Demands that companies meet “environmental, social, and governance” (ESG) standards are weakening, say Andy Puzder and Stephen R. Soukup in an essay for RealClearEnergy. They point out that Larry Fink, head of the investment firm BlackRock (the largest manager of assets in the world) has softened his tone. In the past (as in his 2020…
Bureaucratic Delays Will Hinder Biden’s New Forest Restoration Plan
The Biden administration has issued a ten-year plan to manage the national forests to prevent future wildfires. It will include “the use of prescribed fire and thinning to reduce hazardous fuels,” says PERC’s Shawn Regan, writing in City Journal. “It’s a step in the right direction,” says Regan. However, the billions of dollars proposed by the…
Unpleasant Truths about Electric Vehicles
Robert L. Bradley, Jr., writing for the Institute of Energy Research, points out that electric vehicles are benefiting from “subsidies galore.” Yet the average price of an EV is $11,000 more than a comparable gasoline-fueled car. Bradley lists the subsidies: Pursuant to federal legislation in 2008/2009, EV purchasers have received up to $7,500 in tax…
Facts about Fossil Fuels That May Surprise You
Alex Epstein, author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, shares “17 talking points” from his new book, Fossil Future. Here are a few (his emphasis, and footnotes to his sources are included): After 100 years of vigorous competition from alternatives, fossil fuels provide 80% of the world’s energy, including over 90% of the world’s transportation…
Does Waste Put Nuclear Power Off the Table?
No, says a new video (with transcript) from Kite and Key Media, a nonprofit digital media company that addresses major issues. “The amount of power an average person uses in a year. . . would generate nuclear waste about the size of a brick. And the amount of it that would be high-level waste —…
Randal O’Toole: Why $65 Billion for Mass Transit Was a Bad Idea
Heavy subsidies are going to mass transit and Amtrak, even though a minuscule portion of riders go by either method. What explains these subsidies? Randal O’Toole, writing for AIER, cites a strong transit lobby, outdated claims about energy efficiency and low carbon emissions, and the public’s misplaced faith that mass transit helps low-income people and…