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EPA Proposal Promotes Fossil Fuel Use over Renewable Wood Use for Heating Homes

The latest example of big brother schemes brewing in Washington this year is the proposal of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to significantly restrict solid particulate emissions from wood burning stoves. The Census Bureau estimated that 2.4 million U.S. homes use wood as a primary source for heating their homes. The EPA is proposing that manufacturers be required to reduce solid particulate matter emissions by any wood burning stove from the current level of 7.5 grams per hour to 4.5 grams per hour by 2015, and further reductions to 1.3 grams per hour by 2019 (see Table 3).

Mar 03, 2014 | 7 comments | by

The European Union Re-examines the Clean Energy/Economic Growth Tradeoff — So Should the Media

The progressive media often promote specious opinions on environmental policy that are in direct opposition to the very evidence they use to support their criticisms. Case in point is an article in The New York Times by Stephen Castle. He writes that, “Europe seems to be hitting its environmental limits,” as high energy costs and declining industrial competitiveness have sparked fears of faltering economic growth among the senior administrators of the European Commission (EC), which is the Brussels-based executive arm of the European Union (EU). As a result, the EC is proposing to reduce its national targets for renewable energy production after the year 2020, to promote cleaner energy production and conserve fossil fuels. The EC is also reversing its push for new laws on environmental damage stemming from fracking, the extraction of shale gas by a controversial new drilling technology.

Feb 19, 2014 | 2 comments | by

Confusion Over How to Criticize Greenhouse Gas Emissions

When environmentalists get all concerned about the negative influence of human activity over climate patterns around the globe, they typically point an accusatory finger at those nations with the highest levels of aggregate greenhouse gas production. Because greenhouse gasses are a direct side effect of economic activity, the guilty countries are always those with the largest economies. For example, a recent Global Post news article by Sarah Wolfe notes that the four biggest aggregate emitters of greenhouse gasses per year are China (6 trillion tons), the U.S. (5.9), Russia (1.7) and India (1.3).

Feb 12, 2014 | 1 comment | by

Equality of Income and Largesse of American Rice

President Obama on several occasions has made critical statements that our capitalist economic system has so aggravated the degree of income inequality in America that this is now the “most pressing issue of our age.” The President has even warned Congress that if they are not willing to pursue remedies to this inequitable situation, he would use his Executive Powers to redistribute the flow of income in our economy.

This makes one wonder whether our federal government can produce a credible claim that it could equalize American income flows across families, especially when many current examples of public policy appear to benefit a privileged few at the expense of the general tax payer. A quick look at federal agricultural policy is quite revealing.

Feb 03, 2014 | Leave a Comment | by
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