Author: Steve Milloy

California Screaming: Wind, solar lobbies to squeeze taxpayers amid budget crisis

Amid the worst budget crisis in its history, the state of California is set to make things worse at the behest of the wind and solar industries.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is set to increase the state’s so-called renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 33% by 2020, up from 20% — meaning that one-third of the electricity produced in the state must come from so-called renewable sources like wind and solar, according to a report in Restructuring Today.

To meet that standard, the utility industry will need to spend an estimated $115 billion over the next 10-plus years. Given that only about $23.5 billion in financing was available annually for renewable projects nationwide before the financial crisis, the new standard would require that California utilities obtain about 50% of available funding each year.

CARB chairman Mary Nichols, a Democrat appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger and a former Clinton administration EPA appointee, admitted to Restructuring Today that,

It’s going to be a challenge to reach that goal without negatively impacting reliability or leading to huge cost boosts for consumers.

A California Senate consultant told Restructuring Today that since the state’s budget crisis has been “temporarily” resolved, the bill containing the new standard is likely to pass and be signed into law this September.

The new standard will essentially require that each man, woman and child in California borrow about $3,108 in principal alone to pay for it — that is, the privilege of paying higher electricity prices for no environmental gain.

NY state employees: Green urinals stink

The greens are giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “pissed off.”

The Albany Times Union reports that,

The [New York Department of Environmental Conservation] has been getting complaints by state workers that waterless urinals at their building have created a fetid mess complete with “splash back,” “puddles (of urine) on the floor,” and “unpleasant odor.”

Those using the restrooms at DEC’s 625 Broadway headquarters grew so disgusted that in April they filed a union grievance alleging a health hazard and a violation of work rules protecting employees from “elements, such as filth or pathogens,” according to records obtained by the Times Union.

The grievance was dismissed by DEC, then taken to the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations earlier this month where it also was dismissed.

Nonetheless, GOER’s Assistant Director for Safety and Health, Charles Vejvoda, conceded that “if indeed back splash or public urination is occurring, there is a violation of human dignity and decorum.”

He also recommended that the union and DEC try to work out the issues. Displaying some bureaucratic humor, he listed possible remedies including the use of such protective equipment as rain gear, aprons, rubber boots, gloves, or even reducing fluid intake, but concluded that wasn’t feasible.

Since its grievance was dismissed, the Public Employees Federation union has begun urging DEC employees to e-mail and otherwise inform management when there is a problem.

New York blames its employees. Although Assistant Director for Safety and Health, Charles Vejvoda, conceded that…

“… if indeed back splash or public urination is occurring, there is a violation of human dignity and decorum…”

… he also wondered…

… if workers were exaggerating the extent of problems, writing “this reviewer does find the assertion that someone is ‘urinating above the urinals’ quite troubling inasmuch as such a healthy stream would be uncommon in a workforce whose average age is 48.”

He also suggested that “certain individuals may come up short,” as an explanation for the complaint about puddles.

Now that the greens have screwed up urinals, who wouldn’t want to hand over national energy policy to them?

The new green catch-phrase?
The new green catch-phrase?

H/t to WGY’s Al Roney for bringing this item to our attention.

Great! Recession helps UK meet Kyoto limits

The ongoing global recession has reduced UK productivity so much that the nation’s CO2 emissions are below the levels set by the Kyoto Protocol, reports the Guardian.

But don’t expect the greens top be happy about it. Sandbag’s Bryony Worthington told The Guardian that,

“With too many rights to pollute in circulation, the [Kyoto emissions trading scheme] is in danger of being rendered irrelevant. At a time when other countries are looking to set up their own trading schemes and the world is set to debate a global deal on how to tackle climate change, [this] flagship policy urgently needs rescuing – starting with much tougher caps.”

So a recession isn’t good enough for the greens. We need a depression.

New study: Carbon capture doubles electric bills

A new study from Harvard University estimates that capturing carbon dioxide from power plants will double the cost of electricity.

This price tag does not include the cost of transporting and storing the carbon underground, which Michael Economides of the University of Houston estimates will cost additional trillions of dollars.

That’s a lot of money to spend to accomplish nothing of value.

Ready for a Green TEA Party?

You’re invited…

What: The first Green TEA Party
Where: Lafayette Park, Washington, DC (across the street from the White House)
When: September 26, 2009, 1-5pm

Click here for more info… more details to follow!

Show up and help tell President Obama that we’re not going to take the green ROD (regression, oppression and depression) lying down.

Hybrid irony: More accident-, ticket-prone

From CarConnection.com, the unintended consequences of hybrids:

  • Toyota Prius drivers get 50% more traffic violations than the average driver.
  • Collision costs with hybrids are about 17% higher than average.
  • For 2006 hybrid models, insurer costs were 75% higher than average.

The apparent explanation lies in the fact that hybrid owners drive about 25% more than non-hybrid owners — you know, using up all the pre-paid gasoline built into the higher sticker price of hybrids.

… and that’s “the lo-down on hybrid cars,” as Traffic might have sung.

Enviros sap military: Mission = green?

Move over national defense, being green is now part of the U.S. military’s mission.

Tad Davis, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for environment, safety amd occupational health told ClimateWire that,

“What we can’t allow us to become is a bunch of well-meaning, well-intended, well-educated environmental folks sitting around the fireplace singing ‘Kumbaya,'” he said. “If we are really going to be successful, it has to be embedded in our mission.”

But according to ClimateWire,

… many officers will want solid proof that “greener” fuels and equipment are reliable and perform just as well. Glenn Schmitt, environmental director at a Navy fleet fuel depot on Puget Sound, got a waiver to go back to jet fuel when he realized that biodiesel was clogging his engine filters, for example…

You can almost hear the battlefield conversation:

Tank commander: Put this thing in gear and let’s get out of here!

Tank driver: I can’t sir. It’s stuck in carbon neutral!

Shouldn’t the military just focus on its core mission — which is already difficult enough — without worrying about solving imaginary problems that have costly and performance hampering solutions?

Besides, Al Gore doesn’t worry about his carbon footprint, so why should Sgt. Fury?

C'mon men. Charge... but no footprints!
C'mon men. Charge... but no footprints!

Enviros sap military: Mission = green?

Move over national defense, being green is now part of the U.S. military’s mission.

Tad Davis, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for environment, safety amd occupational health told ClimateWire that,

“What we can’t allow us to become is a bunch of well-meaning, well-intended, well-educated environmental folks sitting around the fireplace singing ‘Kumbaya,'” he said. “If we are really going to be successful, it has to be embedded in our mission.”

But according to ClimateWire,

… many officers will want solid proof that “greener” fuels and equipment are reliable and perform just as well. Glenn Schmitt, environmental director at a Navy fleet fuel depot on Puget Sound, got a waiver to go back to jet fuel when he realized that biodiesel was clogging his engine filters, for example…

You can almost hear the battlefield conversation:

Tank commander: Put this thing in gear and let’s get out of here!

Tank driver: I can’t sir. It’s stuck in carbon neutral!

Shouldn’t the military just focus on its core mission — which is already difficult enough — without worrying about solving imaginary problems that have costly and performance hampering solutions?

Besides, Al Gore doesn’t worry about his carbon footprint, so why should Sgt. Fury?

C'mon men. Charge... but no footprints!
C'mon men. Charge... but no footprints!

John Kerry: Darfur caused by CO2

At a Council of Foreign Relations meeting last month, Sen. John Kerry (D-Teresa’s skirt) said, according to ClimateWire:

“Almost indescribable, catastrophic things can happen” should concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere exceed the “tipping point” of 450 parts per million, Kerry said at the meeting. “The crisis in Darfur, Sudan, is but one example of how climate change can contribute to a more dangerous world.“

Also according to the report,

Kerry noted that so-called “environmentally displaced persons” may soon outnumber war refugees but added that the United States faces other climate-related security risks beyond refugee crises.

Earth to Sen. Kerry: Drought is a weather event, not climate change. The Darfur crisis involves civil war not carbon dioxide.

BTW, let’s not forget that Sen. Kerry previously said that the Waxman-Markey bill won’t work.

John Kerry: Darfur caused by CO2

At a Council of Foreign Relations meeting last month, Sen. John Kerry (D-Teresa’s skirt) said, according to ClimateWire:

“Almost indescribable, catastrophic things can happen” should concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere exceed the “tipping point” of 450 parts per million, Kerry said at the meeting. “The crisis in Darfur, Sudan, is but one example of how climate change can contribute to a more dangerous world.“

Also according to the report,

Kerry noted that so-called “environmentally displaced persons” may soon outnumber war refugees but added that the United States faces other climate-related security risks beyond refugee crises.

Earth to Sen. Kerry: Drought is a weather event, not climate change. The Darfur crisis involves civil war not carbon dioxide.

BTW, let’s not forget that Sen. Kerry previously said that the Waxman-Markey bill won’t work.

Four governors (1 Republican) to testify for raising taxes on families

The following governors and mayors will testify tomorrow before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in favor of the Waxman-Markey bill:

  • Gov. Bill Ritter (D-Col)
  • Gov. Chris Gregoire (D-Wash)
  • Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
  • Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND)
  • Mayor Robert Kiss, Progressive, Burlington, VT
  • Mayor William Euille, Democrat, Alexandria, VA
  • Mayor Douglas Palmer, Democrat, Trenton, NJ

Waxman-Markey represents an unearned multi-trillion dollar transfer of wealth from consumers and taxpayers to special interests including Al Gore and Goldman Sachs.

If you live in one of these states or cities, let these officials know that you don’t want to be taxed so that Al Gore and Goldman Sachs can laugh all the way to the bank with their ill-gotten profits.