Energy Independence
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/565950 > The left wants to make it illegal to disagree with them, it’s really that simple. > > Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like… authoritarianism and fascism?
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/565438 > Scientific Beta, an index provider and consultancy, found that companies rated highly on ESG metrics - and even just the 'Environmental' variable alone - often pollute just as much as other companies. > > “ESG ratings have little to no relation to carbon intensity, even when considering only the environmental pillar of these ratings. It doesn’t seem that people have actually looked at [the correlations]. They are surprisingly low.” > > He added: "The carbon intensity reduction of green [ie low carbon intensity] portfolios can be effectively cancelled out by adding ESG objectives." > > “On average, social and governance scores more than completely reversed the carbon reduction objective,” he continued. “It can very well be that a high-emitting firm is very good at governance or employee satisfaction. There is no strong relationship between employee satisfaction or any of these things and carbon intensity."
Why does this matter? Well, as Kartch writes, “Taxpayers pay for air conditioning, heating, maintenance, and security for agency buildings at a cost of billions per year, while the same agencies lecture Americans about ‘climate’ and the type of stove you have in your home.” This isn’t cheap. The GAO report notes that “The federal government owns 511 million square feet of office space, costing billions annually to operate and maintain.” That’s money out of our pockets.
www.zerohedge.com
My hybrid would not even come close to meeting these requirements
www.theepochtimes.com
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/539043 > > Electric Cars Are a Scam > The green “revolution” is an elite-driven, top-down technocratic project. > > And it’s increasingly clear that the only reason giant rent-seeking carmakers are so heavily invested in EV development is that government is promising to artificially limit the production of gas-powered cars. > > [https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/electric-cars-are-a-scam-5399413 > ]()
youtu.be
Man these things are slick. Still to expensive though.
Germany is facing several tough years due to a combination of transitioning to sustainable energy sources and the rising costs of energy, warned Germany’s Green Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck.
In the case he analyzes, carbon taxation, which is among the Biden administration's "green energy" policy centerpieces, it takes over $250 of tax just to make $1 of carbon benefit, and even that is subject to a lot of imagination as to what the actual "benefit" is.
It turns out that levels of water vapor in the atmosphere have dramatically increased over the last year-and-a-half, and water vapor is well recognized as a greenhouse gas, whose heightened presence leads to higher temperatures, a mechanism that dwarfs any effect CO2 may have. So, why has atmospheric water vapor increased so dramatically? Because of a historic, gigantic volcanic eruption last year that I – probably along with you -- had never heard of. The mass media ignored it because it took place 490 feet underwater in the South Pacific. Don’t take it from me, take it from NASA (and please do follow the link to see time lapse satellite imagery of the underwater eruption and subsequent plume of gasses and water injected into the atmosphere):
The Department of Energy approved new rules for light bulbs last year that will take effect on August 1, including a new minimum standard for light bulbs at 45 lumens—or brightness—per watt, an increase over the average 12 to 18 lumens per watt for incandescent bulbs.
Dutch broadcaster RTL said emergency responders were heard saying, "The fire started in the battery of an electric car.
This is what happens when corrupt politicians and crony capitalists build solar and wind energy that only generates power to part of the day at best. Their phony capacity calculations causes these "emergencies" Fossil fuel and nuclear generate power 24/7 no matter the weather.
Power cuts of as many as 12 hours a day have driven schools, hospitals and businesses to generators. Water in some communities is unsafe to drink. A dilapidated sanitation system triggered a recent cholera outbreak near the capital, Pretoria. Outside of some national highways, paved streets have more potholes than road. Poorly maintained state schools are keeping a whole generation from access to a decent education. Theft of everything from copper cables to solar panels are common, and crime has soared to such an extent that the private security industry now employs more people than the police force and military put together.
www.spiked-online.com
Witch-hunts in mid-millennial Europe were inextricably linked with concerns over climate change. This was the era of the Little Ice Age, the period that roughly spanned from 1300 to 1850 during which the Northern Hemisphere experienced exceptionally cold winters. The impact of the Little Ice Age was devastating. The frigid weather violently disrupted harvests in Europe, especially the grain harvest. Following particularly cold periods in the 1500s, it took 180 years for grain harvests to return to their previous levels. The result, in the words of German historian Philipp Blom, was ‘a long-term, continent-wide agricultural crisis’ (2). And this led to a staggering spike in witch-hunts. Blom describes how in northern Europe in particular, ‘the accumulation of bad harvests and the constant fear of famine and illness’ led to the rise of ‘a particularly cruel collective hysteria: witch trials’. Thousands of women, and occasionally men, were burnt for their alleged role in stoking contrary weather, in causing climate change. For a long time, says Blom, historians wondered why witch persecutions were ‘especially cruel’ between the years 1588 and 1600 and again between 1620 and 1650. It’s because these were the times of the most extreme cold and most dreadful storms, and the evil cause of such climatic calamities had to be found and extinguished.
www.zerohedge.com
Who cares what happens during natural disasters like hurricanes? Remember for most people even solar panels on your roof for not work when the grid is down
dailycaller.com
The minimum required lease bond that developers must pay would jump from $10,000 to $150,000, and the required statewide bond would spike from $25,000 to $500,000, according to the rule proposal. The rule would also raise the minimum royalty fees that developers have to pay from 12.5% to 16.67%.
www.zerohedge.com
Thermal generation increased by +8% compared with the same period in 2022 and accounted for 71% of all electrical output, up from 69% in the previous year. China's coal fleet kept the lights on, air conditioning working and industry operating in the drought-stricken south and more recently in the north in an unprecedented heat wave. In response to government directives to ensure sufficient fuel stocks for generators, the country's coal mines produced a record volume in the first six months.
Exxon Mobil is planning to build one of the world’s largest lithium processing facilities near the town, with a capacity to produce 75,000 to 100,000 metric tons of lithium a year, sources say, which would be 15 percent of the world's lithium production.
oilprice.com
The focus on small nuclear reactors is part of the country’s efforts to produce more zero-emission energy domestically.
Rarely has a government, at least the U.S. government, banned specific products or behaviors that are so widely used or undertaken. Indeed, there have been only two comparably far-reaching bans in U.S. history: the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the consumption of alcohol (repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment); and the 1974 law prohibiting driving faster than 55 mph. Neither achieved its goals; both were widely flouted, and the first one engendered unintended consequences, not least of which was criminal behavior.
I drive a Ford Fusion Hybrid with an Aptera Solar car on order. Solar panels on the roof to charge it when it arrives https://aptera.us/
youtu.be
Lots of information on long term battery usage in Teslas.
www.youtube.com
I've seen a recent up rising of right wing people against electric cars. I suppose this is normal as conservatives typically conserve traditional things and are adverse to any sort of change. Here is a model 3 with over 100,000 miles and still gets 94% of the battery. Which is better than average. I've heard they often lose 10% but level off around there. So they lose 10% quick but stay at that point a long long time. These cars are super quick. The electricity cost is waaay cheaper than gas. They have tons of features yo u won't find in most cars. If you factor in tax rebate and gas savings these things can be pretty cheap when compared to other new cars. Another thing I read is cold weather. I don't live in the cold. Another thing something about it doesn't help the environment. I don't care. The car is awesome. Yet another I read, > I fill up my gas car in five minutes. Whats wrong with that? Filling up in your garage is just awesome. I'll still keep a gas car too but garage is objectively more convenient. Yeah a new batter can cost 15K. But the whole of the car is really low maintenance. So if every 15 years you need to spend 15k I don't think that is a big deal.
www.zerohedge.com
The emergency reserves are equal to approximately just 20 days worth of supply - an all-time record low...
thefederalist.com
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/199997 > Republicans, like Ramaswamy, who really want to take on the culture war, should tackle major food industries exploiting corporate welfare to prop up artificial industries that leave Americans sick in the process. Ultra-processed food might be cheaper on the surface in the short-term but is paid for by years in life expectancy in the long-term. Not to mention the billions in health care costs related to obesity and related chronic illness.
www.zerohedge.com
The insurance company of the driver who struck Chris Apfelstadt's R1T offered to pay about $1,600 for the repairs. However, after the R1T was taken to a certified repair shop in Columbus, the costs soared to a whopping $42,000 -- or about half of the starting price of the EV. It only takes one minor accident to damage a battery pack, and if that occurs, it must be replaced at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars.
www.zerohedge.com
Wholesale prices for commonly used refrigerants had already increased 400 percent since EPA first embarked on the HFC phaseout a year prior. “Service technicians say that replacing refrigerant lost from a leak now costs upwards of $800, about double what it did a year ago,”
www.lifesitenews.com
"A dangerous corruption of science that threatens the world’s economy and the well-being of billions of people,’ “key processes are exaggerated and misunderstood by approximately 200 times” "It has been promoted and extended by similarly misguided business marketing agents, politicians, journalists, government agencies, and environmentalists. In my opinion, there is no real climate crisis.”
“The proposed rule underestimates key challenges including the scarcity of minerals to make batteries, the fact that these minerals are not mined or refined in the US, the inadequate infrastructure, and the high cost of [battery electric vehicles].”
www.thegatewaypundit.com
There are valid concerns regarding its impact on birds and marine life. According to Offshore Wind New Jersey, wind turbines ought to be located far offshore to limit disruption to important bird habitats and migration paths along the Atlantic seaboard. This is because research indicates that bird densities decrease with increasing distance from the shore.
www.thegatewaypundit.com
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/190640 > This is so surreal. The socialist Spanish minister uses a private jet to attend a climate conference. 100 metres before the venue she gets out off the limo and takes a bicycle. The security cars follow her.
oilprice.com
China’s EV success is the result of years of investments in the supply chain and raw materials, Senard said, noting that it would take billions of euros for Europe to replicate this. Or just go back to good old fashioned petrol and natural gas
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/176492 > https://mistcooling.com/cool-energy-ac-mister.html > > https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/19381/mistbox-energy-saving-device-proven-to-cut-ac-bill > > Review of Mistbox with commentary: https://www.allhomerobotics.com/mistbox-review/ > > I guess the idea is to use evaporative cooling to keep HVAC units cool when it's hot? > > Do these kinds of things work or is there a way to make them work?
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/171978 > Are we really expected to believe these companies are **unable to borrow from traditional lenders**: > - General Motors > - PG&E > - Ford > > The line for Shah’s cash stretches to 150 companies seeking $127.7 billion in loans, ranging from new companies with unproven products to giants such as General Motors and PG&E, the California utility blamed for deadly wildfires. Funneling that much money to climate startups in a short time would be near impossible. Shah has begun writing bigger checks, including a record $9.2 billion commitment to a Ford joint venture making batteries in Tennessee and Kentucky. > > The source of Shah’s financial firepower is the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, an overlooked piece of the Biden administration’s strategy to address climate change. Largely quiescent for almost a decade, the office is designed to finance businesses that are important to the country’s energy transition but unable to borrow from traditional lenders, often because their technology is seen as too risky or because the terms are too onerous.