10 thoughts on “Energy Policy”

  1. “Morons like Barbara Boxer are shown to be morons.”

    Wow, that’s no lie. Amazing stupidity.

    1. The Clarence Thomas confirmation circus (run by Joe Biden!) is being remembered in an HBO Special.

      Part of the reaction to the alleged sexism and workplace climate of Clarence Thomas heading the EEOC as described in the hearings was “We need more women as our representatives as men don’t ‘get it'” and proclamation of a “Year of the Woman.”

      Locally, here in the People’s Republic, this “movement” gave us a woman County Executive, Mayor, and Fire Chief. The County Executive was OK (for an ultra-liberal, but that is the norm in the People’s Republic) and lasted a number of terms after failing in campaigns for Attorney General and for Governor. The Mayor was amazingly pragmatic (i.e. Conservative but shh! don’t tell anyone) and didn’t last very long. The Mayor’s pragmatism manifested itself in not being amused by public pronouncements of the Fire Chief, who was of an underrepresented minority and orientation in addition to being a woman, and this contributed to the Mayor not serving long as Mayor.

      A similar dynamic was effected in California. Two woman senators were elected, one of whom I consider to be rather “pragmatic” if she would not consider herself in the least Conservative, and the other is a person who cannot be informed by a philosopher.

      Can you imagine Diane Feinstein behaving this way? I know many here have their “issues” with Senator Feinstein and guns and here retelling of placing her fingers in the bleeding wounds of her predecessor as Mayor (of San Francisco) in a futile attempt to save his life. Some have suggested Senator Feinstein is “connected” to alleged insider business dealings of her spouse (which one? I see on Wikipedia that she has as many spouses as Donald Trump).

      But Senator Feinstein has served honorably in the Senate on the Judiciary and Intelligence committees and appears to be one of the few voices of reason on matters of national defense and security. I ask myself, “Why is not Senator Feinstein running for President”, but then I am told she is too old (she is 82, but she looks much younger than any of the Democrats who are running).

      But you have two women Senators from California elected in a “wave” to elevate women to positions of authority, one of whom appears to be one of the few “adults” in the Senate and the other channeling a person of age 4 — what gives?

  2. A solid speaker.
    I would have interjected with “This philosopher is at least smart enough to know carbon isn’t carbon dioxide.” right at the end.

    1. Actually, I have issues with quantifying emissions in “tons CO2” rather than in tons of carbon.

      Because the two oxygen atoms add a lot of weight to the lighter, lone carbon atom, CO2 is more than 3 times heavier than the carbon it is constituted from, and tons CO2 sounds scarier. Tons of CO2 not emitted from some scheme sounds that much more virtuous.

      But scientists (yes, those scientists), quantify emission by the weight in carbon, not CO2, as a standard for comparing their data with others. I hate it when people through around “tons CO2” because it confuses the comparison to published numbers.

      1. My first problem is “tons”.
        My second problem is “weight”.
        Only my -third- problem is “carbon”.

        The “in club” shorthands aren’t conducive to cross-field discussions, and they regularly obfuscate the issue for laymen.

    1. The are or at least they will be. Natural gas is as low as I have seen it although electricity remains stubbornly high in price. Gas has become more affordable.

      As Mr. Epstein explains, energy powers everything and these developments will lead to prosperity — unless the political people put and end to them.

      1. As Milton Friedman said, “But the government in charge of the Sarah Desert and in 5 years you’ll have a shortage of sand.”

  4. Such a shame that the video cuts off just as Boxer tries (vainly, I’m guessing) to regain some semblance of dignity. I’d love to see her petulant condescension rebuffed (effortlessly, I’d guess again) by Mr. Epstein.

  5. As a philosopher he should have rejoined her with the easy rebuff; “In my higher education I chose not to overspecialize and instead to follow in the footsteps of the more established profession, so no Ms. Boxer I’m not a scientist.”

    Science is based on philosophy, but philosophy chooses not to restrict itself to only a single practice of the art. Is it no accident that a practicing scientist was once known as a Natural Philosopher.

    We could all benefit from knowing how to think. I greatly miss Mortimer Adler….

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