Category Archives: Government Regulations

How Credible Is The IPCC Climate Reporting?

Posted on September 24, 2013 | 2 comments

The Non-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) has issued their 2013 report “Climate Change Reconsidered II-Physical Science”.  This report, a Summary for Policy Makers (SMP), challenges the data within the IPCC’s SMP scheduled for release this month.

Let’s contrasts the two reports.  The NIPCC science is empirical data based.  The IPCC also includes empirical data but their methodology relies heavily  on computer based guesses projections,  the scientific conclusion are revised to satisfy political objectives and the IPCC is not home to scientists that want to submit studies that contradict the message that global warming is man-made.  NIPCC says this about the IPCC: “The hypothesis implicit in all IPCC writings, though rarely explicitly stated, is that dangerous global warming is resulting, or will result, from human-related greenhouse gas emissions.”   They start with a conclusion and look for studies that support the conclusion.  That’s not the the scientific method.

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Posted in AGW, Climate Alarmism, Climate Models, CO2, Environment, Global Temperatures, Government Regulations, Ice Melt, IPCC, Sea Ice, Sea Level

Political Class Does Not Care If Climate Science Is Wrong

Posted on September 17, 2013 | 2 comments

If you are a skeptic you may think that you are winning the science battle with the warmers.  You probably have always thought that in the end you would win that battle and that would settle things.  You were half right, you are winning the science battle but you have not yet deterred the politicians.   The science has never mattered much to them.  The warmer’s programs to combat  “global warming” are really the only things that matter to them.  Whether it is Cap & Trade, Carbon tax, or some other scheme, they are for it.  They tell you they are doing this for your own good.  But in fact most of them want greater control of your life and they can do it through taxes and regulations that are at the heart of these schemes.

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, cap and trade, carbon tax, Climate Alarmism, Climate Models, CO2, EPA, Government Regulations, Government Revenues, IPCC, United Nations

IPCC Draft Of The “Summary For Policy Makers” Leaked

Posted on September 16, 2013 | 1 comment

The hype around the soon to be released UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Summary for Policy Makers  (SPM) does make me a little ill.   The last such report was issued in 2007 and it does not seem that the assemblers of the report have learned much in that time.  It is not that they have completely ignored reality but just mostly ignored it.

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Posted in AGW, Climate Alarmism, Climate Models, CO2, Environment, Global Temperatures, Government Regulations, Government Revenues, Green Jobs, Interglacial periods, IPCC, United Nations

US Congress–Take Back Your Constitutional Rights From President Obama

Posted on August 20, 2013 | 1 comment

The President’s Organizing for Action (OFA) committee has been embarrassed by lack of interest by libs, greens and NGOs in the OFA’s  “Action August” events.   In early August, the OFA had a Virginia kick off meeting touting Obamacare and only one person showed up and at last week’s DC kick off meeting supporting the Obama climate change agenda, no one showed up.

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Posted in AGW, cap and trade, carbon tax, Coal, Domestic Energy, Electricity from Coal, EPA, Government Regulations

Administration’s Agencies And Radical Greens Collude On Policy

Posted on July 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

The EPA has devised a system to write policy that favors the radical green NGOs.  The EPA is able to, in effect, legislate.  This is done by using the courts to issue Consent Decrees outlining policy “agreements.   Once issued, the agreements set out in the Consent Decrees are very difficult to get changed.

Back in the 1960tys, activist groups began what is now called “reform litigation”.  Initially these litigated cases were to pursue the litigant’s idea of needed prison reforms.  But with time, reform litigation spread and it is getting major use by the EPA and radical greens to shape environmental policy.  Here is how it works  according to Bob Beuprez’s posting “How the EPA connives with Greens on Policy”:

How have these overtly political groups obtained such access to policy decisions that have the power to destroy industries and eliminate jobs? The answer lies in the “sue and settle” legal technique.

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Posted in AGW, Domestic Energy, Environment, EPA, fossil fuels, Fracking/Shale Gas, Government Regulations, IPCC, Oil and Gas Exploration

Kyoto Did Not Level The Playing Field, But Obama’s New Climate Policies May Do That

Posted on July 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

President Obama’s outlined his new climate policies in a recent speech.   My take away from the speech is that it is a way to increase Federal revenue by taxing carbon use.  And it is mainly done through new regulations developed by his EPA.  Congress just a well go home because they never see the need to challenge the usurping of their powers.    The consequence of these policies will be significantly higher electricity prices, and the poorest among us will be the primary victims of this action.  Once again, in the name of the environment,  he will forego focusing on bringing about  the nation’s recovery.   Interestingly, one posting suggests that this will level the playing field between the US and Europe.  That was the basis for the European’s support of the Kyoto Treaty, but it did not work for them because the US chose not to enter into the Treaty.  A posting on notrickszone.com by Peter Gosselin titled “Obama Is Merely Leveling The Energy Playing Field With Europe – Declares An End To Cheap American Energy is interesting to get his view from Europe.  He writes:

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, cap and trade, carbon tax, Coal, Domestic Energy, Electricity from Coal, fossil fuels, Fracking/Shale Gas, Government Regulations, Renewable Energy

May 2013 EV Sales Update and Price-Cutting Is The New Normal

Posted on June 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

Yes, I am really late in posting this info.  None-the-less, here is the data.

Nissan Leaf had a big May selling 2,138 vehicles. Their second best month all time behind March’s 2,236 Leafs sold.  Year to date sales are 7,614.

Volt May sales were 1,607 with year to date sales of 7,157 putting Volt in second place behind the Leaf.

It is reported that Chevy dealers have more than 9,000 Volts in inventory.  With the 2014 soon to be in the show rooms, the dealers need to sell the 2013 model inventory.

Price-cutting going on across the board

Fewer sales than needed and California’s requirement that all major makers must offer a minimum number of “zero emission vehicles” are pushing the manufacturers to cut prices.

Nissan reduced the price of the Leaf by 18%, or $6,000, when it launched a new, stripped-down model at the beginning of the year.

The Detroit Bureau.com says:

A California buyer can now purchase a Chevrolet Volt for as little as $28,495.  The base price for the plug-in is $39,995 but all buyers qualify for $4,000 off on a 2013 model and $5,000 off for a 2012 Volt. They also can get an extra $1,000 if they are currently leasing a non-GM vehicle. Meanwhile, the federal government provides a $7,500 tax credit while the state kicks in another $1,500.

Chevrolet also is now reducing lease pricing for the Volt to $269 a month for 36 months, with a $2,399 downpayment. 

Recently, a posting maintained that GM had to sell the Volt for about $75,000 to break even.  How long can they keep the Volt line going at this rate?

Detroit Bureau also reports that the Honda Fit EV’s will reduce the lease pricing from $389 to $259 a month, and customers will no longer face mileage limitations.

Clearly the price-cutting reflects the lack of enthusiasm by the US population for these vehicles.   The manufacturers of the vehicles are likely to be operating at a loss on each car.  The government (and thus the average tax payer) is spending a lot of money on an idea that is not showing signs of capturing the public’s imagination.

cbdakota

 

 

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Posted in Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Environment, EPA, fossil fuels, Government Regulations, Personal Automobiles, US Auto Manufacturers, US Manufacturing Companies

Steep Depreciation Rates For EVs A Serious Problem

Posted on June 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association the used plug-in electric vehicles depreciate at a 30% rate that is the highest depreciation of any vehicle segment in the American automotive market. For other vehicles, according to Carsdirect.com: “New cars depreciate about 20% the moment you drive them off the lot.”   Then the depreciation is about 15% per year for the second and third year and less in subsequent years.

TheDetroitBureau.com says:

“The steep rate of depreciation for used plug-in electric vehicles can be attributed to limited range, manufacturer incentives and federal tax credits intended to offset the higher prices of new plug-in electric vehicles,” said Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide.

If the forecasted decline continues, it could be a serious problem for both manufacturers struggling to boost demand for their latest plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles, as well as federal and state government officials who have been using financial incentives to help promote the technologies.

 Another ominous sign for the EV business.

cbdakota

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, Batteries, CAFE Standards, Electric Vehicles, fossil fuels, Government Regulations, Personal Automobiles, Renewable Energy, US Manufacturing Companies

More Scandals–EPA This Time

Posted on June 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Posting from Hotair.com titled  “Psst: There are four separate scandals going on at EPA right now” is an interesting read.  The four do not include the EPA “study” as directed by the Supreme Court to determine if CO2 were a threat to the nation.  Of course the EPA found that it was a serious, immediate threat and was then granted the right to write regulations to control CO2.   The biggest fool was of course the Supreme Court that turned that question over to the EPA assuming the Court actually expected a reasoned decision.  The EPA really never did a study, just took the IPCC report, which meant that the question was answered in the affirmative.  All they had to do was to silence their own people that had a different opinion, which they did, and ignore any of the written comments which were not consistent with their already formulated decision. Got that off my chest, at least for a while.  On to the Hotair posting.

They are:

1)   The EPA gave an ethics award to fake employee, “Richard Windsor,” who was already just an unethically created e-mail alias for the agency’s former head, Lisa P. Jackson.

2)   The EPA makes conservatives pay a fortune for FOIAs to be granted while waiving fees for liberal groups.

3)   EPA contractors are basically Gym, Tan, and Laundrying in new, swanky rec rooms thanks to your tax money.

4)   The EPA leaked confidential information on farmers and cattle facilities to environmental groups. No bigs.

My guess is that the first one could be the big one if they can get Lisa P Jackson’s emails that she created using the name of Richard Windsor.

The details for each of the four scandals are covered in the posting which can be accessed by clicking here. I hope that Congress looks into these.

cbdakota

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Posted in AGW, cap and trade, carbon tax, CO2, Environment, EPA, Global Temperatures, Government Regulations, Green Jobs

The Obama Administration Targets Congressional Skeptics

Posted on May 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

President Obama is not content with just targeting the news reporters, whistle blowers  and conservative groups such as the Tea Parties, he is now singling out Congressional skeptic by name in hopes he can get them voted out of office.

He is practicing Chicago Politics at the national level.  Chicago politics operates on the basis of denigrating your opponent.  This style of politics lacks logic, good ideas, etc.  so they result to insult and innuendo.

The President’s website lists those Senators and Representatives that do not agree with his plans to artificially reduce availability of fossil fuels and to force taxes on those people and businesses that use them.

If you click here, you will be sent to the President’s website and see a list of Congressional people he wants removed.  Each of the named individuals is credited with a quote they have made which is to give reason to why they should be removed.  I think it likely will have the opposite effect if the usual uninformed liberal voters actually read the quotes. The low information voters may never before have seen the logic expressed in these quotes.

The liberals often revel in their retelling of President Nixon’s “enemies list.”  I believe that the current president’s “enemies list”  makes Nixon’s pale by comparison.

cbdakota

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Posted in AGW, cap and trade, carbon tax, Climate Alarmism, ClimateGate, CO2, Domestic Energy, Energy Development, Environment, fossil fuels, Global Temperatures, Government Regulations, IPCC