Pressured by radical environmentalists and multi-billionaires like Tom Steyer who stand to profit, the Democratic Party has issued a new platform statement on climate and energy:
Moving beyond the “all of the above” energy approach in the 2012 platform, the 2016 platform draft re-frames the urgency of climate change as a central challenge of our time, already impacting American communities and calling for generating 50 percent clean electricity within the next ten years.
The Committee unanimously adopted a joint proposal from Sanders and Clinton representatives to commit to making America run entirely on clean energy by mid-century, and supporting the ambitious goals put forward by President Obama and the Paris climate agreement. Another joint proposal calling on the Department of Justice to investigate alleged corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companies who have reportedly misled shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change was also adopted by unanimous consent.
Ignore for a moment that last sentence, implicitly criminalizing courageous people who still believe it’s okay to think independently, at least about allegedly dangerous manmade global warming. (Thomas Jefferson, call your office!) Just think about what the first two sentences embrace: (1) generating 50 percent “clean electricity” within the next decade; (2) “making America run entirely on ‘clean energy’ by mid-century”; and (3) supporting the Paris climate treaty agreement.
By “clean electricity” the Dems mean essentially wind, solar, and geothermal, which as of 2015 provided, respectively, 4.7, 0.6, and 0.4 percent of all electricity in America—after billions of dollars of subsidies plus state mandates that have forced electricity prices to “skyrocket” (fulfilling Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s promise in 2008). In that same year, coal and natural gas each provided 33 percent, nuclear 20, and hydro 6. Yes, you’re right—nuclear and hydro should be considered “clean,” particularly when the main criterion, for climate-change alarmists, is carbon dioxide emissions, but the Greens don’t like them anyway.
So what the Dems want is to multiply wind, solar, and geothermal’s contribution to our electricity supply ten times from a combined 4.7 percent to 50 percent in the next decade and by over twenty times to 100 percent by 2050. And by that magical date of 2050 they also want to turn all the rest of our energy system Green, ending all use of fossil fuels for transportation and other uses as well as for electricity—never mind the fact that we’re light years away from designing batteries that can store enough power in small enough volume and little enough weight to power even a small private plane, let alone a passenger or cargo jet, or to drive a standard passenger car, let alone a large truck or a 200-car train, more than a few hours, and less with the air conditioner running.
