{"id":315127,"date":"2024-03-30T14:06:26","date_gmt":"2024-03-30T13:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=315127"},"modified":"2024-03-30T14:06:30","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T13:06:30","slug":"evs-not-letters-to-the-editor-in-the-houston-chronicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=315127","title":{"rendered":"EVs Not: Letters to the Editor, in the Houston Chronicle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Bradley Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editorial pages of the Houston Chronicle, as well as news reports, did what they could to hype the \u201cenergy transition\u201d before, during, and after CERAWeek. Chronicle business editorialist, the conflicted Chris Tomlinson<\/a>, was particularly egregious in this regard. But just a bit of balance was achieved in the letters section, where an op-ed by Randall Morton, \u201cHouston is making a losing bet on fossil fuels (Opinion),\u201d (March 18), previously examined<\/a> at MasterResource, received three rebuttals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letters follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim Lloyd, Lakewood, Colo.<\/strong>: Randall Morton painted a very grim picture for the future economics of Houston because of a lower demand for fossil fuels. Morton failed to account for several issues related to the principles of supply and demand. He simply needs to drive in the congested traffic of every large city. Millions of fossil-fueled cars are stuck bumper to bumper. These cars have a practical lifetime well past 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The politically driven transition to electric vehicles will not be popular with drivers, many of whom will be willing to extend the life of their fossil-fueled cars to avoid buying an EV. Drivers like to occasionally drive long distances and do not like the anxiety of worrying about the life of an EV battery. The demand for fossil fuels will extend well into the future and the supply provided by the Houston economy will have to meet that demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is hardly any demand for EVs: just look at the auto dealers\u2019 inventory and the losses felt by EV manufacturers. In places such as California, supply is artificially high because of environmental mandates for EV sales. The other issue is the high demand for the materials needed to make the batteries, and the very limited supply of raw materials. Following supply and demand principles, the cost of batteries will skyrocket as material supplies don\u2019t meet demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these factors will make the future of fossil fuel economies, such as Houston\u2019s, flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Joel Mohrman, Houston<\/strong>: Randall Morton\u2019s op-ed urging Houston to abandon the fossil fuel industry and become a \u201cNew Energy Capital\u201d misleads the reader. Morton claims the end of the age of fossil fuels is near, but is very vague on what will replace them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He warns that Houston will end up like Detroit, seemingly unaware that Detroit did not fail because cars were no longer being bought. Detroit failed for many reasons, including because its government was awful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expense and lack of electric vehicle capability captures the problem of the green economy overall. Green power sources are more expensive and generally work less well than the systems they replace. Morton\u2019s claim that renewables are cheaper is another sleight of hand. The cited figures do not include the costs of overbuilding and having backup systems (usually gas turbines) to solve the intermittency problem of renewables. You can\u2019t run a modern economy only when the sun is out or when the wind blows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We would not need subsidies and billion-dollar government giveaways if green energy and EVs were cheaper and better. Simply because something is new does not mean it\u2019s better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in fact, these products aren\u2019t new. Windmills have powered production since the 7th century and electric cars have been tried and rejected since the beginning of the [20th] century. Given poor green economics, it\u2019s hard to understand green boosterism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps Upton Sinclair had the answer. He said, \u201cIt is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary is dependent on his not understanding it.\u201d Morton and other green apologists are not shooting straight with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Barbara Goodson, Kingwood<\/strong>: Regarding \u201cOil and gas,\u201d (March 19): Thumbs up to Raymond Martin for pointing out the obvious in his rebuttal letter to Randall Morton\u2019s op-ed. Kudos to the Chronicle for printing the facts. He points out that unless our society would like to return to the 1800s lifestyle, there is no current substitute on the market that can replace the continued need for petroleum products derived from oil and gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband still enjoys watching \u201cGunsmoke,\u201d but we don\u2019t want to live like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Comment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I used to be an op-ed contributor at the Houston Chronicle<\/em> [1]<\/strong> until the paper went from Left to Progressive Left. I no longer even try to submit articles but have gotten some letters published<\/a> (and other letters not published<\/a>.) I do my part, however, by exposing the conflict-of-interest of editorialist Chris Tomlinson, a fossil-fuel hater<\/a>, meat-hater<\/a>, and Republican hater. Every little bit counts \u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/strong> Some past editorials were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n