Sean CastenThere is no free-market case for continued fossil fuel use, at least not at anywhere near the rate that we use FF today. We vastly underestimate the degree to which cleaner, cheaper sources are under-deployed because of these distorting subsidies. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/15/vast-fossil-fuel-and-farming-subsidies-causing-environmental-havoc-world-bank?utm_medium=email
I often say that the United States does not, and never has had a coherent energy policy. You'll know we do when we stop simultaneously (massively) subsidizing resource extraction and (slightly) encouraging conservation.
This historic failure presents a huge opportunity though, should we choose to take it. Clean energy is cheap energy. Eliminating trillions of dollars of subsidies cuts deficits and cuts CO2 pollution. https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4010802-the-problems-and-opportunities-with-us-energy-policy/
The problems — and opportunities — with US energy policy
What is the overarching goal of United States energy policy? Most of my colleagues in Washington would agree it’s to minimize energy cost and pollution, incentivize reliability and innovation, and—as much as possible—rely on domestic supply. And yet, what we actually do is at odds with those goals. Consider: The truth is that we’ve never…
To get there, we simply need to elect folks who put the interests of consumers over producers. Who don't view digging holes as economically productive just because people get paid to dig. Who see no conflict between economics and morality - but insist on both.
Anyway, next time a fossil fuel CEO or local shill for same starts quoting Ayn Rand or Adam Smith, remind them of this. It's pretty easy to get rich if you're running a business that gets $23M/minute in wealth transfers from poor folks to you. But it ain't a free market.
Kevin Leecaster@SeanCasten
Fossil fuel CEOs learned long ago to stay away from me so I'll not be having another chance to give them my opinion of them.
Fossil fuel CEOs learned long ago to stay away from me so I'll not be having another chance to give them my opinion of them.
DamnKimberlee@SeanCasten well, that is true. But there is a multi-pronged attack we use to win this fight. Uniting, educating, and mobilization is how we win this fight! #WeAreTheGuardrailsofDemocracy
Karyn Campbell@SeanCasten That means not subsidizing carbon capture, transport and sequestration as that uses fossil fuels and is unsafe. Anyone within feet of a CO2 pipeline is not getting out if it leaks or ruptures. CO2 in liquid form transported under high pressure is an asphixiant. That means it robs people, animals and internal combustion engines of what they need, oxygen. Time to stop the massive subsidies and heavily regulate this unsafe technology.