Robert Steffes – 7/25/08

This page was last updated on July 26, 2008.

The time to develop clean energy is now; Robert Steffes; Beaver County Times; July 25, 2008.

For a little more background, a Post-Gazette letter indicates Mr. Steffes believes the only scientists who don’t believe humans are causing global warming are those who work for the energy industry. In another letter, Mr. Steffes tried to get us to sign a petition so Bob Edwards could keep his job at NPR. According to Mr. Steffes, “Mr. Edwards’ calm baritone stands alone in the sea of slime that has become commercial talk radio.” I could be completely off base, but I suspect Mr. Steffes really meant “conservative talk radio.” In one letter from Mr. Steffes, he sang the praises of a woman on a crusade against electronic voting machines and offered to send her a check. I wonder if he ever followed through?

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“You know it’s time to pay attention when you hear both T. Boone Pickens, arch-conservative billionaire oilman, and former Vice President Al Gore ring the same energy alarm bell.”

[RWC] Though Mr. Pickens overwhelmingly favors Republicans over Democrats, I have a tough time accepting anyone who donates $2,000 to John Kerry (2001) qualifies as an “arch-conservative.” Simply being a Republican doesn’t make one a conservative, let alone an “arch-conservative.”

What links Messrs. Gore and Pickens is they both have substantial financial investments in the proposals they promote.

“They both state flat out that America can’t drill its way out of rising oil prices, the only alternative being a massive program of clean energy production and distribution, starting right now.”

[RWC] Hmm, Mr. Pickens concern couldn’t be motivated by his investments in natural gas and West Texas wind farms could it? I suspect that as soon as he heard “America can’t drill its way out of rising oil prices,” Mr. Steffes heard what he wanted to hear and stopped listening.

“Whether you are more convinced by Boone’s concern with national financial ruin posed by permanently high oil prices or by Gore and the vast majority of the world’s climate scientists who warn of disaster if we keep throwing carbon into the atmosphere, your duty to your children is clear.”

[RWC] Mr. Steffes hasn’t been paying attention recently. His “vast majority of the world’s climate scientists” (an incorrect assertion) is getting smaller.

Apparently Mr. Steffes didn’t read Mr. Pickens’ full proposal. That proposal also relies heavily on natural gas and biofuels. Just as coal and oil, natural gas and biofuels throw “carbon into the atmosphere.”

“Call your congressmen today and urge them to support serious and immediate clean energy development.

“No more baby steps, but a moon launch/Manhattan Project level of effort now.”

[RWC] You’ll note Mr. Steffes doesn’t tell us what spending should be cut to pay for his “moon launch/Manhattan Project level of effort.”