Policymakers in the United States are focused on a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewable energy</a> transition despite the geopolitical and economic risks that emerge from a lack of reliable and cheap <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> sources.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the supply chain bottlenecks that characterize the global economy following worldwide lockdown mandates have contributed to a rapid increase in worldwide energy prices. China has therefore <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-is-full-steam-ahead-with-new-coal-plants-as-the-west-goes-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> coal-fired power plant construction initiatives at six times the rate of every other nation combined, while Europe has reluctantly restarted operations at mothballed coal-fired plants amid the loss of fuel imports from Russia.
Members of the Biden administration, on the other hand, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-secretary-lays-out-the-only-way-to-avoid-high-gas-prices-and-its-not-producing-more-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that rising energy costs and supply shocks show that officials should accelerate a transition toward renewable sources. “The real truth is that as long as our nation remains overly reliant on oil and fossil fuels, we will feel these price shocks again,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said last year.
The phenomena have revealed a number of flaws with energy policy in Western nations, particularly the U.S., according to West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore.
“I think energy independence is of paramount concern. I&#8217;m sure the Europeans right now wish that they had that with their dependence on the Russians,” Moore told The Daily Wire. “In a country like Germany, now you&#8217;ve seen their utility rates go through the roof. They&#8217;ve put themselves in that position. We don&#8217;t want to be in that position.”
China has meanwhile surpassed both the European Union and the U.S. in terms of carbon emissions, according to <a href="https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the International Energy Agency. The largest share of new carbon emissions <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worldwide-carbon-emissions-reached-highest-level-in-history-even-as-western-countries-spent-billions-on-green-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arose</a> last year from the remainder of Asia, more than doubling the rise in emissions from the U.S. and canceling out emissions reductions in Europe.
Moore observed that aggressive renewable energy policies enacted in recent years by American lawmakers, including the $369 billion in climate funds approved by the Inflation Reduction Act last year, are incapable of neutralizing the higher emissions from the developing world. “Two-thirds of all the carbon emissions in the world are in Asia,” Moore said. “We are a raindrop in an ocean as it relates to this, so we&#8217;re chasing policy that is only at the end of the day hurting the average American citizen.”
Businesses in the U.S. have nevertheless struggled to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blackrock-executive-grilled-by-texas-lawmakers-over-esg-and-climate-agendas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access</a> capital for new projects related to fossil fuels, especially as investment banks and asset management companies adhere to the tenets of the environmental, social, and corporate governance movement, also known as ESG. Several financial institutions have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanguard-drops-out-of-climate-initiative-as-reaction-against-woke-investing-continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">committed</a> to initiatives under which executives vow to move portfolio companies toward eliminating net carbon emissions.
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Moore noted that West Virginia is at a mere 30% capacity with respect to natural gas production because there is insufficient pipeline infrastructure to export the material to global markets, even though the fuel burns cleaner than other fossil fuels. “We have an ocean of natural gas in West Virginia,” Moore said. “Everybody who loves Ukraine and wants to help and support the Europeans who were previously relying on Russian gas, we cannot export enough gas over to them because we cannot get the gas to ports.”
Beyond asserting that nations such as China are better equipped to mobilize their militaries and increase weapons manufacturing in the event of a global conflict due to their willingness to use fossil fuels, Moore noted that American energy policy has long overlooked the considerable “human flourishing” enabled by inexpensive and reliable power.
“Consistent and cheap energy is something that you obviously need. As it relates to energy in this country, we&#8217;re disarming ourselves unilaterally,” he commented. “All of this is just self-inflicted wounds that we have done to ourselves and tied our hands in our ability to be a net exporter and to support our allies. We are diminishing our own economic power and influence.”

Smoking Chimneys

‘Self-Inflicted Wounds’: The Dismal State Of American Energy Policy

The Dismal State Of American Energy Policy

Biden Administration

China

Climate Change

Coal

Energy

European Union

Oil and Gas

World

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a> approved the equivalent of two new large <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/coal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coal</a> plants each week last year even as the United States and other Western nations prioritized <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewable</a> energy.
As worldwide energy costs increase amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and persistent supply chain bottlenecks, Chinese authorities approved 106 gigawatts of new coal power projects in 2022, more than quadrupling the 23 gigawatts approved in 2021, according to an <a href="https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
“Coal power plant permitting, construction starts and new project announcements accelerated dramatically in China in 2022, with new permits reaching the highest level since 2015,” the clean energy organization said. “The coal power capacity starting construction in China was six times as large as that in all of the rest of the world combined.”
Developers in the United States have meanwhile transitioned away from coal: nearly one-quarter of the nation’s 201 gigawatts of coal power capacity is slated to be retired by 2029, according to <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54559#:~:text=As%20of%20September%202022%2C%20developers,fired%20capacity%20in%20the%20future." target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Energy Information Administration. Companies have not reported any future plans to construct new coal facilities as of September 2022.
The decline in coal power comes amid the increased prevalence of natural gas and incentives from the Biden administration to prioritize growth in the renewable energy sector. Some $369 billion in climate initiatives and subsidies were approved in the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-inflation-bill-raised-taxes-on-businesses-here-are-the-industries-that-will-suffer-the-most" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> into law last year to combat “the existential crisis of climate change.”
Other Western countries have likewise emphasized a transition toward renewable energy, a policy priority which has been tested by soaring power costs. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that low hydropower generation, which occurred as a result of low river capacity, is partially responsible for the heightened cost pressures across the continent, although she said the “effects of climate change” were to blame for the low water levels.
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Germany reverted last year to importing and burning coal as natural gas prices increased more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tenfold</a> compared to normal levels, which followed Russia decreasing natural gas exports to the European Union. Other countries such as France and Spain have asked or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandated</a> residents to reduce energy consumption; the United Kingdom greenlit expensive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boris-johnson-out-as-british-prime-minister-successor-vows-to-solve-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stimulus</a> measures to assist citizens with soaring electricity bills.
China was nevertheless responsible for 26.1% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions as of 2018, according to <a href="https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the International Energy Agency, surpassing the 13.4% of worldwide emissions produced by the United States and the 7.6% of worldwide emissions produced by members of the European Union. Skeptics of governments which encourage the renewable energy transition have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wall-street-journal-blasts-joe-biden-john-kerry-for-pushing-self-destructive-green-energy-policies-while-china-burns-more-coal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">observed</a> that higher emissions from China, as well as India and developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, are outpacing emissions declines in the West.
“Hundreds of brand-new coal power plants will make meeting China’s climate commitments more complicated and costly. The politically influential owners of the plants have an interest in protecting their assets and avoiding a rapid build-out of clean energy and a phase-out of coal,” the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air acknowledged. “The continued addition of new coal power capacity implies insufficient emphasis on overcoming the power system and power market constraints that perpetuate dependence on coal.”

China Orders Top Energy Firms to Secure Supplies at All Costs

China Is Full Steam Ahead With New Coal Plants As The West Goes Green

China Is Full Steam Ahead With New Coal Plants

A Kentucky coal miner featured in a viral Gameday video reflected on the role of fatherhood as he shared details about his family&#8217;s VIP treatment.
Michael McGuire, his wife and son were all invited for a VIP treatment at Rupp Arena after University of Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari spotted McGuire covered head to toe in coal sitting in the stands next to his son. The father had taken his kid to the annual Blue and White scrimmage in Pikeville a few weeks ago after getting off work.
At the time, Calipari noted that the image made him think of his own family roots and made a public VIP offer as he asked for help to find the man, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/basketball-coach-sees-familiar-site-of-coal-miner-and-son-in-stands-makes-public-vip-offer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. Last week, the coach came through for the family.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Michael McGuire and his family getting the VIP treatment tonight at Rupp Arena. McGuire is the coal miner who Coach Calipari spotted in the crowd at the Blue and White scrimmage in Pikeville a few weeks ago. <a href="https://twitter.com/WHAS11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHAS11</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xst1UiK4OU">pic.twitter.com/Xst1UiK4OU</a>
&mdash; Travis Breese (@tbreeseontv) <a href="https://twitter.com/tbreeseontv/status/1591240910376878080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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After the game, a reporter asked McGuire about being a &#8220;super dad&#8221; following the viral image and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOJwDaiPXLc&amp;t=271s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coal miner said</a> it was about being there for your kid.
&#8220;Just doing what I always do,&#8221; McGuire responded. &#8220;Pretty much part of it. I&#8217;ve shown up at countless Pee Wee baseball games like that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home.
From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son &amp; watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him &amp; his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!! <a href="https://t.co/a5BJXUnK2v">pic.twitter.com/a5BJXUnK2v</a>
&mdash; John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584557978631294978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McGuire&#8217;s wife, Mollie, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/viral-coal-miner-dad-vip-basketball-experience-fatherhoodc">called</a> the whole experience so touching after witnessing everyone&#8217;s kindness.
&#8220;That&#8217;s when it&#8217;s like, you know, we&#8217;re just a small Eastern Kentucky family,&#8221; Mollie shared. &#8220;Just to see how it&#8217;s touched everyone has been very touching for us and for Michael to see what it means just because he&#8217;s a good dad. And we reassure him that he&#8217;s appreciated all the time, but just all the kindness of everyone else has been very touching for us.&#8221;
In October, the Wildcats head coach of men&#8217;s basketball took to Twitter to share a photo of the young boy and a man covered in coal, which he said struck a chord with him harkening back to his family roots.
&#8220;My family&#8217;s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home,&#8221; Calipari tweeted to his 1.5 million followers. From what I&#8217;ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son &amp; watch our team. Don&#8217;t know who this is, but I have tickets for him &amp; his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’ve thought a lot today about my grandfather, who worked underground in the mine. I’ve also had the privilege to go underground with miners in KY and a comment stuck out to me: “We go down together and we come up together.” 
They work for each other. The ultimate teammates!!
&mdash; John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584606931225759745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;ve thought a lot today about my grandfather, who worked underground in the mine,&#8221; Calipari added in a follow-up tweet. &#8220;I&#8217;ve also had the privilege to go underground with miners in KY and a comment stuck out to me: &#8216;We go down together and we come up together.'&#8221;
&#8220;They work for each other,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The ultimate teammates!!&#8221;

Michael McGuire Kentucky Basketball-2

Coal Miner Featured In Viral Gameday Video Reflects On Fatherhood, VIP Treatment

College basketball

Fathers

General

Kentucky

Sports

U.S.

University of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> Head Coach John Calipari spotted a familiar sight at a recent game when he saw a coal miner and his son in the stands and made a public VIP offer to them.
The Wildcats head coach of men&#8217;s basketball took to <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584557978631294978?s=20&amp;t=-6LR7RgDtu3wUnZ26p91cA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> to share a photo of the young boy and a man covered in coal, which he said struck a chord with him harkening back to his family roots.
&#8220;My family&#8217;s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home,&#8221; Calipari tweeted to his 1.5 million followers Monday.
&#8220;From what I&#8217;ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son &amp; watch our team,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Don&#8217;t know who this is, but I have tickets for him &amp; his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home.
From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son &amp; watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him &amp; his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!! <a href="https://t.co/a5BJXUnK2v">pic.twitter.com/a5BJXUnK2v</a>
&mdash; John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584557978631294978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Kentucky coach <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584598084532961280?s=20&amp;t=-6LR7RgDtu3wUnZ26p91cA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later shared</a> that the family has been located as he thanked everyone for their &#8220;incredible response to this. No one rallies like the #BBN!&#8221;
&#8220;We are looking forward to hosting [mcguire_mollie9], her husband Michael and their family at a game soon!!&#8221; the coach tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you everyone for your incredible response to this. No one rallies like the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BBN</a>!
We are looking forward to hosting <a href="https://twitter.com/mcguire_mollie9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mcguire_mollie9</a>, her husband Michael and their family at a game soon!! <a href="https://t.co/2OpC5tkjag">https://t.co/2OpC5tkjag</a>
&mdash; John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584598084532961280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;ve thought a lot today about my grandfather, who worked underground in the mine,&#8221; Calipari added in a follow-up tweet. &#8220;I&#8217;ve also had the privilege to go underground with miners in KY and a comment stuck out to me: &#8216;We go down together and we come up together.’”
&#8220;They work for each other,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The ultimate teammates!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’ve thought a lot today about my grandfather, who worked underground in the mine. I’ve also had the privilege to go underground with miners in KY and a comment stuck out to me: “We go down together and we come up together.” 
They work for each other. The ultimate teammates!!
&mdash; John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584606931225759745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It is unclear exactly which game the photo came from, but it seems safe to assume it&#8217;s from the Blue-White Game on Saturday, October 22, at the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville, Kentucky. It was an intrasquad game where the White eked out a win against the Blue 70-67.
The proceeds from the game went toward fundraising efforts for Eastern Kentucky flood relief, as noted by <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article266746831.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KentuckySports.com</a>.
In an earlier <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584178327643832320?s=20&amp;t=-6LR7RgDtu3wUnZ26p91cA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, the coach made it clear he loves his job and is grateful for the fans who helped raise money for flood relief.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Work up very grateful this morning.
Grateful for this team.
Grateful for everyone I got to meet at the park yesterday who haven’t lost their spark or hope.
Grateful to the city of Pikeville.
Grateful to our fans who raised $160k for flood relief.
Grateful to be YOUR coach!! <a href="https://t.co/ryE4688AUZ">pic.twitter.com/ryE4688AUZ</a>
&mdash; John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/1584178327643832320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Work up very grateful this morning,&#8221; Calipari tweeted. &#8220;Grateful for this team. Grateful for everyone I got to meet at the park yesterday who haven&#8217;t lost their spark or hope.&#8221;
&#8220;Grateful to the city of Pikeville,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Grateful to our fans who raised $160k for flood relief. Grateful to be YOUR coach!!&#8221;

John Calipari-2

Basketball Coach Sees Familiar Sight Of Coal Miner And Son In Stands, Makes Public VIP Offer

Basketball

The last <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/coal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coal</a> power plant in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hawaii</a> ceased operations this week, meaning that the Aloha State is the first in the nation to execute a ban on the fossil fuel.
AES Corporation’s coal plant on the island of Oahu, which supplied one-fifth of residents’ electricity, closed on Thursday after 30 years of operation. Hawaii was also the first state to pass a requirement for a complete shift to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewable energy</a> before 2045.
“It really is about reducing greenhouse gases,” Governor David Ige (D-HI) said in an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-hawaii-david-ige-climate-and-environment-4bd398c024f1e5db2faad2dfb6510de0">interview</a> with the Associated Press. “And this coal facility is one of the largest emitters. Taking it offline means that we’ll stop the 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases that were emitted annually.”
The Hawaiian legislature passed a <a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2020/bills/SB2629_HD1_.htm">law</a> two years ago banning the use of coal by 2023 in the interest of promoting “a swift transition to a clean energy economy.” At $0.276 per kilowatt-hour, Hawaii currently has the nation’s most expensive electricity, according to <a href="https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/">data</a> from the Energy Information Administration.
State Senate Minority Leader Kurt Fevella (R) noted to the Associated Press that Hawaiian families are already “doing what is necessary” to cope with high prices. Yet AES Clean Energy President Leonardo Moreno told the outlet that “renewables are getting cheaper by the day.” He said he envisions “a future where energy is very, very cheap, abundant, and renewable.”
However, energy costs across the United States have increased precipitously over the past two years. The average price of electricity surged from $0.143 per kilowatt-hour in July 2021 to $0.160 per kilowatt-hour in July 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/averageenergyprices_selectedareas_table.htm">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Several states have meanwhile overhauled their energy infrastructures to promote renewable power. The California Air Resources Board <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-expected-to-ban-sale-of-new-gas-cars">issued rules</a> last week requiring 35% of new vehicles to produce zero emissions by 2026 — a standard that will rise to a 68% benchmark by 2030 and a 100% level by 2035. The legislatures of Massachusetts, Washington, and Virginia have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-more-states-follow-californias-ban-on-new-gas-cars">passed</a> laws enforcing the standards approved by the agency.
Charging an electric vehicle requires twice as much annual energy usage as powering a refrigerator, according to <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/fact-994-september-11-2017-electric-vehicle-charging-consumes-less-energy">data</a> from the Department of Energy. Indeed, power authorities in California <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-extends-warning-for-residents-to-avoid-charging-electric-vehicles-as-available-power-supplies-tighten">issued and extended</a> an alert requesting that residents “avoid” charging electric vehicles as “available power supplies” tighten during a heat wave.
The White House has also encouraged <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-secretary-lays-out-the-only-way-to-avoid-high-gas-prices-and-its-not-producing-more-oil">higher reliance</a> upon renewable sources as energy costs increase. The national average price of gasoline was $2.38 per gallon when President Joe Biden assumed office, according to <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&amp;s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&amp;f=W">data</a> from the Energy Information Administration, and increased to $3.53 per gallon by the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prices surpassed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June before subsiding to $3.83 per gallon as of Thursday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>.
California is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-plan-to-shut-down-last-nuclear-plant-would-carry-severe-consequences-democrat-senator-warns">slated to close</a> the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which is responsible for 8% of overall energy production and 17% of carbon-free energy in the Golden State. However, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-plan-to-shut-down-last-nuclear-plant-would-carry-severe-consequences-democrat-senator-warns">warned lawmakers</a> that the electric grid is not capable of handling the loss of the state’s last nuclear facility.
“California has some of the most ambitious clean energy mandates in the world,” Feinstein wrote in a letter to Democrat State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Democrat State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. “However, despite massive investments and commitment, development of non-emitting renewable energy resources like wind, solar, and geothermal are not projected to be installed in time to meet California’s energy demand without power from Diablo Canyon.”

Coal yard

State Becomes First To Shut Down All Its Coal Power Plants

Hawaii Closes Down Its Last Coal Power Plant

Hawaii

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> energy authorities are burning more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/coal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coal</a> as severe droughts affect the nation’s ability to generate <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> through hydroelectric dams.
The Yangtze River, which runs through much of the country and enters the East China Sea near Shanghai, has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/23/economy/china-coal-reliance-heat-wave-intl-hnk/index.html">dried up</a> in parts amid the worst drought in six decades and has caused supply chain disruptions.
As hydroelectricity production fell 50% in the province of Sichuan, which provides 21% of China’s hydropower, Sichuan Coal Industry Group more than <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/23/economy/china-coal-reliance-heat-wave-intl-hnk/index.html">doubled</a> its coal production to nearly 15,000 metric tons per day, according to government-run news outlet <a href="https://sichuan.scol.com.cn/ggxw/202208/58592612.html">Sichuan Daily</a>.
Meanwhile, China has directed factories in Sichuan — a critical manufacturing region in which many Tesla suppliers operate — to <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/08/22/sichuan-china-heat-wave-tesla-supply-chain-disruption/">operate without power</a> until August 25. The American automaker is still recovering from a two-month lockdown in Shanghai that ground activity in the city of 26 million to a halt earlier this year.
Indeed, global supply chains are still grappling with the effects of lockdowns in Asian manufacturing economies that began in the spring of 2020. Low availability of consumer and industrial goods, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-52-billion-semiconductor-bill-in-latest-push-to-fight-inflation">semiconductors</a> and computer chips, have since contributed to worldwide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-inflation-is-worse-everywhere-but-here-thats-not-even-close-to-true">inflationary pressures</a>.
Hydropower provided 18% of electricity resources in China in 2018, according to data from <a href="https://chineseclimatepolicy.energypolicy.columbia.edu/en/hydropower#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20hydropower%20accounted%20for,installed%20capacity%20of%2022.5%20GW.">Columbia University</a>. The Yangtze River is home to the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric power facility in the world, while the Chinese government’s most recent Five-Year Plans have prioritized the development of more hydroelectricity resources.
The Chinese energy crisis occurs as the nation’s economy grapples with a collapse in the real estate market. Developers are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-real-estate-collapse-throws-economy-into-crisis">defaulting on obligations</a> as Chinese homebuyers, who often pay mortgages before builders finish their homes, are forced to take losses. Over half of household wealth in China is reportedly attributable to real estate.
In June, the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/publication/china-economic-update-june-2022#:~:text=China%27s%20economy%20is%20projected%20to,the%20December%20China%20Economic%20Update.">World Bank</a> predicted that the Chinese economy will grow 4.3% in 2022 — a 0.8% downward revision from December estimates. “In the short term, China faces the dual challenge of balancing COVID-19 mitigation with supporting economic growth,” the international financial organization explained. “The government has stepped up macroeconomic policy easing with large public spending, tax rebates, policy rate cuts, and a more dovish stance on the property sector.”
Other developed economies are facing crises such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resultant disruptions in energy supplies. Germany is experiencing elevated natural gas costs and recently unveiled a winter surcharge of 2.4 euro cents per kilowatt hour, according to state-funded news outlet <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-sets-winter-gas-levy-amid-warnings-of-its-impact/a-62806667">Deutsche Welle</a>, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowing that the nation’s government is “working on a further relief package” and “will leave nobody alone with these increased costs.”
Germany, however, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-poised-to-shut-down-last-nuclear-plants-despite-gas-shortage-ahead-of-winter-months">poised to shutter</a> its three remaining nuclear power plants at the end of the year, as economy minister Robert Habeck said that reversing the planned shutdown would constitute the “wrong decision” given “how little we would save,” as the facilities would only account for 2% of gas use. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel greenlit the gradual closure of the nation’s nuclear plants following the 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan.
The average price of gasoline in the United States was $2.38 per gallon when President Joe Biden assumed office, according to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&amp;s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&amp;f=W">Energy Information Administration</a>, and increased to $3.53 per gallon by the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prices surpassed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June before subsiding to $3.89 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>.

Air Pollution from Chinese factory chimney

China Burns More Coal As Drought Cripples Hydropower System

China Burns More Coal As Drought Slows Hydropower Production, Closes Factories

Economy

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/coal">Coal</a> industry leaders blasted Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a> (D-WV) for his agreement with Democratic leadership on a climate and tax-focused reconciliation bill that they say would &#8220;severely threaten&#8221; the industry.
In a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/wvmetro-uploads-prod/2022/08/Consolidated-Opposition-Manchin-Schumer-FINAL.pdf">statement</a> Wednesday, America&#8217;s State Coal Associations, a group of eight state trade organizations in the coal industry, blistered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/manchin-stands-by-democrats-tax-and-spend-plan-nothing-inflammatory-in-that-piece-of-legislation">Manchin</a> for endorsing the so-called &#8220;Inflation Reduction Act.&#8221; The group said that Manchin&#8217;s support for the package, which has been lauded by the Biden administration and praised by climate activists like Biden&#8217;s climate czar John Kerry, leads the coal industry to question the &#8220;motivation and sincerity&#8221; of Manchin&#8217;s interest in protecting fossil fuels.
&#8220;The more you read and digest the provisions found in over 700+ pages of legislative digest, the more it becomes abundantly clear this legislation will serve to severely threaten American coal and the $261 Billion of annual revenues that it produces for the nation&#8217;s overall economy and attendant 381,000 American jobs,&#8221; the coal associations wrote.
&#8220;This legislation is so egregious, it leaves those of us that call Senator Manchin a friend, shocked and disheartened. Senator Manchin has seemingly fought against numerous climate measures advanced over the past year by the national democratic establishment insisting that America’s Coal assets be protected and allowed to continue to operate as carbon reduction strategies are developed and proven to be effective within reasonable cost and performance parameters. The current Schumer-Manchin draft agreement on climate and energy frankly leaves us questioning the motivation and sincerity of Manchin&#8217;s previous stance and his repeated chant: we must &#8216;Innovate not eliminate.’”
The group went on to blast the bill itself, pointing out that it was praised by President Joe Biden, who called it &#8220;the most significant legislation in history to tackle the climate crisis&#8221; in <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/07/28/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022/">remarks</a> last week. The statement also pointed out that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have &#8220;signed off&#8221; on the bill, &#8220;which alone speaks volumes to the extreme and deadly scenario it brings to our nation’s coal industry.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/8222-4">Pelosi</a> endorsed the bill in a letter to Senate leadership Tuesday; <a href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-sanders-calls-on-senate-to-improve-the-inflation-reduction-act-and-address-the-needs-of-the-american-people/">Sanders</a>, meanwhile, gave a floor speech outlining what he thought were the merits and shortcomings of the plan, and suggested amendments to be added when the Senate takes it up for consideration.
The group also points out several specific provisions that will hurt coal production.
&#8220;By turbocharging the lofty incentives that already extend to renewable energy, our nation’s &#8230; coal electric generation assets will continue to be devalued and thrust into rapid decline as will the thousands of miners, plant workers and the 371,000 American families who household incomes depend on these jobs,&#8221; the group said. &#8220;The Schumer-Manchin bill doubles the current tax on coal and subjects mining companies to the highest tax of any other American business effectively costing mining companies tens of millions of dollars in new taxes and adding to the complexities of keeping state fuel and household energy costs stable and competitive. More disturbing, the Schumer-Manchin proposal provides President Biden&#8217;s EPA with the clear and unbridled ability and expanded budget to regulate greenhouse gases and state coal assets however they deem appropriate or in the most punitive manner possible.&#8221;
&#8220;It is incomprehensible why any miner would support the Manchin-Schumer legislation which will not only put an immediate stop to the investment and financing behind our states coal and electric generating assets but forever foreclose on America&#8217;s coal industry!&#8221; the group concluded.

West Virginia’s coal country

Coal Industry Leaders Blast Manchin For Supporting A Bill That Threatens To Kill Industry

Democratic Party

Joe Manchin

spending

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, signed off on a proposed settlement Wednesday with an energy company to cease coal use by 2025, <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2022/04/20/ag-nessel-consumers-energy-reach-settlement-to-end-use-of-coal-in-michigan">according</a> to a government-issued press release.
The decision comes 15 years earlier than the original plans. Michigan&#8217;s agreement with Consumers Energy Company — which says it delivers electricity and natural gas to 6.6 million of the 10 million residents in Michigan — must now be approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission.
&#8220;Not only is this settlement a win for our environment, it’s also a win for Michigan ratepayers who have struggled to stay current on their bills,” Nessel said in a statement. “This agreement was truly a collaborative effort from all involved parties and a symbol of what we can achieve when stakeholders work together to create positive change.&#8221;
Last June, Consumers Energy filed a <a href="https://www.consumersenergy.com/-/media/CE/Documents/company/IRP-2021.ashx">resource</a> plan that proposed shuttering coal plants across the state. The idea is to move toward solar energy usage by 2040, building roughly 8,000 megawatts, to have &#8220;clean energy&#8221; resources comprise 90% of electricity. Coal generated the third most electricity in Michigan in 2020, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=MI">according</a> to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
State Rep. Joe Bellino, a Republican, told The Daily Wire that he is &#8220;worried about the state having enough energy.&#8221;
&#8220;I hope the attorney general&#8217;s got the numbers down to keep the power running,&#8221; he said in a Friday interview. &#8220;That&#8217;s all I hope. … We&#8217;re in a peninsula. We can&#8217;t get energy from the east, west, or the north.&#8221;
Nessel&#8217;s office declined to offer further comment to The Daily Wire on the proposed settlement — pointing to the attorney general&#8217;s comments in the press release.
The proposed settlement includes a provision for Consumers Energy to donate $5 million this year to a fund for low-income utility ratepayers, &#8220;with the potential for $33 million in total assistance in additional $2 million increments over a 14-year period.&#8221; This portion was negotiated by The Citizens Utility Board of Michigan, which seeks to make utility costs cheaper for state residents.
Nessel&#8217;s move comes as consumers deal with the highest level of inflation statewide since November of 1981, according to <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/michigan-inflation-expectations#:~:text=Michigan%20Inflation%20Expectations%20in%20the,United%20States%20Michigan%20Inflation%20Expectations.">data</a> from the University of Michigan. Inflation reached 5.4% in April, compared to 4.9% in January and 4.7% in July 2021.
Democrats have continued to target the fossil fuel sector, with U.S. Special Presidential Evoy for Climate John Kerry issuing a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-21/u-s-climate-envoy-kerry-pushes-time-limit-on-new-gas-projects">warning</a> to the domestic natural gas industry on Thursday.
Kerry, who was secretary of state under former President Barack Obama, said natural gas producers should have to prove they are using carbon capture technology to reduce emissions, and, if not, abandon their procedures.
&#8220;We have to put the industry on notice: You’ve got six years, eight years, no more than 10 years or so, within which you’ve got to come up with a means by which you’re going to capture, and if you’re not capturing, then we have to deploy alternative sources of energy,&#8221; he said.
Consumers Energy Company did not respond to a Daily Wire request for comment.

Power plant

Michigan Democrat AG, Major Energy Company Agree To End Coal Use By 2025

Inflation

Michigan

Solar Power

The Chinese Communist Party has announced that it will begin increasing domestic coal production while reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. The news comes despite President Joe Biden&#8217;s climate czar, John Kerry, repeatedly begging China for the past year to join their comrades in the U.S. government in the fight against climate change and for the green energy revolution.
On Monday, Bloomberg News <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-14/china-seeks-to-cut-coal-import-reliance-with-mining-boom">reported</a> that China is looking to add to its record-setting year in 2021 in terms of coal production, by increasing production capacity by hundreds of millions of tons:
<blockquote>The National Development and Reform Commission, the nation’s top economic planner, told officials from major mining regions at a meeting late last week that it wants to boost domestic production capacity by about 300 million tons, according to people familiar with the matter. It also plans to build a 620 million-ton stockpile of the fuel split between government, miners and users.</blockquote>
The business media outlet also added that &#8220;daily output should average 12.6 million tons, according to the NDRC, which is even higher than the record-breaking levels reached in the fall after shortages caused widespread industrial brownouts.&#8221;
As Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-14/china-seeks-to-cut-coal-import-reliance-with-mining-boom">pointed out</a>, the move is not a good sign for Americans hoping that the CCP would slow down their effort for energy independence in the name of green energy:
<blockquote>It’s hard to overstate the importance to China of coal, the most-polluting fossil fuel. The nation produces and consumes more than half of global supply, and it’s the biggest contributor to its world-leading greenhouse gas emissions. China has said that coal consumption should begin to fall off in the second half of this decade as it strives to peak emissions across the economy by 2030.</blockquote>
One of those Americans is the former Secretary of State Kerry. 
The husband of the heiress to the Heinz Ketchup fortune is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-much-are-taxpayers-paying-climate-czar-john-kerry-he-wont-say-but-one-gop-senator-is-demanding-answers">paid a non-public, taxpayer-funded salary</a> — as U.S. Special Presidential Envoy on Climate — to fly around the world in a gas-guzzling jet to sit down with world leaders and convince them of impending doom from climate change and the urgent need to take action.
In September 2021, Kerry flew to China to discuss potential deals regarding the climate. The meetings reportedly did not go so well.
Voice of America <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_us-politics_us-climate-envoy-kerry-gets-cold-shoulder-china/6219223.html">reported</a> that Anders Corr, a longtime China observer and publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, stated that &#8220;the Taliban got a better reception&#8221; from the CCP, in reference to a delegation from the Islamic extremist group that met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing last summer.
Likewise, the CCP refused to even meet with Kerry in person and sent a low-level staffer to conduct the talks, something that Corr noted was not a sign the Chinese were taking Kerry seriously:
<blockquote>Senior officials, including Wang, Vice Premier Han Zheng and Yang Jiechi, the state councilor in charge of foreign affairs, met with Kerry only by video conference while a relatively junior climate negotiator was dispatched to Tianjin for face-to-face talks.
The treatment amounted to “a diplomatic snub,” Corr said, comparing it to widely circulated photographs of Taliban political commission leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar meeting in person with Wang just weeks before. “Not to mention the drab photo backdrop, video calls from principals, and public lecturing [by the Chinese side].”
The whole affair is a “joke” at the U.S.’ expense, Corr said, adding the Chinese Communist Party “is laughing its [expletive] off. You can quote me on that.”</blockquote>
At the time, Kerry was even willing to ignore China&#8217;s egregious human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other members of their country. Kerry downplayed those issues, saying the two countries had to work together for the sake of the world. 
&#8220;Yes we have issues, a number of different issues, but first and foremost, this planet must be protected,&#8221; Kerry <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/john-kerry-justifies-climate-change-urgency-over-human-rights-abuses-in-china-life-full-of-tough-choices">said</a> after being asked about the problem.
Yet with China&#8217;s increased coal production would say that — for the CCP — first and foremost, their energy independence must be protected. 
That is very different from the message coming out of Kerry&#8217;s mouth and his pals in the White House. 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meads-joe-bidens-energy-policy-is-the-embodiment-of-america-last">noted</a> last week, the Democrats in charge are seeking a green energy utopia that will never come while hurting the American worker, family, and motorist with high energy prices for the foreseeable future. At the same time, they are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-would-have-never-happened-to-donald-trump-trevor-noah-slams-embarrassing-report-gulf-countries-wont-answer-joe-bidens-calls">reportedly</a> calling foreign leaders for more oil.
As if that weren&#8217;t pathetic enough, China&#8217;s increased coal production is only the latest sign is that the Democrats are pushing a pipe dream onto the American people and hurting our world-standing in the process.
The views expressed in this piece are the author&#8217;s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden Holds Iowa Campaign Events

In Devastating Blow To John Kerry’s Green Energy Utopia, China To Start Increasing Coal Production

Chinese Communist Party

John Kerry

Citigroup and other firms attempted to launch a fund that would purchase coal mines and close them by 2040, according to The Wall Street Journal; however, the project was allegedly abandoned upon several rejections from investors.
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/investors-balk-at-plan-to-buy-coal-mines-and-close-them-11639829583?mod=hp_lead_pos5">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported:
<blockquote>The bank teamed up with commodities trader Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd. and Resource Capital Funds, a private-equity firm, to pitch an investment vehicle earlier this year known as Coal to Zero. The fund planned to buy mines in the U.S., Australia and South Africa and run them with the promise of shutting them down by 2040, according to people familiar with the matter and a marketing document seen by The Wall Street Journal.
The fund was trying to solve a thorny problem in the green-energy world. Some energy and mining companies have divested coal assets under the pretense of cutting carbon emissions or appeasing shareholders, only to sell them on to owners happy to run them indefinitely. The fixed end date was a compromise.</blockquote>
In addition to the early shutdown plan, the fund would have kept 75% of its coal in the ground. The Wall Street Journal adds that investors were reportedly uneasy with the project:
<blockquote>Some pension funds and other potential investors balked at the investment vehicle because they didn’t want to face criticism for investing in fossil-fuel projects despite the fund’s goal of accelerating the retirement of coal mines, according to some of the people familiar with the matter. The group’s failure to bring financial backers on board demonstrates how taboo thermal coal has become in the investment world.
Another challenge stemmed from fast-moving changes of direction from governments about the future of coal in the energy mix, some of the people said. Germany’s new government, for example, recently said it aims to bring forward the country’s target for shutting coal power plants to 2030 from 2038. This made it difficult to finalize retirement dates for mines and set the fund’s financial objectives.</blockquote>
Indeed, the White House’s emphasis on clean energy projects — and its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-recommends-tighter-constraints-on-new-oil-and-gas-drilling-amid-energy-crisis">attempts</a> to stem nonrenewable energy production — has led American investment banks to grow hesitant over coal projects. In a recent <a href="https://www.wvtreasury.com/Portals/wvtreasury/Fossil%20Fuel%20Banking%20Letter%20Nov%2022.pdf">letter</a>, the financial officers of 16 Republican states <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/un-american-republican-state-financial-officers-call-for-banks-to-stop-catering-to-bidens-coal-and-oil-policies">announced</a> that they would “be taking collective action in response to the ongoing and growing economic boycott of traditional energy production industries by U.S. financial institutions.”
“As the Obama Administration’s War on Coal demonstrated, reckless attacks on law-abiding energy companies cut off paychecks for workers and take food off the tables of hard-working families,” said the officials. “The Biden Administration has resumed these attacks by attempting to ban energy exploration on public lands and reportedly pressuring U.S. banks and financial institutions to limit, encumber, or outright refuse financing for traditional energy production companies.”
“We have a compelling government interest, when acting as participants in the financial services market on behalf of our respective states, to select financial institutions that are not engaged in tactics to harm the very people whose money they are handling,” the letter continued. “Further, we have the responsibility, as fiduciaries and stewards of more than $600 billion, to ensure that our financial service providers are free from harmful conflicts of interest that could jeopardize state funds.”
“Any financial institution that has adopted policies aimed at diminishing a large portion of our states’ revenue has a major conflict of interest against holding, maintaining, or managing those funds.”

Coal Mining Jobs Drop 15 Percent In Eastern Kentucky In First Half Of 2019

A Plan To Buy Coal Mines And Close Them Down Got Rejected By Investors: Report

Led by West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore, 16 Republican state financial officers have banded together to fight bank boycotts against the oil and coal industry. 
“I’m proud to continue to stand with my colleagues against these attacks on our states’ coal, oil and natural gas industries,” Moore <a href="https://www.wvtreasury.com/About-The-Office/Press-Releases/ID/394/WV-Treasurer-Moore-Leads-15-State-Coalition-to-Push-Back-Against-Bank-Boycotts-of-Traditional-Energy-Industries">said</a>. “These industries – which are engaged in perfectly legal activities – provide jobs, paychecks and benefits to thousands of hard-working families in our states and we will not stand idly by and allow our peoples’ livelihoods to be destroyed to advance a radical social agenda.”
In a <a href="https://www.wvtreasury.com/Portals/wvtreasury/Fossil%20Fuel%20Banking%20Letter%20Nov%2022.pdf">letter</a> to U.S. banking institutions, the financial officers announced that they would “be taking collective action in response to the ongoing and growing economic boycott of traditional energy production industries by U.S. financial institutions.”
The goal of the action would be to “protect our states’ economies, jobs, and energy independence from these unwarranted attacks on our critical industries.”
Fourteen Republican state treasurers signed on, including the treasures of Arizona, Arkansas, and Alabama. The Republican comptroller of Texas and Utah state auditor also signed on to the letter. 
The letter specifically called out the Biden administration’s efforts to move toward the end of the coal and oil industries. 
“The Biden Administration has resumed these attacks by attempting to ban energy exploration on public lands and reportedly pressuring U.S. banks and financial institutions to limit, encumber, or outright refuse financing for traditional energy production companies,” the financial officers wrote. 
They also cited Biden’s plan to stop financing traditional energy projects internationally. The Republicans argued that this move aided “Chinese interests” and led the U.S to be dependent on other countries for energy. 
The letter continues, “For the reasons stated above, we will each take concrete steps within our respective authority to select financial institutions that support a free market and are not engaged in harmful fossil fuel industry boycotts for our states’ financial services contracts.”
One step mentioned was that certain states will make sure that banks they are working with will not be boycotting the oil and gas industry. 
In a press release announcing the coalition, Moore pinned much of the blame for banking’s aversions to the oil and gas industry on “woke capitalists” and “globalist actors.” 
“Woke capitalists and globalist actors have been using the guise of climate change to press for anti-American reforms that reduce our country’s competitiveness against hostile nations like Russia and China,” he said. “As a result, in less than a year our country has gone from energy independence to having a President who is begging OPEC and Russia to pump more oil.”
He noted that attacks on the traditional energy industry were “misguided” and “un-American.” 
Moore told National Review that another reason he was forming the coalition was to protect the jobs of West Virginians. 
“They sold us on globalization and now the only businesses in our small towns are Wal Marts. Now they want to eliminate one of the only remaining industries that gives West Virginians a good living,” he <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/fifteen-states-threaten-to-cut-off-banks-that-refuse-to-service-coal-oil-industries/">said</a>. 
Biden’s nominee for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Saule Omarova, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/key-biden-nominee-on-oil-companies-we-want-them-to-go-bankrupt-if-we-want-to-tackle-climate-change">stated</a> that she wants the oil and gas industries to go bankrupt. 
“Here what I’m thinking about is primarily coal industry and oil and gas industry. A lot of the smaller players in that industry are going to probably go bankrupt in short order, at least we want them to go bankrupt if we want to tackle climate change,” Omarova said in a video clip, publicized by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF).

‘Un-American’: Republican State Financial Officers Call For Banks To Stop Catering To Biden’s Coal and Oil Policies

Saule Omarova

The New York Times isn&#8217;t the only outlet claiming white people with soot on their faces are actually portraying &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42778/new-york-times-thinks-mary-poppins-commits-amanda-prestigiacomo">blackface</a>.&#8221; For the Times, it was Mary Poppins and the chimney sweepers.
For an opinion writer for the Arizona Central, part of USA Today, it was <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2019/01/28/downtown-phoenix-photo-men-soot-blackface/2683881002/">a photo of blue-collar workers having a drink after work</a>.
Opinion contributor Rashaad Thomas says he was in Phoenix recently at a holiday party. The restaurant he was in had photographs on the wall, as many do, but one in particular stood out to him. This photo showed a group of seven or so coal miners, covered head to toe in soot, their faces blackened to varying degrees, drinking beer at a pub. The photo also shows one man who doesn&#8217;t appear to be covered in soot and an unhappy woman.
Thomas&#8217; friends told him, &#8220;It&#8217;s coal miners at a pub after work.&#8221; He &#8220;asked a Latinx and white woman for their opinion.&#8221; The two said the photo appeared to be of coal workers having a drink after work.
This didn&#8217;t sit well with Thomas, who asked to speak to a manager.
&#8220;Instead, I spoke with a white restaurant owner. I explained to him why the photograph was offensive. Evidently, someone else had made a similar comment about the photograph before,&#8221; Thomas wrote.
This owner apparently told Thomas he would speak to other restaurant owners about the photo. Thomas asked him, while leaving, if he had done so yet. No, he had not immediately rushed to phone other restaurant owners during the holiday season about a complaint over an old photo of coal miners.
Thomas was incensed, and took to the Internet with his opinion, asking: &#8220;Who determines what&#8217;s offensive?&#8221;
He writes that the photo is offensive to him and reminded him of the movie &#8220;Birth of a Nation.&#8221; But since everyone else just sees soot-covered coal workers &#8212; including that &#8220;white owner,&#8221; it apparently wasn&#8217;t offensive. Then Thomas includes this pivotal line:
&#8220;Fact: The photograph shows coal miners&#8217; faces covered in soot. The context of the photograph is not the issue.&#8221;
But the context of the photo is the issue. We can&#8217;t allow people to just deem things racist that aren&#8217;t actually racist. The media has been doing this for years.
&#8220;At the downtown Phoenix restaurant, my concern that the photograph of men in blackface was a threat to me and my face and voice were ignored,&#8221; Thomas wrote. &#8220;A business&#8217; photograph of men with blackened faces culturally says to me, &#8216;Whites Only.&#8217; It says people like me are not welcome.&#8221;
So, an old photo of men who had just completed working a dangerous job for low pay was &#8220;a threat&#8221; to the &#8220;face and voice&#8221; of someone able to attend a party and publish his thoughts to the Internet?
At no time does Thomas say he was treated rudely or asked to leave, yet he says this photo, which few people would probably even notice or pay attention to, somehow said he was not welcome at this establishment?

Seeing Racism Everywhere: Photo Of Soot-Covered Coal Miners Criticized For ‘Blackface’

Arizona

Racism

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