SEPP Comment: Having trouble finding the year-round Northwest Passage in August?]

Climate activist Steven Spielberg’s private jet has burned $116,000 worth of jet fuel in two months

By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 22, 2022

“However, Spielberg has previously stated that global warming ‘terrified’ him and ripped people who ‘go blithely through life’ without caring about their impact on the environment.”

Not everyone is worried about the coming winter

By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, Aug 24, 2022

“P.S. If hydrogen ever does become feasible, look for a discovery that it’s secretly a massive greenhouse gas and labels of ‘hydrogen pollution.’ We are not kidding. The most important greenhouse gas is water vapour and guess what you get if you burn hydrogen. The dreaded H2O.”

[SEPP Comment: Then there is the cost of trucking it in from Jupiter.]

ARTICLES

1. Why the Energy Transition Will Fail

New report highlights the staggering cost of green ‘delusions.’

By James Freeman, WSJ, Aug. 26, 2022

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-energy-transition-will-fail-11661547051?mod=hp_opin_pos_2#cxrecs_s

TWTW Summary: Key points presented in This Week section.

***************

2. Granholm to Europe: Tough Luck

The Energy Secretary bullies U.S. companies to reduce fuel exports.

By The Editorial Board, WSJ, Aug. 24, 2022

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jennifer-granholms-de-facto-fuel-export-ban-energy-secretary-letter-refiners-oil-europe-11661379613?mod=opinion_lead_pos4

“America’s allies in Europe are desperate for alternative supplies of fuel amid the Ukraine war, and U.S. producers are happy to provide what they can. So wouldn’t you know the Biden Administration now wants to limit fuel exports.

“That’s the message Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm sent last week in a letter imploring seven major refiners to limit fuel exports. We obtained a copy of the letter, which the Administration didn’t release publicly. Ms. Granholm warns that gasoline inventories on the East Coast are at a near-decade low, and diesel stocks are nearly 50% below the five-year average across the region.

“‘Given the historic level of U.S. refined product exports, I again urge you to focus in the near term on building inventories in the United States, rather than selling down current stocks and further increasing exports,’ she writes.

“‘It is our hope that companies will proactively address this need,’ she adds. ‘If that is not the case, the Administration will need to consider additional Federal requirements or other emergency measures.’ In New Jersey they call that an offer you can’t refuse.

“This is a political escalation from President Biden’s June command to refiners to immediately lower gasoline prices. As average gasoline prices nationwide have fallen to $3.88 from about $5 in mid-June, he has been taking a media victory tour. Mr. Biden can thank Americans for driving less, and crude prices have been falling amid a broader selloff in commodities.

“Yet fuel storage levels are running low heading into hurricane season when it’s not unusual for Gulf Coast refineries to be damaged or shut down. The Administration fears a refinery outage that causes fuel prices to spike in the runup to the November election. Hence, Ms. Granholm’s threatening letter.”

The editorial discusses refinery closures in the East, then concludes:

“Fuel storage levels would be much higher in the Northeast if not for New York state’s natural gas pipeline blockade, which has made the region more dependent on oil for energy. One-third of New England residents still use oil to heat their homes, and New York this month is generating more electricity from oil than from solar or wind.

“The Granholm export threat is also a slap in the face to European allies trying to diversify energy sources from Russia. Fuel supplies are tight globally amid sanctions on Russia, which had accounted for 40% of Europe’s oil imports. Europe has had to look elsewhere for diesel fuel, which some manufacturers and power generators are turning to as a substitute for natural gas. U.S. refiners have recently been exporting more fuel to Europe, but Ms. Granholm is now telling them to stop.

“Restricting fuel exports is one more counterproductive Biden policy on fossil fuels that would merely drive-up global fuel prices, including U.S. imports. Ms. Granholm’s bullying of energy companies shows how little she understands about energy markets.”

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