Posted on 01/27/2026 7:21:50 AM PST by MtnClimber
When it comes to using government coercion to force a multi-trillion dollar “net zero” energy transition upon the world, many things can go wrong. At this website I have focused on multiple potential calamities likely to flow from this effort: things like whether the proposed “renewable” wind and solar generators can actually work, whether they can produce sufficient electricity and at the right times, how much energy storage would be needed, the risk of blackouts, and how much all of this would inevitably cost.
My list of potential calamities is far from comprehensive. Here is a huge issue that I have barely touched upon: The threat to human freedom posed by the process of forcing this energy transition.
My friends at Net Zero Watch are now setting out to cure that omission. (Full disclosure: I am on the board of Net Zero Watch’s American affiliate, known as American Friends of the GWPF.).
Net Zero Watch has commissioned a series of reports on the subject of Net Zero and Human Freedom. On February 19 NZW will present an in-person event in New York City with the title “Net Zero & Freedom.” Here is a copy of the full flyer for the event:
The event is free and open to the public. (You do need to register in advance due to space limitations.). All MC readers are invited and welcome!
Andrew Montford is the Executive Director of NZW. Messrs. Baker and Constable are authors of two Reports published by NZW in December. Mr. Baker’s Report is titled, “Net Zero and the Threat to Human Liberty.” Here is a brief excerpt to whet your interest:
Lord Vallance’s call for a ‘transformation at every level of society’ epitomises the belief that only sweeping top-down direction can meet ambitious Net Zero targets. This vision of an all-encompassing revolution mirrors past experiments in central planning: it underestimates the knowledge problem, overlooks local variation, and substitutes bureaucratic diktats for organic development. It is founded on the fatal conceit behind every authoritarian revolution: the pretence of knowledge. . . . Proponents of these old, failed ideas often lean on alarmist rhetoric to justify intrusive mandates, forgetting that neither fearful appeals nor state coercion can sustainably overcome the dynamic facts of the world as it is or the reality of the human condition.
Professor Constable’s Report has the title “Powering Freedom: The Thermodynamic Roots of Modernity.” Here is a short excerpt from Professor Constable’s Report:
[E]nergy is far from being just one economic input amongst many. Energy is the key property of all economic inputs, and thus it determines the only thing that really matters in any economic system: namely the potential to change the world in order to satisfy human requirements: to make us free to maintain and protect our bodies and those of our offspring, to kill pathogens, to make us warmer or cooler, to move things or people here and there as we wish. In short, it enables us to broaden the human ecological niche and enhance our prosperity. But what is energy that it should be so indispensable, and what of the fuels from which we obtain it?
This promises to be an entertaining evening. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. I hope there will be a good turnout of MC readers. Since space is limited, don’t forget to RSVP.
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
I believe that the main goal of the global warming/climate change hoax is to maximize government power and to minimize personal liberty and freedom. Fortunately the hoax has suffered some harm, but it is not dead yet.
Net Zero , will they have Unicorns and Rainbows ? LOL
Really it’s ,”Net Zero And Slavery”
Net zero is like unicorns. Cute but, nope!
True.
“namely the potential to change the world in order to satisfy human requirements: to make us free to maintain and protect our bodies and those of our offspring, to kill pathogens, to make us warmer or cooler, to move things or people here and there as we wish. In short, it enables us to broaden the human ecological niche and enhance our prosperity. “
That’s exactly what they’re trying to prevent.
How many solar panels are working right now? Filling up any battery banks? Or, windmills encrusted with ice?
Don’t bother distracting about delivering the power. Ever since leccy was available storms would interfere with power lines.
No, this is a fundamental asinine, self-inflicted problem with generation. Weather is immaterial if you don’t generate. And, the only folks getting rid with “sustainable” crappola are the CCP — who make this garbage technology.
“how much energy storage would be needed, the risk of blackouts,”
I got rooftop solar last year and a heat pump. I’m in sunny California, but in the winter the solar doesn’t produce enough to run the house and the heat pump. I run an average deficit of about 19kwh a day, which the utility provides. In summer it produces a lot more than I use.
I did a quick calculation of how much battery storage I would need to store enough excess summer electricity to cover the winter needs if I were to go off grid.
It came to $1.6 million!!
Wow, $1.6 million. How long would it take to pay for itself?
Do you have enough battery storage for overnight in summer?
“Wow, $1.6 million. How long would it take to pay for itself?”
Like, NEVER!
You could take the 1.6mil put it in a money market at 4% and make 64k a year!
Buying the 19kwh a day from the utility for three months even at the California sky high price of 40 cents per, would come to roughly 8 dollars a day or $720 for the three months!
“Do you have enough battery storage for overnight in summer?”
Well.. yes in a way. It’s called Pacific Gas and Electric - our utility. It’s like an infinite battery.
I got in under the old net metering plan where for every excess kwh I produce and feed to the grid, the utility “banks” it for me and gives it back to me when I need it at no (or very little) charge.
So basically, the utility is giving me a $1.6 million battery for free, which means they (or more precisely, the people without solar and paying the exorbitant electricity rates) are getting royally screwed.
Last year though they did away with that net metering plan. Under the new one, for every excess kwh you feed to the grid you only get 3cents instead of 40cents.
So with this new plan, solar only makes sense if you also get enough battery to cover nights and outages, which means spending another $15k for batteries.
But those batteries will do very little to cover winter shortages.
How long will it take for your system to pay for itself at $.40 per kWh? Just basic time, not counting investment return you might have received on the cost.
I’m saving roughly $3k a year with solar. I paid 30k but I got 10k back from the tax credit.
So just adding that up it would take roughly 7 years to pay it off. And probably less since rates keep going up - they’ll be 50cents per kwh soon.
So under the old metering plan you could justify it, with the new plan it would take much, much longer, since you need to get batteries and the tax credit is gone.
What kind of net metering plan do they have where you live?
I have Duke Energy here in Florida. Their average rate now is 16.6 cents per kWh. They pay the going rate for excess solar power up to the amount of your bill. I don’t have solar. I have lived in this house for five years and had roof damage from two hurricanes so far. I think the homeowner’s insurance increase would be prohibitive. After first Hurricane Ian and then Hurricane Milton I put on a metal roof and my insurance rate went way up.
With those low rates and hurricanes, I wouldn’t even think of putting up solar on my roof.
Maybe a micro nuclear plant in my basement. 😊
Solar maybe not for NYC, but windmills is a winner! How? Line up every NY politician and ask the to give a short speech, there will be an endless supply of wind!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.