UN to US: $10 trillion for climate or else…

The United Nations says in a new report that unless we (meaning U.S. taxpayers and consumers) cough up $10 trillion to the world’s renewable energy rentseekers and carbon abatement scamsters, the planet will be destroyed by UN-fabricated global warming.

UN chief Ban (Dr. Evil) Ki-moon
UN chief Ban (Dr. Evil) Ki-moon

Click here for Wall Street Journal coverage.

Problems at USCAP?

Today’s Washington Post features a full-page ad urging the Senate to adopt carbon caps this year — ironically, an ad that may signal the demise of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), the coalition of rentseeking big businesses and socialist activist groups lobbying for global warming regulation.

The ad is signed by 22 companies and 6 green groups.

While 15 of the ad’s signatories are USCAP members (Boston Scientific, Dow, Duke, Dupont, Environmental Defense, Exelon, GE, Johnson & Johnson, NRDC, Nature Conservancy, NRG energy, Pew Center, PG&E PNM Resources, Rio Tinto, and Word Resources Institute), 15 other USCAP members didn’t endorse the ad (AES, Alcoa, Alston, BP America, Caterpillar, Chrysler, ConocoPhillips, Deere, Ford, FPL, GM, Pepsico, Shell & Siemens).

It’s hard to believe that the ad wasn’t shopped to all USCAP members — who could have endorsed it at no cost. The ad states,

“This ad is paid for and/or supported by the aforementioned organizations.”

“Or supported” means that some signatories were not charged to participate.

It’s not surprising that Caterpillar and ConocoPhillips didn’t endorse the ad since they opposed Waxman-Markey, albeit at the last moment. But it is notable, for example, that natural gas producer BP America and free-allowance-seeking FPL didn’t sign on.

While some companies are leaving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over climate, the USCAP den of thieves and scoundrels may be experiencing it’s own difficulties.

If Apple was really concerned about the environment…

… it would leave China, not the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Apple told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its resignation letter:

“Apple is committed to protecting the environment and the communities we operate in around the world. We strongly object to the Chamber’s recent comments opposing the EPA’s efforts to limit greenhouse gases. We would prefer the Chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis. However, because the Chamber’s position differs so sharply with Apple’s, we have decided to resign our membership effective immediately.”

So when will Apple pressure the Chinese government to adopt the Clean Air Act? Isn’t actual air pollution in China much worse than the invisible, if not debatable/mythical, problem of U.S. CO2 emissions?

We doubt that Apple has any answers to those questions as Al I-need-cap-and-trade-to-become-the-first-carbon-billionaire Gore sits on its board of directors and, no doubt, cheerled Apple’s resignation from the U.S. Chamber.

Air quality in Shenzhen, China where Apple makes iPhones.
Air quality in Shenzhen, China where Apple makes iPhones.
Air quality over Apple HQ in Cuppertino, CA, where the company counts its profits made from the pollution in Shenzhen, China.
Air quality over Apple HQ in Cuppertino, CA, where the company counts its profits made from the pollution in Shenzhen, China.

If Apple was really concerned about the environment…

… it would leave China, not the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Apple told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its resignation letter:

“Apple is committed to protecting the environment and the communities we operate in around the world. We strongly object to the Chamber’s recent comments opposing the EPA’s efforts to limit greenhouse gases. We would prefer the Chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis. However, because the Chamber’s position differs so sharply with Apple’s, we have decided to resign our membership effective immediately.”

So when will Apple pressure the Chinese government to adopt the Clean Air Act? Isn’t actual air pollution in China much worse than the invisible, if not debatable/mythical, problem of U.S. CO2 emissions?

We doubt that Apple has any answers to those questions as Al I-need-cap-and-trade-to-become-the-first-carbon-billionaire Gore sits on its board of directors and, no doubt, cheerled Apple’s resignation from the U.S. Chamber.

Air quality in Shenzhen, China where Apple makes iPhones.
Air quality in Shenzhen, China where Apple makes iPhones.
Air quality over Apple HQ in Cuppertino, CA, where the company counts its profits made from the pollution in Shenzhen, China.
Air quality over Apple HQ in Cuppertino, CA, where the company counts its profits made from the pollution in Shenzhen, China.

GE ‘stimulated’ by $300 million water heater rebate

Everyday seems to bring new revelations about federal stimulus money earmarked for the Obama-blessed General Electric. Yesterday it was smart meters, today’s scheme involves water heaters.

GE will be selling water heaters that, as described by SmartGridToday,

…lets utilities regulate the use by sending signals wirelessly to them from smart meters.

According to the GE press release,

Additionally, the smart appliance qualifies for Energy Star rebate programs… In July, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the availability of nearly $300 million in funding for state-run Energy Star rebate programs as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus plan.

The Obama-Immelt Pact (rentseeking-for-lobbying) is corrupt enough but it’s made positively execrable by its ends — allowing the government (through regulated utilities) to control our water heaters.

Wanted Poster GE Sketch Final

GE ‘stimulated’ by $300 million water heater rebate

Everyday seems to bring new revelations about federal stimulus money earmarked for the Obama-blessed General Electric. Yesterday it was smart meters, today’s scheme involves water heaters.

GE will be selling water heaters that, as described by SmartGridToday,

…lets utilities regulate the use by sending signals wirelessly to them from smart meters.

According to the GE press release,

Additionally, the smart appliance qualifies for Energy Star rebate programs… In July, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the availability of nearly $300 million in funding for state-run Energy Star rebate programs as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus plan.

The Obama-Immelt Pact (rentseeking-for-lobbying) is corrupt enough but it’s made positively execrable by its ends — allowing the government (through regulated utilities) to control our water heaters.

Wanted Poster GE Sketch Final

GE’s smart-meter profiteering

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt must be channeling SNL’s Chico Escuela these days as:

Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.

GE announced today that utility giant American Electric Power (AEP) will purchase 110,000 smart meters from GE. And just how is AEP managing to buy all these smart meters? President Obama and Congress are making us pay for them.

On Sep. 1, AEP applied to the Department of Energy for $75 million in federal stimulus money for the smart meter purchase.

It’s a good thing that GE’s Immelt sits on Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board — how else would the Department of Energy know to direct smart meter purchases to GE?

Of course, AEP isn’t the only conduit for sending federal stimulus money to GE. So far about 50 utilities have applied to DOE for a piece of the almost $4 billion in stimulus money earmarked for smart meter projects. Did we mention:

Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.

BTW, the $75 million will create about 500 jobs over a three year period, says AEP — why that’s only $150,000 per job in Ohio where the average income is slightly less than $48,000.

Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.
Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.

Wanted Poster GE Sketch Final

GE’s smart-meter profiteering

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt must be channeling SNL’s Chico Escuela these days as:

Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.

GE announced today that utility giant American Electric Power (AEP) will purchase 110,000 smart meters from GE. And just how is AEP managing to buy all these smart meters? President Obama and Congress are making us pay for them.

On Sep. 1, AEP applied to the Department of Energy for $75 million in federal stimulus money for the smart meter purchase.

It’s a good thing that GE’s Immelt sits on Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board — how else would the Department of Energy know to direct smart meter purchases to GE?

Of course, AEP isn’t the only conduit for sending federal stimulus money to GE. So far about 50 utilities have applied to DOE for a piece of the almost $4 billion in stimulus money earmarked for smart meter projects. Did we mention:

Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.

BTW, the $75 million will create about 500 jobs over a three year period, says AEP — why that’s only $150,000 per job in Ohio where the average income is slightly less than $48,000.

Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.
Obama stimulus been berry, berry good to GE.

Wanted Poster GE Sketch Final