Inside Energy

My liberal, thoughtful, and intelligent son and daughter-in-law and my more moderate, scientific/fact oriented daughter and son-in law frequently remind me that it is important to give people a taste of what I am reading to arrive at the conclusions that I do.
For many reasons, their advice makes a lot of sense. In a world of such constant “Orwellian messaging” Gen Xer’s and Gen Y’s (Millennials) have developed into skeptical and independent thinkers not easily led to water.

That gives me hope since my own generation, none of whom could vote for John Kennedy or Richard Nixon in 1960, voted first for Lyndon Johnson and then for Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter and then by a landslide for Ronald Reagan (he cut taxes, increased spending (raising the deficit and national debt) and raised taxes (TRA 1986- with the help of a Republican Senate and Democratic House,---- hardly a roster or record to inspire trust in politicians of either stripe.

So because my children were strong learners and now good teachers in their own right, here are some of the sources that I read over the past year that helped me formulate my huge skepticism over whether a Cap and Trade system to reduce green house gasses will work as opposed to make a lot of corporations, governments, and investment houses rich. Remember the genesis of the housing crisis---“we know what is best for you: all American’s should own a house!” Now all American’s should believe in Cap and Trade to reduce green house gases. Fool me once….

I hope that you notice that my readings are comprehensive and range from Mother Jones to Business Report to SF Chronicle and WSJ, from the Huffington Post to the U.S. Carbon Report and Cleantech. It must be that excellent liberal arts education I got when young that refuses to believe one source in search of truth.

Diversity of opinions is both stimulating and fun but we cannot afford what I call “diversity of facts.” Arriving at some understanding of the facts, requires effort and some intellectual rigor, characteristics often lacking in contemporary media-theatre.

In any case, here are some places for you to go to check out what I have been reading and to determine for yourself what you think about big government, big corporations, big investment banks--- Cap and Trade.

Nobody's Talking Cap-And-Trade Now, But Goldman Sachs Bets On It http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/27/nobodys-talking-cap-and-t_n_138083.html
Waxman Vows to Pass Carbon Cap as Republicans Promise ‘Battle’
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=aeyvIQW_L6bQ
Cap and Trade makes Strange Bedfellows
http://uscarbonreport.com/cap-and-trade-makes-strange-bedfellows/
Carbon markets conference under way
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/01/12/daily49.html
Industry, environmentalists gang up on climate
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/15/BUPV15BBN9.DTL
Cap and Trade
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2008/12/cap-and-trade
Obama administration could fast track cap-and-trade, RPS in '09
http://cleantech.com/news/print/4081
3.2.1. Positions of the Parties: California Legislation
In this section, we summarize the input received from parties on the subject of the type of regulation appropriate for the electricity sector in California.
3.2.1.1. Cap-and-Trade System
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/FINAL_DECISION/80150-02.htm
Comments of Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc.
Western Climate Initiative Work Plan and Design November 30, 2007
www.westernclimateinitiative.org/ewebeditpro/items/O104F14469.pdf
HOW’S THE CARBON OFFSET BUSINESS? GOLDMAN SACHS BUYS IN
www.energystocksblog.com/2008/10/29/how’s-the-carbon-offset-business-goldman-sachs-
Another Inconvenient Truth
www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_13/b4027057.htm
F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent---“Greenwashing”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/business/09offsets.html
Carbon Offsets: Government Warns of Fraud Risk: NPR
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17814838