A lot, it turns out. The Biden Administration, bending the knee to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, has paused approval of new LNG export facilities. (In terms of influence on the President, this “wing” is looking more like the breasts, the thighs and drumsticks, the other wing, and the piece that went over the fence last. No news from the giblets).
What would a permanent ban, which could result after the government conducts its “robust” examination of LNG exports, look like? In NR Capital Matters, Andrew Follett refers to it as a “strategic crippling that would cost already wavering American allies to reconsider cozying up to the Kremlin, cut the heart out of the booming American natural gas industry, and likely increase American energy prices in the long term.” What other choices would our allies have? Europe’s already dwindling economic output will diminish even further, and the US will forego the opportunity to reduce our trade deficit. Other perils abound: increasing use of CO2-emitting coal is an obvious one and losing market share in Asia to ambitious Qatar and Iran is another.
The move was not popular everywhere. It will immediately shut down four pending projects at enormous cost to investors and lost jobs.
“Here’s reality: LNG is going to be produced. It is going to be sold on the global market. It is going to be used. Those things will happen whether new export terminals are built or not,” says Andrew Stuttaford in National Review’s Capital Matters. A ban will not impact global warming.
Virtue abounds
The mayor of London has signed on to a treaty sponsored by the World Economic Forum requiring London to ban meat, dairy and private car ownership by 2030, says Timothy Gardner of Planet Today. It’s the initiative from the C40 Cities (C40Cities,org). The proposals include “climate action plans” that include “consumption interventions” such as prohibiting citizens from purchasing no more than three items of clothing a year and flying more than once every three years. I want to be there when they tell Leonardo DiCaprio, John Kerry, and their fellow climate warriors. The details are vague and inisidously non-threatening.
Speaking of Davos, the new exquisitely coiffed president of Argentina, Javier Milie, presented the argument for a capitalist alternative to the socialist leaning group-think of the global elite attendees.
… and of governments. Here is a cute story about two governors, a coyote and a dog.
Are you being told the truth?
“Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect.” Jonathan Swift.
… which leads to the myriad untruths your government is telling you about the journey to “Net Zero”, says James Varney in RealClearInvestigations. How much land is required for a windmill? Orders of magnitude more than you are being told.
And dissent is stifled says John Murawski in RealClearInvestigations. He cites the critics’ reasoning, banned from the official discourse, behind why there should not be concern about a “crisis”. Remember, the ones who control the data control the debate.
Your musical interlude.