Category: Energy

Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don’t

Pope Francis, yesterday, June 18, released Laudato Si the first encyclical addressing the environment in Catholic Church history. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't. Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don't.

Most of it is hard to argue with. Greed is bad. Waste is bad. Pollution is bad.

Oh yeah, and abortion and euthanasia are bad.

However, Francis also felt obliged to chime in that global warming is primarily man-made and is an oppressive burden on the poor.

Taking that to its logical conclusion means those living in poor nations should no longer aspire to have global-warming producing things like refrigerators and air conditioners and computer networks, much less cars.

Saying people with brown skin should end their dreams of having these blessings strikes us as kind of mean.

Anyway, we remain global warming skeptics for the same reasons we stated in January:

1. The leading supporters hid data that contradicted their public conclusions and treated dissenters politically with attempts to punish and silence them rather than in accordance with the canons of science which would be giving them full and fair hearing then refuting them openly.

2. Falsities have been found in the arguments of those claiming anthropogenic global warming (AGW).

3. Hypocrisy has been found in the lifestyles of those claiming AGW. Really, if you believe that a particular behavior is going to destroy the lives of your children you don’t charter jets to catch New Year’s shows on different continents.  Nor do you live in energy-wasting villas. Either the activists don’t believe in what they say or they don’t care. We find this strange if one is talking about the end of the world.

4. The commonsense and practical actions that would drastically alleviate the claimed causes of AGW have been ignored, and even opposed by the supporters of AGW. When was the last time  you heard an AGW claimer exhorting for more telecommuting? How about nuclear power? If the effort was made circa Y2K to replace every coal plant in this nation with a nuke, alleged AGW gases would be half diminished by now. Even more bizarrely why do AGW claimers support the removal of hydro-electric dams to be replaced by AGW producing plants?

We can go on noting opposition to streamlining the removal of traffic bottlenecks by ending Davis-Bacon requirements, and toll roads.

Frankly, any of these by themselves is damning to the argument. As there are four of them color us extremely skeptical.

Also, while arguments from authority are anything but definitive, we will note that highly accredited and accomplished persons in the field of climate study doubt it is occurring. These include Joe Bastardi, longtime of Accuweather, and John Coleman, founder of The Weather Channel; and Dr. Roy Spencer, who pioneered temperature-based satellite monitoring.

For those who accept Francis’ declaration, we can find common ground regarding point 4. Are you green activists ready to fight to save hydro-electric dams and replace our coal plants with nukes? How about ending Davis-Bacon and other prevailing wage laws so we can free up some cash to remove traffic bottlenecks?

Another point: If you are willing to accept his declaration on global warming are you willing to accept his declarations on abortion and gay marriage?

Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don’t.

Wolf Tax Will Kill Pa Jobs

By Earl BakerWolf Tax Will Kill Pa Jobs

We all remember positively the Spirit of ’76, when Americans declared Independence! But we also need to remember the Spirit of 1791, when Pennsylvanians fought against oppressive taxation in the Whiskey Rebellion. The farmers of Western Pennsylvania who had a thriving sideline business did not welcome additional taxation and were willing to put up a fuss about it. Ultimately no shots were fired and the excise tax was ended.

As we brace to fend off an attack of new energy taxes, we’re re-living a tradition that is alive and well of trying to protect productive Pennsylvania industry and jobs.

Pennsylvania’s current tax battle is bigger and more serious than the Whiskey Rebellion, but it has certain similarities. As was the case in 1791, the fighting issue today is taxation of a thriving domestic industry — oil and gas production. Fueled by rich natural gas deposits in the Marcellus shale, energy production has been a major source of economic growth and job creation in Pennsylvania for the past 10 years. We’re now the second largest natural gas producing state in the country, second only to Texas. And the nation is now the world’s number one producer of oil and gas. The historic role of natural resources in our state is now poised to return Pennsylvania to economic greatness. But not if it is stifled with burdensome new taxes.

Oil and gas producers already pay one of the highest effective corporate taxes rates, higher than most industries. And the commonwealth’s energy tax battle of 2015 is not limited to the state. We’re facing tax attacks at both the state and federal levels.

Our new governor is intent on imposing a state severance tax on all natural gas drilled in Pennsylvania. The most obvious outcome of that tax would be to make Pennsylvania natural gas uncompetitive with neighboring states like Ohio and West Virginia. It’s true these states have severance taxes, but the total taxes paid by Pennsylvania producers is already higher than the tax bite in competing states. To reach the billion dollars the governor wants the energy tax to produce, it would hit rates far beyond those of other producing states.

As the global glut in natural gas production drives down prices, it’s hard to imagine a more counterproductive proposal than Gov. Tom Wolf’s. However, President Barack Obama’s plan for a massive tax increase on domestic oil and gas producers nationwide gives Gov. Wolf’s proposal a run for his money. The size of these tax hikes would inevitably lead to a surge in consumer energy prices.

Additionally, the president’s plan disguises his energy tax hike as “tax reform.” By that he means stripping away legitimate tax deductions from oil and gas producers while leaving them in place for all other industries. That is the quintessential opposite of tax reform.

Right now we need to stage our own version of the early Pennsylvanians’ Whiskey Rebellion and enlist our state and congressional representatives in turning back these tax attacks on an industry that means economic strength and jobs.

Earl Baker is a former state senator and Chester County commissioner.

Wolf Tax Will Kill Pa Jobs

Wolf Launches Stealth Attack Against Adolph

Wolf Launches Stealth Attack Against Adolph
State Rep. Bill Adolph

A flyer has been mailed to homes in Pennsylvania’s 165th Legislative District accusing its representative,  Bill Adolph, of all sorts of vile things like keeping $183,650 i.e. chump change from the Marple Newtown School District and keeping $268,807 from the Springfield School District.

Yes it is chump change.  The Marple Newtown money would not  cover the cost for a year of some Delaware County public school superintendent pensions. And the Springfield money could only keep former Penn State Vice President Gary Schultz living in the style to which he has become accustomed through  late September.

Wolf Launches Stealth Attack Against Adolph
Gov Tom Wolf, trying not to get his hands dirty

The flyer  was produced by America Works USA which is a non-profit group that works in the shadows of the Democratic Governors Association to keep the fingerprints of people like Tom Wolf off the dirty deeds.

Gov. Wolf is trying to pressure Rep. Adolph to help him in his plan to put a crushing tax burden on the gas drillers responsible for whatever economic sunshine that has come Pennsylvania’s way over the last seven years.

All, of course, without recognizing that the state has a major spending problem, not a revenue one. Pennsylvania already taxes the drillers 2.7 percent — on top of salaries, sales and the other usual economic activity that occurs during production. Increasing the taxes will either mean more cost passed onto the consumer — how much was your electric bill last month? — or curtailing production.

Adolph is working hard to fix the pension crisis and recognizes the burden Wolf’s tax plan will place on the citizens of his district. He needs their support.

Addendum: The $268,807 Adolph allegedly kept from the Springfield School District would not be a blip on the radar concerning lessening the impact of   the recently approved $140 million new Springfield High School. On the other hand, repealing the state’s prevailing wage law could see a 20-percent cost drop i.e. $28 million i.e. not chump change  in the price. If you are inclined to contact Adolph about something contact him about that. You would actually see your standard of living improve — or at least not drop so much — if that law was gone.

Note the matter of the Springfield High School now goes to the township for approval of construction. Springfield School Director Bruce Lord said at the final Town Hall, March 19, the process of construction will take years not months.

Wolf Launches Stealth Attack Against Adolph

Ethanol Mandate Repeal Sought By Toomey

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has announced that the is working to repeal a law that drives up the cost of everything from gasoline to groceries. Ethanol Mandate Repeal Sought By Toomey

“Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and I introduced the bipartisan Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015 to abolish the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS),” he said.

“The RFS requires fuel suppliers to blend millions of gallons of biofuels – most often corn ethanol – into the nation’s gasoline supplies,” he said. “This results in higher gas prices, increased food costs, damage to car engines, and harm to the environment. This is nothing more than the government using corporate welfare to shower money on a favored industry and then send the bill to the general public. You deserve better.”

The mandate is strongly supported by Iowa farmers and presidential candidates notably avoid opposing the issue in that early primary state.

Guess we know Pat’s not running for president.

Ethanol Mandate Repeal Sought By Toomey

Ivanpah Solar Plant Not Producing What Was Hoped

The  Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System built on five square miles of environmentally sensitive desert on the California-Nevada border is only producing about half the electricity expected.

The plant, the world’s largest, opened in February and was backed by $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees.

Ivanpah Solar Plant Not Producing What Was Hoped

Ivanpah Solar Plant Not Producing What Was Hoped

Sabotage Pipeline Plan Says Dem

A Democrat Pennsylvania state senator is telling opponents of energy to take legalities out of context to sabotage the  Sunoco Mariner East 2 Pipeline plan.

The proposed pipeline would transport natural gas liquids from the shale fields of western Pennsylvania to the Marcus Hook refinery complex on the Delaware River.

Andrew E. Dinniman, who represents the 19th District in Chester County, told members of the Chester County Sierra Club to use  Section 27 of the state constitution to encourage local municipalities to harass construction of the line.

Section 27 reads “the people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.”

Well, yes. And it has been accepted that the state Public Utility Commission is the agency to ensure that the air and water et al are protected else if left  to every zoning hearing board between Marcus Hook and Houston, Pa., the project would be nickle and dimed into non-existence.

Refinery workers whose jobs and standard of living depend on the natural gas must be made to understand that it is their automatically deducted union dues that fund the campaigns of guys like Dinniman.

Sabotage Pipeline Plan Says Dem

Sabotage Pipeline Plan Says Dem

Union Spending Dwarfs Shale Drillers

Common Cause PA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania are waxing outrage that Marcellus Shale drillers spent $8 million on campaign contributions in Pennsylvania since 2007.

Commonwealth Foundation notes that is but a fourth of what the government employee unions spend.

Union Spending Dwarfs Shale Drillers

Union Spending Dwarfs Shale Drillers

Sunoco Mariner East 2 Pipeline Helps Delco

Sunoco Logistics, announced Sept. 6 that it will build a new, larger pipeline to carry natural gas liquids from Marcellus and Utica shales to the company’s Marcus Hook industrial complex where it will be refined.

Meanwhile, the existing Mariner East 1 line will be expanded from Delmont, Pa. to Houston, Pa.

The new line will have a capacity of 275,000 barrels per day and will run from Ohio, through the West Virginia panhandle to Houston where it will then parallel Mariner East 1 to Marcus Hook.

Mariner East 1 has a capacity of 70,000 barrels per day.

Sunoco Mariner East 2 Pipeline Helps Delco

Sunoco Mariner East 2 Pipeline Helps Delco

Tesla Bill Angers Other Auto Makers

State Sen. John Rafferty (R-44) introduced SB 1409, June 9, that would change Pennsylvania’s Board of Vehicles Act of 1983 so that a  “manufacturer or distributor may own, operate or control a new vehicle dealership trading solely in electric vehicles”.

It contains a whole lot of other conditions so that it basically solely applies to Tesla Motors, the California maker of electric cars that use a franchise-free, web-based, direct sale model.

Existing law prohibits auto makers from selling directly to customers hence the need for franchises to act as middle-men.

Tesla certainly should be allowed to sell directly to customers.

Of course, so should Ford, Toyota, BMW etc.

If the law should be repealed entirely so that all auto-makers may sell directly to consumers via the internet what would happen to the poor franchise owners?

Weathers Dodge in Middletown, Delaware County, was closed in 2010 after 78 years as part of Obama’s plan for reorganizing Chrysler.  It became Weathers Motors where it sells used cars and provides superb service.

The former franchises that offer good deals on used cars and provide superb service will survive. The others? Would you shed tears for them?

Tesla Bill Angers Other Auto Makers

 

Tesla Bill Angers Other Auto Makers

 

Hollywood Treason, Literally

James O keefe Hollywood Treason, Literally

James O’Keefe

 

James O’Keefe, who may be the nation’s gutsiest journalist, has Hollywood actor Ed Begley Jr., actress Mariel Hemingway and director John Tickell on tape willing to sell this country to Islamic oil interests for $9 million.

A Project Veritas operative posing as a “Muhammad” from a Mideast oil family offered the money to fund an anti-fracking movie because “if Washington D.C.  continues fracking, America will be energy-efficient and then won’t need my oil anymore.”

“Sounds good” the Hollywooders said.

Please understand that those so smugly asserted as heroes in our entertainment are so asserted by people who have no understanding of right and wrong, and no concern about what’s in your best interest.

The same applies for those they claim are villains.

The video:

Hollywood Treason, Literally