For the last decade, I’ve been providing long-range U.S. Corn Belt forecasts to a company that monitors and forecasts global grain production and market forces. My continuing theme has been, “don’t believe gloom and doom forecasts for the future of the U.S. Corn Belt.”The climate models relied upon by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are known to overestimate warming compared to observations. Depending upon the region (global? U.S.?), temperature metric … [Read more...]
Why Can’t Renewables Power Modern Economies? Physics
Image: Creative Commons under UnsplashTo understand why wind and solar power, even with battery backup, will not be sufficient in the near future to supply the electric power needs of any modern industrial economy, much less an economy the size of the United States, one must first understand how the electric power system works.Note: I’m not talking about costs. Although the media regularly reports demonstrably false claims that wind and solar power are cheaper than traditional power sources such … [Read more...]
Whale Death Confusion Abounds, and Some is Deliberate
Press coverage of the tragic whale deaths is a supreme study in confusion, especially the foolish attempts to somehow exonerate offshore wind development. Here are some prominent examples.The evergreen New York Times wins the race for worst coverage by claiming to explain the numerous recent whale deaths as due to online shopping. I am not making this up.Their headline promises an explanation: “Why 23 Dead Whales Have Washed Up on the East Coast Since December”. The primary reason claimed is … [Read more...]
Those Attacks on Gas Stoves Aren’t Really about Health
Image: Creative Commons under UnsplashEarlier this year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that indoor gas stoves emitted harmful pollution. Several studies claim that the use of gas can cause respiratory illness. The CPSC is considering restrictions on gas stoves, including possible bans in new residential construction. But attacks on gas stoves are based on questionable science and are largely driven by concerns not related to health.The CPSC has reportedly been … [Read more...]
Stop the Federal Land Grab
Question: Why do you find graffiti on public bathroom walls but not on your own?Answer: Because you own your bathroom---and the rest of your house---so you have an incentive to take care of it. But "everybody" owns the public bathroom---and what everybody owns, nobody owns, and nobody has an incentive to take care of it.Question: Why are massive forest fires more likely to occur on publicly owned land (federal or state) than on privately owned land?Answer: For the same reason you find graffiti … [Read more...]
Assessing Virginia’s Hidden Wind and Solar Costs
Among Governor Glenn Youngkin’s first actions was Executive Order #9 initiating Virginia’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Northeastern U.S. “carbon market” that sets and enforces emission limits for coal and gas power plants. RGGI also lets utilities buy “carbon credits” when emissions exceed those limits and pass costs on to families, businesses, hospitals, and schools. Special interests will contest withdrawal, but the EO sets the proper tone for … [Read more...]
Climate as a Public Health Issue
Never let a crisis go to waste. The Biden Administration took that advice and, on the eve of Hurricane Ida, announced that the Department of Health and Human Services had created an office for climate change – the climate is now a public health issue.“The office aims to protect vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate-driven disasters, including drought and wildfires,” Secretary Xavier Becerra said.However, this new mechanism to enforce socialist-style control … [Read more...]
The Perils of Idolizing Organic Farming in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is on a path to agricultural collapse. Its president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, declared an economic emergency on August 31, 2021.Why? One reason is a bizarre agricultural policy. In April, Sri Lanka’s cabinet “approved a ban on importation of chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals in the bid to become the first country ever to practice organic-only agriculture.” It requires all farming to be organic within 10 years. This puts farmers in the country in a dreadful situation.World Famous … [Read more...]
Playing Fast and Loose with Numbers
Guest article by Joakim BookJournalism is hard. To portray the world accurately to a layman audience without delving into the complexities and nuances of the universe we inhabit, writers must always simplify, explain, and make difficult content relatable for their readers. You can do this well and comprehensively, and you can do it poorly. Often, writers simplify and give concrete examples with the best of intentions, even though I don’t put it past some of the activist writers out there to … [Read more...]
Dominion, 1; Poison Ivy, 0
Today---Tuesday, June 2---we canceled the "From the Stacks" livestream I normally do every Tuesday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Cornwall Alliance's Facebook page. Why? Well, the official explanation went like this: "Dr. E. Calvin Beisner had an unfortunate battle with poison ivy during which the poison ivy won."Various folks posted condolences and wished me well.I'm thankful for their condolences, but, really, the poison ivy didn't win. True, I'm a "wounded warrior"---you should see all the weeping … [Read more...]
