In the Energy Industry and Elsewhere, We’re Surrounded by BS
I get a real charge out of obviously disingenuous remarks. Yesterday we had Donald Trump’s thanking Vladimir Putin for expelling 755 members of the U.S. state department from Russia, on the basis that this will reduce the U.S. federal government’s payroll. Apparently, Trump is depending on his supporters’ ignorance (fancy that), i.e., that they can’t figure out that these emissaries have not been fired, and that they’re still receiving paychecks. He’s also talking to people who don’t understand that these people added a great deal of value to our national security.
Of course, a steady stream of BS emanates from the private sector as well. A spokesperson from San Diego Gas and Electric told a crowd at the Energy Storage North America show the other day how much his organization welcomes the changes that are coming to the power utilities. On the surface, that sounds vaguely credible; we all like to believe that the people in our midst are sincere. But think about this for a second:
• In recent years, the electrical consumption of the typical home in his county has fallen from 31,000 KWhrs/year to about 20,000, and it continues to dwindle, due to efficiency solutions, as well as behind-the-meter renewable energy and storage.
• There is significant attrition of both residential and commercial accounts due to rooftop solar, causing rates to rise for everyone else, in turn accelerating the exodus.
• Load-leveling, peak-shaving, and demand response have put an end to capital expenditures on peaker plant that can be billed back to rate-payers.
So, are you sure it’s a good time to be in the utility business?
Now, let’s turn to Ford and get them to explain how being in the “mobility business” (as opposed to the auto manufacturing business) is a good thing, and that they honestly don’t care if people want to own cars anymore. Ford’s revenues ($152 billion) could be derived from so many Uber/Lyft rides, I suppose. That would be 15.2 billion rides at $10 each. Good luck with that.
BS abounds.
Craig,
When it comes to advocating biased or disingenuous information, we are all guilty. (You are not immune !)
The President’s remark was not intended to be taken so literally, it was just a defiant response.
If you want to nitpick, you are also incorrect. It costs a lot more to keep a State Department official abroad than in the US, where the administration is reducing staff numbers.
So it would appear you are guilty of exactly what you criticize in others !
It’s also pretty arrogant of you to assume the President thinks his supporters are so stupid as to take him literally, and even more arrogant for you to assume that the President’s supporters are all stupid !
The deterioration in Russian/US relations couldn’t come at worse time. The action of Congress restricting the Presidents ability to negotiate has angered the Russians at a time when the US needs Russian pressure on North Korea. One of the few allies of North Korea is the Assad regime.
Russia’s disputes with it’s neighbors are historically complex and little understood in the West.
Russia has a growing role in European energy security. Contrary to popular Western media representation, Putin has no military or expansionist ambitions, his main concern is economic and modernizing the Russian economy.
The border disputes are a bitter legacy of the old Russian Empire and former USSR. Putin is dragged into these disputes largely by forces over which he has only marginal control and influence.
I’m baffled as to why you think sneering at the US President and his supporters, will help solve ancient boarder disputes in Eastern Europe ?
It’s an example of how your irrational hatred of the administration reduces the effectiveness of your message.
Why should anyone believe your far more observations interesting on the Energy Storage North America Show, when you dilute you credibility so greatly in your opening preface ?
I write what I believe. Having trolled me for seven years (for reasons I don’t understand) I think you get that.
Trump is the single worst thing that’s happened to the U.S. in its entire history. I stand by that, and it’s the one most important thing that anyone reading this, whoever they are, in whatever country in which they reside, need to understand.
When he’s gone, which should be soon, I’ll refocus on the next biggest obstacle to attaining a civilization of peace and sustainability.
Craig,
I’m sorry you think that any dissent or divergence, is trolling. I thought, like me, you appreciated a wide range of views and opinion.
Believe me it’s not my intention to discredit you, far from it. My distress is sincere when I see you sacrificing what is a valuable and persuasive voice, to indulge in an irrational and pointless vendetta.
You write:
“Trump is the single worst thing that’s happened to the U.S. in its entire history ” !
Oh,come on, you can’t possibly believe the election of President Trump is worse than say, Andrew Jackson in his heyday, the Civil War, the institution of slavery, destruction of native peoples etc.
How about the Presidential refusal to prevent the destruction of the Mormons in Missouri ? ( President Polk endorsed Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs, executive order declaring :
” Mormons must be treated as enemies, and be exterminated or driven from the State. Their property may be seized and the women have forfeited the protection of the law.” (the ‘order’ was only revoked in 1976).
Andrew Jackson didn’t just appoint the wrong judges to the US Supreme Court, he openly defied their rulings and relied upon his soldiers to threaten the court ! He boasted of defying the Constitution.
Or : –
US Presidential approval of numerous murderous coups and illegal seizure of land ? (Especially on behalf of the United Fruit company).
Even FDR’s approval of the horrific Morgenthau Plan, can only be excused as a man dying from physical ailment that altered his personality and mental capacity.
How about Grant’s anti-Semitic ‘General Order No. 11 ? Warren G Harding
What about Warren G Harding ? the list goes on and on.
In comparison, Trump is really moderate.
Craig, I’ve never doubted your sincerity or integrity, and I always believed that as an advocate, you shared my passion for accuracy and veracity.
How else can we encourage other to accept, adopt, and invest in new Clean(er) Technology, if we unnecessarily alienate folk with intolerant, inaccurate and just plain wrong political or ideological assertions.
You used to welcome debate and diversity of opinion. Now it seems you can’t bear to be corrected, or even modify you views when confronted with well documented evidence.
I’m truly sorry if you feel my sincere urging for you to desist from making these obsessive and wildly exaggerated assertions is “Trolling”.
You make some good points here about US history. I guess a lot depends on what happens from now until the point that Trump leaves office, via whatever means. If you were to predict the future based on the present, you would say that there will be continued histrionics abroad in a thinly-veiled attempt to distract Americans’ attention from the implosion of Trump’s presidency from internal pressures, i.e., criminal investigations, here at home. Will all this be unarguably the single most damaging thing that has happened to the US? Maybe not, but it certainly has that potential.
I should also clarify what I meant by suggesting that Trump is the single worst thing in our history. It’s more than Trump, the man, as president; it’s the entire phenomenon he represents. It’s the deterioration of our society into one of greatly amplified hatred of ethnic and religion minorities, a complete indifference for the suffering of the poor, the normalization of habitual, bare-faced lying (even in cases where the truth would have been fine), the end of policy based on peer-reviewed science, and the end of any valid claim that the US takes the moral high-ground in international affairs.
Anyone who approves of what’s happening here is a profoundly warped human being. Does making a statement like that alienate some people? Sure. Do I care? Not in the slightest.
Craig,
Thank you for your reply, and I can hear the despair and dismay in your sentiments.
At the risk of seeming impertinent, I think like many Americans you are witnessing the end of an American dream. Not THE American dream, just AN American dream or illusion.
The US is undergoing a vast transition. You can’t be part of the solution, if you’re part of the problem !
You can’t help the Situation by condemning anyone who doesn’t share your illusion as being ‘profoundly warped’ or ‘deplorable’.
If you don’t care, how are you different from those whom you condemn ?
The USA is undergoing an enormous transformation from “world Policeman” “World Banker” World Superpower”, to just one of a number of superpowers.
For the first time the US as the most advanced large economy, is facing the challenges of globalization when the US economy is at a disadvantage.
Also for the first time in nearly a century, the US and it’s President must face the reality of no longer striding the world like a colossus, but fighting with fierce economic rivals as the underdog.
The US nation is bitterly divided into different speed economies society. The US needs deep reform, not superficial 19th century solutions or wall papering over problems.
In addition, the US is confronting a real danger in North Korea, a situation that can’t get better. North Korean megalomania could cause the death of millions. (Kumbaya appeasement won’t work with these guys). Nothing Trump does, or says, maybe enough.
These are real problems. Donald Trump didn’t create these problems. The fire was already burning.
He may be an inadequate President in many ways, but whether Americans like it or not, he is the only President you’ve got. I fail to see how endless denigration and obsession with largely invented or inconsequential transgressions can help the the President deal with these far more important issues.
As I said in my previous post, my current tour of US coal and rust belt cities isn’t quite as depressing as I imagined.
Outside of the large cities, I’ve encountered a real spirit of pragmatic revival. In some coal towns there’s a real sense of hope.
I’ve seen surprisingly little of the redneck attitudes so sensationalized by the media. Mostly the folk I’ve encountered have been warm and friendly, Attitudes are surprisingly open to new ideas.
I’ve just visited a bar in Waynesburg PA. Got into an interesting discussion with some locals (miners) about the new technology announced by Mazda and Toyota to replace Diesel with high compression gasoline engines. (No spark plugs, 30% more efficient,long life and low consumption).
Surprisingly, there were no objection and even support for a hybrid version.
These guys were very sanguine about the future of their industry, and Trump supporters, although most thought him a bit of character and didn’t agree with all his utterances !
These guy’s were also unhappy with the unions, which they felt were to old and out of touch. Being good Americans they felt the best way to reform the union, was to vote out the old guard and get in new blood.
These guys were deeply patriotic and very concerned at the direction America and American society is heading. They feel neglected and forgotten is a nation where it seems only those in the big cities, employed in the new economy have their voices heard.
An older member of the group, and like me a veteran, sadly confessed he’d voted Democrat all his life, but got tired of being taken for granted and thought he’d give Trump a chance.
When I asked why, he replied Trump campaign in the Coal towns and rust belt. Trump listened and seemed to care. He was angry about Clinton. As he put it:
“If I going to be lied to, at least I want the politician to care what I think,Trump may be just another politician and a liar, but at least he wants to be liked. We know who he is. Obama and Clinton, they just treat us with contempt and don’t even bother to hide the lies. They pretend to be like us, but they really don’t know us and can’t be bothered to get to know us, they’re too buy telling us how we should be”.
I quickly recorded his words, as he seemed to sum up the general feeling.
Craig, these people are your fellow Americans. What struck me was how tolerant and well informed these people were about issues. Most of these folk seemed sad, not angry with Obama. They felt more neglected and despondent at their ever worsening economy.
Curiously, the didn’t blame Obama the way they hated Clinton, they just felt he’d “gotten to carried away with the Washington elite and fixing the rest of world, to pay attention to local problems.
That seems to be the case everywhere we’ve been, they liked Obama, thought he tried, but in the end felt he failed.
Bernie Saunders has no support, and is generally disliked.
Nor is support for Trump unconditional, as it is among older voters, and crazy religious right. While accepting Trump’s flaws, (these very flaws seem to make him more human, more understandable). These voters expect him to deliver.
The Americans ain’t the fold the fools media outlets portray them, no are they “deplorable”, or “warped”. They love their children and their nation.
They even care about the environment. In fact, they’re more flexible and tolerant than many of my highly educated colleagues.
On a personal note, I’m pleased my son is developing an interest in mixing with all classes of people as he gets older.
Craig, thank you for allowing me to share these experiences with you. I’m not an American, so maybe it’s easier for some Americans to talk to me. (I don’t have a dog in the fight).
I think it’s important to gain a greater perceptive, if you want to gain real understanding.