Just when you think there can’t possibly be more governmental insanity, the Department of Energy posts warnings of methane pollution due to “Pumpkins”.
While there may be a scientific basis for some concern about anthropogenic methane production; what with all the organic materials that are interred in our landfills; that pumpkins should be maligned as a major contributor of methane is another one of those theories that cannot be truly quantified. While we can laugh at this “Significant” news flash from the fall of 2015, in retrospect it gives us an insight into a governmental agency’s grasping efforts at control.
Then there is this Dust-up between Lamar Smith, R-Texas, Chairman of the Committee of Science, Space and Technology and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Changes made to data by the agency with no explanation show an increase in surface temperatures that does not comport with previously published temperature data. Foot dragging by the agency only intensifies the suspicion that the data change was done to help the administration’s Climate Change Agenda. This has forced the committee to issue a subpoena on Oct. 13 2015 to force compliance with committee requests for documents that explain agency actions. This shows a deliberate denial of the right of congressional oversight forcing a subpoena to be issued. House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith finally subpoenaed a June study and intra agency employee e-mails about the study in October, the committee began receiving documents and emails from NOAA officials on December 16, 2015
The EPA’s “Clean Power Plan” mandates a 32% reduction in emissions by existing power plants by 2030.
This will kill coal fired power generation as the rules are so stringent that existing technology can’t build a new generating station that can meet the emission standards, much less an existing plant. 24 states have filed a motion to hold the EPA’s new rules in abeyance until such time as a court can rule on the validity of the rules. 26 state attorney general associations and numerous business groups have also filed a brief seeking delay until the legal issues are settled. Reversal of this egregious act by the Trump administration brought some sanity into the regulation of power plants and was a welcome relief to electrical ratepayers. Sadly, the return of these rules by the Biden administration leads us back into the prospect of devastating electrical rates and possible brown/blackouts as electrical generation is turning to renewables, principally wind and solar that cannot reliably fulfill electrical demands.
This is government overreach on a scale not seen before. When you combine all the rules the Obama administration has promulgated and enacted without due process, the result is breath-taking in its scope.
Note: The current cabal orchestrated by AOC is pushing the same kind of fertilizer that was being conveyed during the Obama administration.
A mismanaged congress has to bear some of the blame just as the policy wonks that continually shovel more of this Climate Change manure. The fact that agencies can delay and act with disdain and belligerence to congressional requests for documents is outside the pale of law. A complicit DOJ makes the task of correction even harder.
Under the Trump administration, rule making has taken a sharp turn; for every new regulation the agency must retire two old regulations. Couple that with a congress that has shown a desire to rein in these small fiefdoms the agencies have become, progress is achievable.
Note: The Biden administration (aka Obama II) has gutted the majority of the moves made by the Trump administration and is strongly supporting the “New Green Deal” which will gut the American economy.
Walt Mow
You can find the previous installments of this series here, here, here and here.