The renewable energy zealots have never publicized where their renewable energy idea originally came from. It has now been reported that it came from the Nazis. But in 1936 the Nazis had the good sense to reject it as one of their guiding principles for their energy supply. They realized that it would cost too much. All costs and no benefits. As a result almost no one understands where the idea came from. The first German language article on global warming appeared in 1941, authored by a man who later that year became the chief meteorologist for the Luftwaffe High Command and continued publishing alarmist papers for many years.
At the urging of the Greens, Germany revived the renewable energy idea in recent decades. But it has proved an unmitigated disaster. Electricity prices have increased by a factor of three and appear likely to move ever higher. Fossil fuel use has increased, not decreased. And this has not helped Germany’s slow growth economy over the last few decades.
Renewable Energy Zealots Are Now Trying to Bring Their Idea to the US
The climate alarmists have long been trying to bring the idea to the US and other countries, even though the US is on the verge of becoming the leading supplier of fossil fuels to the world. The US has decreased CO2 emissions more than any other country in the world by allowing the market to operate without undue government interference except in some “blue states,” which insist that government knows better. Fortunately, the US has so far largely avoided wasting enormous resources by over promoting renewable energy.
Those favoring renewable energy first advocated using it primarily because of the volatility and unreliability of oil from the Middle East; later they argued that the US would soon run out of oil and natural gas so the US must reduce their use in favor of renewable sources. (Remember Obama’s foolish claim that we could not drill our way to lower gasoline prices?) Now that the US has greatly increased sources of oil and natural gas thanks to drilling using new technology (thus obviating the need for depending on the Middle East), renewable energy advocates have fallen back on their claims that fossil fuel use must be reduced to avoid catastrophic anthropogenic global warming. There have long been strong doubts about this claim and it has now been shown that global warming in recent decades can be explained entirely by natural factors that humans and their governments have no influence over except possibly by highly speculative and controversial geoengineering.
There Is No Remaining Rationale for Government Intervention
So there is no remaining rationale for government intervention in the energy markets to subsidize or encourage renewable energy, which is much better described as unreliable energy. It is long past time for governments in general and the US Government in particular to end its subsidies for unreliable energy and let the markets themselves decide where to allocate energy resources rather than governments. The renewable energy craze would soon die if the subsidies were eliminated as being of no great help to humans and their need for reliable, low cost energy.
via Carlin Economics and Science
August 24, 2017 at 07:47PM
Iowa Climate Science Education 