Green Energy Issues

I've been wondering if any of my progressive friends, who support; no, actually demand, most, if not all tenets of the so-called green new deal be implemented immediately are knowingly supportive of getting the rare earth metals necessary for "clean" energy from a government that is hostile to the USA and our rapidly diminishing shared values. 

I'm sure most of you are aware that China uses slave labor to mine these minerals. On top of that, their environmental track record is completely abysmal. Recently, a report on so-called green house gases shows that China emits more detrimental pollution into the atmosphere than all of the other industrialized nations of the world. Combined! 

To counter these issues, mineral extraction must occur in places other than China. But that comes with a cost, both measurable and esoteric. 

We don't have to accept minerals being mined by slave labor. The minerals are available right here, in the USA. But since we did away with slavery over 150 years ago (a very good thing), we will have to pay miners an appropriate wage to dig up the dirt. This alone will drive up the cost significantly, since China pays their miners almost nothing. 

We have almost no infrastructure to refine these minerals due to costs savings and environmental regulations. I don't think there is a smelter left standing in the USA that is capable of processing raw materials. The few companies that do mine rare earth metals (3 at last count), ship the raw materials to China for processing. This process is EXTREMELY dirty. Are progressives, in their zeal to make everything green, willing to allow mining, and the processing of the raw materials, to occur in the USA? Or will this be a case of NIMBY? Are you willing to pay the costs associated with process of resource extraction? Or will you close your eyes and turn their heads to the issues of how China turns the raw material into usable metals? 

Recently it seems that Former VP Biden is willing to let China be our source of these rare earth metals. He has published an EO that will continue to make extremely difficult to mine rare earth metals in the USA. 

When a company wants to mine minerals in the USA the permit process can take 15-20 years. I believe it was in 2017 that the Trump administration attempted to streamline the permitting process. While Trump wanted us to be be energy independent, it seems that he might also been aware electric vehicles (EV) was a movement that could not be ignored. His thinking might have been; if this is where we are going, why not cut ties to hostile regimes and mine what we can here, in the USA. This EO was later overturned by former VP Biden's puppet masters. 

Former VP Biden has said that EV can be cheaper than gas powered vehicles by 2035. Is he, and his advisors looking at the increased costs if we do (and should) cut ties with China. 

Are you willing, to achieve carbon neutrality, to accept salve labor? Are you OK with even more pollution from China as the needed minerals are extracted from the ground? Are you willing to accept these things so you can feel good and pat yourself on the back, saying what a good steward of the environment am l?. 

I ask these questions because so far nobody has been able to answer them. When these valid points are made, there is no rebuttal. Just a superior shake of the head and the smirk. 

An Exchange With A Snowflake

The other day a friend of mine on Facebook posted his displeasure with PDT decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords. As you  might gather, I fully agree with this decision. This accord was nothing more than a movement of wealth from rich nations (Like the USA) to poor nations (mostly Africa). Interestingly, it wasn't my friend who decided to exchange thoughts with me, but rather his wife. I have known my friends for 10+ years, he was a junior officer I highly respected during my final few years in the service. But I never had the pleasure of meeting his wife other than just a brief meet and greet several years ago.  So I am going to post the exchange in order of posting. I would like your feedback in how I handled the situation.

This first is the original post. It was a response to a news article that my friend posted notifying that PDT has decided to pull the USA from the Paris Climate Accords.

Friend: Oh no!!!! No no no!!!!!!! Damn it!

ME: I'm glad we're done with this scam. Even reasonable folks who believe in hot/wet/cold/dry should view this agreement with disdain. It was nothing more than a massive transfer of wealth from the USA to other countries. Our financial contributions to the agreement far outstripped our "contribution" to global cooling/warming/climate change. The world will wring their hands over us "backing out". But not because the world will end, but because the greedy little jerks aren't gonna get our money.

Not the wife: I couldn't disagree more.

My Friends Wife (MFW): Is this guy serious?? We come in at 17% only 2nd to China at 20% and followed by India, the next highest at only 4%!! WE ARE THE PROBLEM!!! OF COURSE WE SHOULD PAY MORE!! My god I just can't even understand why any American wouldn't agree with joining forces with other countries to try and limit our negative effects of OUR GREED on the planet. You think it is THEIR greed?? Excuse me while I go apologize to my children for the absolute mess we as a nation are leaving them. (if you don't like the simple break down that Wiki provides, feel free to go to the main site for the Paris agreement- I just figure this one has it condensed)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement

High-Speed Rail Issues in China

As most of you know, I am not a big fan of high-speed rail, at least not the huge taxpayer dollar investments that have President Obama all a-twitter. You can see my previous posts by click on “high Speed Rail” under the categories section on the left side of the blog.

I have pointed out that if these grand plans go forward, there is a better than good chance that much if not most of the equipment that will run on these rails will be built in China. Recently, there was a crash on the showcase Beijing – Shanghai line that killed 40 people. Now the manufacturer of the high-speed rail equipment is planning on recalling 54 bullet trains for safety reasons. I wonder if anyone is asking whether or not the plans should continue to move forward in light of the recent events in China?

China Making A Play

Earlier this week I posted a link and an article about how we may be entering a double-dip in the recession. The article gave ten reasons why this is a very distinct possibility.  Of those 10 was one regarding the debt ceiling.

8. Debt Ceiling. Tied directly, as far as I am concerned, to the out of control budgeting and spending by the democrats. Yes, Bush was also out of control but his deficit spending can’t hold a candle to spending initiated by Obama and the democrat Congress during the first two years of his term. This has caused the deficit to reach a staggering $14T+ level, with little end to the upward spiral in sight. China, an ideological enemy of our form of governance, controls a very large portion of the debt. I am sure the only thing stopping them from calling in the marker is the knowledge that this create an economic meltdown that would make the Great Depression look like a bump in the road. It would not surprise me in the least if once our economy is humming again (after 2012), China does what it can to slow us down. (Source: 24/7WallStreet)

Looks like I might have not been correct, but hey, I am not an economist. According to this article at Big Peace, the Chinese have decided to diversify their monetary holdings by getting rid of their dollars.

Chinese Controlling Green Technology

Be careful as you read the following story in the NY Times. If you only read it without really reading it, you might come away with the feeling that China is cleaning up its act pollution-wise faster than the US. Read it closely and you will see this has nothing to do with “saving the planet” and everything to do with PRODUCTION and CONTROL of green technologies.  They are doing a better job of making windmills than we are despite the fact that our President and has cabal of eco-nuts are in charge.

As we shift our energy production ever so slowly over to green technology, we will also be shifting our jobs elsewhere. We no longer make incandescent light bulbs and all fluorescent bulbs are made overseas. Most of our energy efficient appliances are not made in the USofA, but in other countries. As we move away from the oil-based energy production, the jobs associated with oil will be lost and China will be building our windmills.

Locke to Get Ambassador to China Nod

President Obama’s nominee to replace Jon Huntsman as Ambassador to China has local ties. Former Governor Gary Locke, the son of Chinese immigrants, has been nominated to replace Huntsman, who departs next month. He has experience in China as he developed business ties between Washington State and China. Full write up at the Seattle Times.