I am surprised to see that on July 31, the Missourian published a letter smearing The Heartland Institute as global warming “deniers” and spreading falsehoods about renewable energy costs.
The writer asserts it is cheaper to produce energy from wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass than from conventional sources. Such an assertion is downright laughable. Indeed, in states where renewable power is mandated, consumers pay 42 percent more for electricity than in states without such mandates (see http://www.cei.org/pdf/5982.pdf). If renewable power were cheaper to produce, then why does the government have to subsidize and mandate it to get people to produce and buy it?
Moreover, if presenting sound science rather than irresponsible alarmism makes someone a global warming “denier,” then count me in.
For example, when environmental extremists irresponsibly claimed the Gulf Stream was on the verge of shutting down, The Heartland Institute reported the truth (see http://heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20505 and http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/314/5802/1064a).
When environmental extremists irresponsibly claimed global warming was melting the glacier atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, The Heartland Institute reported the truth (see http://heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=14287 and http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/55553/page/1).
Now tell me again: Who is the reality “denier?”
James M. Taylor ([email protected]) is senior fellow for environment policy at The Heartland Institute.