What follows is a political view from a person with lots of policy experience. He tells it the way he sees it.
Image cropped from DickMorris.com
Dick Morris is a former political strategist for President Bill Clinton, and a vocal critic of Hillary Clinton — no doubt with good reasons.
Morris not only has a good knowledge of history, but of policy practicality as well. In the video, he takes a pragmatic view at what is feasible when it come to energy in the United States.
Not worth throwing sovereignty overboard
First Morris comes out saying he thinks the jury is sill out on climate science, acknowledging that humans and natural factors play roles in driving climate change – view that is held by many of the so-called skeptics. He emphasizes that climate change is a serious problem, but not one that warrants throwing freedom and sovereignty overboard.
In the transportation sector, Morris believes that the internal combustion engine will eventually yield to other technologies, such as hydrogen fuelled engines.
Great progress through fracking
For manufacturing, Morris offers interesting statistics showing the great strides the US has made in reducing coal consumption for firing power plants, from over 55% some years ago to less than 40% today. He expects natural gas to surpass coal in the years ahead.
This progress is in large part due to the much greater supply and use of natural gas extracted from fracking. The technology has made a major contribution in cleaning up US energy production, no doubt. America has indeed made great strides in transforming its energy sector over the past two decades.
Renewable energy has only limited practicality
On renewable energy, Morris thinks that its use in the United States will be limited due to its impractical production and transmission. He scoffs at the idea of taking over the Danish model and imposing it on the United States.
He summarizes:
Renewable resources will be appropriate only for certain areas, very few areas, and with heavy subsidies so that it can compete with market prices — the subsidies too expensive, the areas too limited. And so the environmentalists are saying, ‘Well, if you can’t have perfection, then let’s not improve the current system, let’s not replace coal with natural gas. Let’s replace it with renewable resources that are not practical, are not available, not economical.’ So keep our eye on the ball: reducing carbon emissions where possible. But don’t destroy the whole American economy and make us non-competitive with global economies simply because of it. It is a major problem, but it is not only or even the only major problem we face.”
Dick Morris has put up a series of videos on energy policy, see here.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Morris has had a long career — some would say infamous.
Unlike some others that have been green-leaning and repented, I don’t think in his long political life he gave a thought to energy or the environment. I’ve no knowledge of this aspect — I think he was much involved with other things.
He is well known so I am happy to see this information.
Other than that, if one wants to read about his life before energy (note the date), here is a link:
http://www.larouchepub.com/pr/1996/morris_resigns.html
“hydrogen fuelled engines
One site says by the year 2027 the sales will equal about one month’s 2016 sales of Ford’s F-150 pickup.
There are a few. Honda has started to sell one called Clarity. Looks nice.
California had 16 stations early in 2016, with more than 40 expected by the end of the year. Re-fill time is reported as 5 minutes, much the same as gasoline. The Hydrogen stations are expensive, about $3 million each.
This is not likely to catch on in a big way, but maybe in 50 years when everything else fails.
If natural gas remains cheap then hydrogen fueled cars won’t be popular, nor in the current political circumstances are they likely to get the necessary subsidies in the USA (except in California).
Merry Christmas.
Morris is a right wing politician. He was giving really really terrible advice to Clinton and the damage is still visible in the democratic party today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Morris
What he says about renewables is simply false.
What he says about renewables is totally true.
They are nothing but a waste of money and resources, only suitable for niche application.
They require massive subsidies and feed-in rules to support them, and could never stand on their own feet on a level playing field. If you believe that could then I expect to see you campaigning for the removal of feed in mandates, subsidies, payments for non-supply etc etc
Also, arrange so that you ONLY use solar and wind.. no fossil fuel back-up of any sort (includes diesel generators)
But you won’t will you.
You will remain a baseless brain-washed hypocrite.
“What he says about renewables is totally true.
They are nothing but a waste of money and resources, only suitable for niche application.
They require massive subsidies and feed-in rules to support them, and could never stand on their own feet on a level playing field. ”
One day, you will have to accept the facts. India has just announced, that they will build no new coal plants beyond the ones that are being build or planned already.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-19/india's-plan-to-step-away-from-coal-casts-doubt-on-adani-mine/8131240
Your “niche2 is HUUUUUUUUUGE. all countries will move to about 1/3 renewables over the next decade. The new big users (China, India) are leading the way, not being dragged along. The developing world, often without working grids, will also move towards renewables fast.
And on islands, we will see more and more 100% projects popping up, which have a real shot at 100% for 100% of the time.
http://www.businessinsider.de/tesla-powers-tau-in-american-samoa-with-solar-powerpack-2016-11?r=US&IR=T
“One day, you will have to accept the facts.”
I have , it is you that is the DELUDED fool !!
And your islands.. As I said, NICHE projects, with outside funding. Thanks for backing up my argument.
And really ????? China is counting its Hydro..
Wind and solar are nothing but a tiny part of their mix.
Wherever gas and coal, or hydro are available, they are the ONLY logical power supply system once you get rid of the MORONIC, anti-science, ANTI-LIFE, anti-CO2 scam.
Wind and solar , once a level playing field is re-introduced, will die a natural death.
And please sop, even you should know better than to cite the ULTRA-left ABC. !!
Or do you consider even them to be “right-wing” ?
“all countries will move to about 1/3 renewables over the next decade”
1/3 of nameplate due to WASTED subsidies and massive market distortions through moronic government policies…… 4% of supply. !!
Sorry sop….
but OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY is going to dry up as governments wake up the REALITY of the unreliability and cost ineffectiveness of wind and solar.
EVERYONE looks like they are right-wing to you, sop.
There is a reason for that.
“He was giving really really terrible advice to Clinton…” – sod the confused
Yes, really terrible FOR AMERICA!
As it says in your link…
“…[Morris] helped Clinton recover from the 1994 midterm elections by advising the President to adopt more moderate policies.[7]”
Soooo, Morris is the one to blame for enabling Clinton to win a second term, thereby giving him the opportunity to screw America up even more than he could in a single term. Got it.
sod reads, but he/she/it does not understand.
It’s deja vu all over again!
Horvath’s hydrogen Fairlane.
“Brisbane’s City Plaza was buzzing as the revolutionary vehicle was unveiled on July 14, 1980.
It might have looked like any other 1974 Ford Fairlane, but Horvath insisted that under the green bonnet was a device which could turn water into hydrogen via a controlled, thermonuclear reaction.
Conventional wisdom was that you needed to surround such a reaction with tonnes of concrete shielding, but Horvath’s V8 emitted less radiation than a colour TV.
Or so he said.
Queensland Rail even selected a diesel-electric locomotive for conversion to hydrogen power and Horvath announced plans to convert the Howard coal-fired power station, near Maryborough.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/archive/news/horvaths-hydrogen-fairlane/news-story/24fddbda2900f1d0ac4b40083f858c2f
“Dick Morris is a former political strategist for President Bill Clinton, and a vocal critic of Hillary Clinton — no doubt with good reasons.
“Morris not only has a good knowledge of history, but of policy practicality as well. In the video, he takes a pragmatic view at what is feasible when it come to energy in the United States.”
Somehow it involves licking women’s feet, right?
Dick Morris is a smooth pure whore to sells his crappy ideas to whatever dumb politican will hear them.
Maybe you don’t know this is Germany, but in the US Dick Morris is a nobody, and, worse, a suckup clown whom nobody takes the least bit seriously.
“Dick Morris is a smooth pure whore to sells his crappy ideas….
“Dick Morris is a nobody, and, worse, a suckup clown whom nobody takes the least bit seriously. ”
So Dick Morris is pretty much exactly like you..
Is that what you are saying ?
“Take whatever position you want, but do take a position, because once you do, ample money awaits you on either side.”
– Dick Morris, espousing his morals
http://www.azquotes.com/author/21960-Dick_Morris