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Good News: Diesel Supply Down To 25 Days

Well, enough of you decided to vote for the abortion party and got fooled by the “we’ll lose our democracy!!!!!” schtick, and, y’all just need to suck it up and deal with the escalating prices. Good job, idiots

The US has just 25 days of diesel supply — the lowest since 2008. Here’s why that’s more alarming than a dwindling ‘oil piggy bank’

The U.S. is facing a diesel crunch just as demand is surging ahead of winter — with only 25 days of supply left, according to the Energy Information Administration.

National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told Bloomberg TV that diesel inventories are “unacceptably low” and “all options are on the table” to bolster supply and reduce prices.

However, even as the stockpiles are being drained, the Biden administration seems to be left with very few sustainable options for long-term relief.

Unlike gas and jet fuel, demand for diesel recovered at a much faster pace from the pandemic. Diesel is used for transporting goods as well as powering construction, farming and military vehicles and equipment. (snip)

The market usually moves into “contango” — the opposite of backwardation, where demand is lower and suppliers build up inventory with the expectation of higher future prices — in the summer. However, strong domestic and international demand, shrinking domestic refining capacity and sanctions on Russian petroleum imports have kept the diesel market tight throughout the year.

So, what can be done?

If diesel inventory continues to run down without the government intervening, the impact on transportation costs for goods could drive inflation up even further.

Deese adds that the Fed has some tools to bolster diesel supply, like the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, which houses one million barrels of diesel in case of a disruption in supplies.

So, digging into emergency reserves?

Experts have also pointed out that the current 25.8 days worth of diesel only represents what’s in storage — and doesn’t factor in the amount of distillate fuel being produced in the U.S. or imported here. Which means the country isn’t guaranteed to run out of diesel within a month.

But The Washington Post reports that diesel demand is so high, that if a million barrels of diesel were delivered from the Northeast reserves, they would be depleted in less than six hours.

It’s a little late, but, the government could authorize more refineries to be built. That would help. But, they idiot lefties have been destroying refining capacity for decades.

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Climate Cultists Smash Tablets At Top Of Mt. Sinai

For those who do not know, there is a sort of official Mount Sinai. At the base is Saint Catherine’s Monastery, and then a long, high trail that leads to the summit, where there is a chapel and a mosque. Pilgrims make the long, arduous trek in the pre-dawn hours, wanting to be there as the sun rises. If you like Expedition Unknown, watch the episodes on Moses. And here we have supposed religious folks joining a cult

Activists smash tablets atop ‘Mount Sinai’ to launch faith-based climate push

An initiative to mobilize faith leaders worldwide to push governments to do more about climate change kicked off Sunday morning with an Israeli environmental activist smashing mock tablets of stone atop an Egyptian peak believed by many to be Mount Sinai, to symbolize the world’s failure to protect the planet.

The idea was hatched in the run up to the United Nations COP27 climate conference taking place in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, by solar energy entrepreneur Yosef Abramowitz and David Miron Wapner, who chairs the Jerusalem-based Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development.

The Sinai Climate Partnership, symbolically launched at the ceremony, brings together the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, the Elijah Interfaith Institute, the Peace Department, the United Nations Faith for Earth Initiative, Abramowitz’s Gigawatt Global, and the Israeli environmental advocacy organization, Adam Teva V’Din.

After sunrise, Abramowitz and Wapner gathered at the summit together with Nigel Savage, the founder and former director of the US Jewish environmental organization Hazon, and his successor Jakir Manela, to read sections the Holy Land Declaration on Climate Change signed in 2011 by the multifaith Council of Religious Leaders of the Holy Land. Two teens from the US, there as part of Christian Climate Observers, joined the ceremony as well.

After the group read from a new draft list of “Ten Principles for Climate Repentance,” formulated by dozens of multifaith leaders meeting in London over the past few days, Abramowitz smashed two tablets on the ground.

You know, just like Moses gave us God’s 10 Commandments. This is beyond nuts, especially as we dip into the climate repentance stuff, which is very silly, if you go read it. Using this spot is insane.

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Mid-Terms Post Mortem: Did Democrats “Democracy Is On The Ballot” Work?

There are many reasons to be considered for what has been a blown election for Republicans. Trump for one. Democrats pushing abortion, which plays to many women, without mentioning they want abortion up to birth. Lindsay Graham and a few other Republicans saying they want to pass a national abortion ban did not help. We can dive into all sorts of notions, but, what about

Biden’s Democracy Argument Worked

In the last two weeks of the election cycle, as the news seemed to be getting worse and worse for Democrats hoping to avoid a historic midterm election shellacking, party leaders opted to go all in on one particular theme—that democracy itself was on the ballot. Here, voters had a historic choice to make: Vote to save the republic, or squander it. Across the aisle, the GOP had marshaled an army of candidates behind election denialism and a vision of an illiberal United States. In his final campaign speech, President Joe Biden told the crowd assembled at Bowie State University in Maryland that the country was at “an inflection point.”

“We know in our bones that our democracy is at risk, and we know that this is your moment to defend it, preserve or protect it, choose it,” he said.

It was a tall order. And let’s face it, it was a little bit belated. As we’ve chronicled on these pages, Democrats haven’t always spent the past two years as democracy’s most ardent defenders. Too many senators preferred to keep the filibuster rather than get rid of it to pass the laws necessary to confront a well-organized and well-funded effort among Republicans to curb voting rights across the country. Even the Biden administration seemed dismissive at one point, referring to voting rights as just one more niche issue among many.

Obviously, this is from a far left organization, in this case, The New Republic. But, do they have a point? I think they might. Democrats, from Biden to Democrats running for office to their mouthpieces to their pet Credentialed Media, all pushed this notion, and all pushed it the same way. How much did this play into the the distribution of votes? Did they flip a lot of Independents, who were more scared of “losing their democracy” than crushing inflation, food prices, clothing prices, and a bad economy? Of growing crime? Of wackjobs teaching their kids? And so much more? Did it drive a lot of squishy Democrats who might have flipped, or just stayed home, out to vote Democrat? Did it get the muddle headed youngsters who do not usually show up to show up?

It surely not the only reason, but, it certainly has a ring of truth. I can see Democrats poll testing it, and, seeing that it had an effect, all running with it. Because they did all run with it, did they not?

In truth, you wouldn’t be thought entirely daft if you fretted that Democrats were, at the very least, talking over the heads of the electorate. Polls ahead of the midterms consistently showed that matters such as the January 6 attacks weren’t foremost on people’s minds; democracy defense seemed like a bad bet. But the exit polls told a different story. Per Axios: “National polling showed abortion and democracy turned out to be big issues with voters. Coverage in the run-up to midterms had focused heavily on pocketbook issues.” In other words, the Democrats’ plan worked, and the media whiffed badly in their read of the electorate’s mood.

Republicans never saw it coming, and why should they have? We saw all the polls on what Americans care about. That the nation was on the wrong track. That people were upset over inflation, the economy, and crime. It didn’t need to move the needle a lot, just enough to blunt the GOP on those battleground seats in the House, Senate, and even governor races. Add it with other things, and you might not even get a red puddle. At best, Walker beats Warnock, and it’s 50-50. The GOP may not even take the House. There are 11 seats that are possible for winning 6, as the GOP has 212 wins as of this time. And they blew it on 7 races they should have held.

Give Dems credit: they’re the party of Big, authoritarian government (which we witnessed during COVID, with Joe and his vaccine mandates, with Dems telling parents to piss off, with the EV push, and so much more), anathema to democracy, to freedom, and they convinced people that the party of freedom is bad.

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NY Times Is Here To Tell You How To Save Money On Your Biden Inflated Power Bills

This is what it’s come down to: the Times and so many other Credentialed Media outlets telling you how to maybe save money, rather than castigating the Government to stop being part of the problem, namely, policies that cause energy prices to go higher (paywalled Times article here)

How to Save on High Heating Bills This Winter

The cost of heating a home is expected to spike this winter as higher prices for natural gas and heating oil combine with a forecast for slightly colder weather than last winter.

But financial help is often available for paying bills as well for updating heating systems to more efficient models. There are also steps to take to conserve energy.

The average cost of heating a home is estimated to rise almost 18% from last winter, to $1,208, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. The group coordinates state policy for federal grants that help low-income families pay heating and cooling bills.

The estimated seasonal bill for natural gas, which about half of Americans use to heat their homes, is $900, up 25% from last winter, according to the most recent data from the federal Energy Information Administration. Natural gas has become pricier because of factors such as greater demand for cooling during this year’s scorching summer (natural gas powers plants that produce electricity to run air conditioners) and surging exports, the administration said.

The seasonal bill for heating oil, which is common in New England, is estimated to be $2,694, up about 45% from last winter.

It’s due to Wuhan Flu and to the policies of Joe Biden and his Democratic Party comrades, who keep doing things that create problems, both before and after COVID. The U.S. really doesn’t get much from Russia, we have our own supplies.

Help with heating bills is available for low-income families. The Biden administration is distributing $4.5 billion for the federal Low Income Home-Energy Assistance Program, which provides grants to states to help residents pay their energy bills. But, Wolfe said, overall funding is lower than last year, under a pandemic relief program, and more federal money may be needed.

Well, that only helps folks making around $20K or less. What about the rest of us?

Consumers can take steps now to prepare for the winter and conserve energy. “It’s November; there’s still time to get ready,” Wolfe said. Heating contractors are typically less busy right now, he said, before temperatures plummet.

The most widely recommended step: Schedule a professional checkup of your heating system. A tuneup is advisable because dirty components reduce airflow, blunting performance and possibly damaging the system, according to ASHRAE, a professional association of heating and cooling professionals. A tuneup typically costs $200 or more, but some utilities cover the cost.

So, spend money to save a little

If your home has a lot of windows, particularly older ones, you may be losing energy through the glass. One easy fix, he said, is to stick clear plastic Bubble Wrap — the kind used to ship packages — over the windowpanes. (Spray the glass with water first so the wrap sticks.) It won’t look great, he conceded, but it will save you money.

Really? This is their idea? Bubble wrap? I feel like it’s the 1930s or something

You could consider replacing an old heating system with a more efficient model. The costs range from $4,000 to $7,000 for a gas furnace and from $5,500 to $40,000 or more for some heat pump systems, according to estimates provided by contractors in western and central New York state.

They seriously wrote $40,000. Is this with your $20K solar panels and $56K EV?

Meanwhile, here’s CNET on the perfect setting for your winter thermostat

According to the US Department of Energy, it’s best to keep your thermostat at 68 F for most of the day during the winter season. For maximum efficiency, you should also designate eight hours per day during which you turn the temperature down by between 7 and 10 degrees. By following this routine, you may again be able to reduce your yearly energy costs by up to 10%.

Who’s up for keeping your casa at 58-61?

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Brandon Flies In To COP27, Yammers About Forcing Other People To Make Progress

How’s this work again? A fossil fueled helicopter flight to the airport, then a FFd jumbo jet, followed by a backup jumbo jet, along with FFd fighter jets, then a large number of low MPG fossil fueled vehicles. Then back to the airport, and he headed of to Cambodia

Biden touts U.S. climate progress at COP27, unveils new methane plan

President Biden announced a set of small new actions by his administration to address climate change in a speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference on Friday. The new measures include pledging more than $200 million in funding for climate change resilience and adaptation in developing countries, and a new plan to reduce emissions of methane — an especially potent greenhouse gas — from oil and gas infrastructure.

“The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security and the very life of the planet,” Biden said in a speech at the conference, known as COP27 and held this year in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. “So today, I’d like to share with you how the United States is meeting the climate crisis with urgency and with determination to ensure a cleaner, safer, healthier planet for all of us.”

Most of what Biden went on to share was a recapitulation of actions the administration has already taken, including significant investments in reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions through subsidies for clean energy sources, such as wind and solar power and electric vehicles, included in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act. These programs are projected to help cut U.S. emissions by 40% from 2005 levels by the end of this decade.

Of course, the elites like Biden aren’t doing their “fair share”. It’s just the peasants who are being forced.

As has often been the case at recent climate change conferences, the actions of Biden’s climate-science-denying predecessor, former President Donald Trump, cast a shadow on the proceedings. Biden was interrupted by applause when he noted that his administration had “immediately rejoined the Paris [climate] agreement” upon taking office. Referring in an apparent ad lib to his predecessor’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the climate pact, Biden said, “I apologize we ever pulled out of the agreement.”

Oh, look, Trump Derangement Syndrome. Remember, the media doesn’t take sides.

The hell?

Oh, look, Pelosi took a separate fossil fueled flight.

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Sigh: Now Trump Is Going After Virginia Gov Youngkin

If you’re not helping the mission, you’re hurting the mission. And the mission is to win the White House, Senate, and House in 2024, as well as state general assemblies and governors. This is not helping

Youngkin, like DeSantis, faces Trump’s fury

Fresh off a diatribe against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he derisively described as an “average” Republican in a Thursday social media post, former President Donald Trump on Friday morning went after another popular Republican governor — Glenn Youngkin of Virginia — in what seemed like a warning meant to dissuade him from seeking the presidency in 2024.

“Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) in Virginia couldn’t have won without me,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his proprietary social media network. It is not clear why he falsely insinuated that Youngkin was of Chinese ancestry (the origins of the governor’s name are Germanic), but Trump has a record of rhetoric against China and Chinese people, which during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to anti-Asian rhetoric and violence.

First, Trump did not denigrate Chinese people, he blocked them from coming over near the beginning of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. And, if memory serves, the Democrats and their pet media called Trump a raaaaacist for that. Second, here’s what it looks like in full

A less combative and polarizing figure than DeSantis, Youngkin could hold more appeal to suburban voters, who helped him win in the northern Virginia suburbs, which have sometimes been seen as a presidential bellwether. Throughout the fall, he and DeSantis both campaigned for Republican candidates, albeit in different states.

Will he run? Will DeSantis run? How about Greg Abbott, Nikki Haley, Kristi Noem, or Doug Ducey? Regardless, we saw this show in 2016, and we do not need a reboot. It would go over as well as the reboot of Charmed. Not good. His time is past. Much of his schtick has gotten stale and old. Sure, he can fill a concert venue for a speech. But, it should not be about him anymore. It needs to be about taking back the country from the Modern Socialists. He wants to be a celebrity.

I’m moving on. I gave up on Palin back in 2011 (can’t find that post, I think I might have only written it at Right Wing News. Probably have to dig further back in the archives). In a later post here and at RWN on Palin endorsing Trump

Many of you know my feelings on the subject of Sarah Palin. She lost my support politically when she played the will she/won’t she game in regards to running for president last time around. She resigned as Governor of Alaska, supposedly to deal with all the legal issues for all the suits and things aimed her way from Liberals. Many Conservatives thought this would give her the chance to get ready to run for President, especially as she put together a PAC. Then she had her little bus tour, for which she also quit halfway through. She said she was going to do it her way, and did not compete in any debates. Then, after being asked again and again, and missing a self imposed deadline, all while raising lots of money for her PAC off the possibility, she said “no.” Interestingly, many others are coming to the same conclusion, such as Powerline’s John Hinderaker

Maybe not. Today Sarah Palin endorsed Trump, to the delight of theNew York Times. Now they get to call Trump a conservative. I was a fan of Palin, until she succumbed to the siren song of celebrity, abandoned her post as Governor of Alaska and went Hollywood. One thing Palin and Trump have in common is that they are both stars of reality TV shows. Maybe someone needs to explain to both of them that reality television is not great preparation for dealing with reality.

Trump is going too much back to celebrity, he has way too many legal issues (real or not, it matters not). He won’t change, and it’s hurting.

Too be clear, I’m speaking for me, not for The First Street Journal Editor.

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We’re Saved: Actor Changes Name To Spread Awareness Of Climate Apocalypse Or Something

I’d be more impressed if he legally changed his name. Or, if he announced that he would give up his own use of fossil fuels, make his life carbon neutral, and tell all his Hollywood Comrades to do the same

Actor who played Dwight on ‘The Office’ changes name to protest climate change

Actor Rainn Wilson, who played “Dwight Schrute” in the popular TV show “The Office,” has changed his name in an effort to bring awareness to and protest climate change.

The 56-year-old actor’s new name, which Wilson announced on Twitter in a video, is “Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson.”

The name change comes as the United Nations plans to meet in Egypt for a climate change conference this week named the ” 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC” or “COP27.”

Wilson is a board member of “Arctic Basecamp,” which is a team of scientists and experts who share their knowledge with the world at various events, and the name change is apparently part of their collective efforts.

Let me ask: how do all those people get to the Arctic? And travel around? And get power? They wouldn’t survive without fossil fuels. Solar panels and wind turbines damned sure would not keep them warm.

Wilson used a website called the “Arctic Risk Name Generator” to generate his new name, and he invited his social media followers to do the same.

So, a very silly climate cult thing. What, exactly, does this accomplish? All these cultists rushing to create their cult name (William HeatSnow Bad Weather Teach) are doing the bare minimum to make their own lives carbon neutral.

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Another Federal Judge Says Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Is Illegal

Who wants to bet that Biden and his people ignore the rulings?

U.S. judge declares Biden’s student debt relief plan unlawful

A federal judge in Texas on Thursday ruled that President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in student loan debt was unlawful and must be vacated, delivering a victory to conservative opponents of the program.

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump in Fort Worth, ruled in a lawsuit backed by the Job Creators Network Foundation on behalf of two borrowers.

The debt relief plan had already been temporarily blocked by the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals while it considers a request by six Republican-led states to enjoin it while they appealed the dismissal of their own lawsuit.

Biden’s plan has been the subject of several lawsuits by conservative state attorneys general and legal groups, though plaintiffs before Thursday had struggled to convince courts they were harmed by it in such a way that they have standing to sue.

The plan would saddle working and middle class taxpayers with paying off loans that people legally signed for, often getting degrees that can’t bring in the money to repay the loans. And then there are people who are making $100k a year, claiming they cannot repay.

Pittman in a 26-page ruling wrote that the HEROES Act – a law that provides loan assistance to military personnel and that was relied upon by the Biden administration to enact the relief plan – did not authorize the $400 billion student loan forgiveness program.

“The Program is thus an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated,” Pittman wrote.

I’m sure Biden will appeal, but, will he and his people work hard to fight? He got what he needed, lots of youths getting out and voting, minimizing the damage in the midterms. Biden may not even try to take it to the Supreme Court, because, come 2024, Biden and the Dems can promise to fight for loan forgiveness if they re-elect Biden and give him Congress.

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Brandon’s Pushing “Nature Based Solutions” For Hotcoldwetdry Or Something

It almost looks like Biden wants to turn military bases into hippy style nature preserves, making larges swathes unusable for training

Biden promises billions for ‘nature-based solutions’ to climate change

The Biden administration said it will direct billions of taxpayer dollars toward “nature-based” climate change solutions, which includes plans for “bringing the power of nature to maximize the value and resilience of military bases.”

The White House on Tuesday released its “Roadmap for Nature-Based Solutions to Fight Climate Change,” which the White House says will “put America on a path that will unlock the full potential of nature-based solutions to address climate change, nature loss, and inequity.” It said $25 billion worth of current and pending projects are already aligned toward this goal.

“Nature-based solutions” means actions to protect or restore ecosystems that are also “solutions to societal challenges,” such as the conservation of natural areas that help boost resilience to flooding or heat.

I actually don’t mind this that much: there’s nothing wrong with conserving nature and “re-naturing”, as it’s termed, areas. It’s environmentally sound, and nature is good. It’s just linking this to the idiocy of ‘climate change’ and inequality. Stop. Please. They really do not have to add the cult stuff to the environment.

One element of the roadmap calls on the Department of Defense to create a guide for “nature-based solutions for Military Installation natural resources management planning.” That guide will “provide military installation planners and managers with current and actionable information on the appropriate use of nature-based solutions; the current state of science and observed performance reliability; and other considerations regarding design, cost and benefits, implementation, and operations and maintenance.”

In other words, this is going to take a huge chunk of the military budget, turn soldiers into gardeners, interfere with training. Great plan

The plan calls for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to consider “nature-based solutions” as alternatives for all projects that have the potential to affect floodplains or wetlands. It said FEMA has already started to make things easier for “disadvantaged communities” to fund projects with “nature-based solutions.”

In addition to finding “nature-based solutions” for military installations, the administration said it would look for similar solutions for “energy, the economy and national security.” For example, the administration is rating Department of Energy sites for climate sustainability and wants the department to also rate sites on environmental justice and cultural resource protection.

Does anyone else see rising costs for anything the government does and the private sector does? And the need to seriously expand the federal workforce to do this? And giving lots more power to the Central Government? This could have been so easy, non-silly, non-culty, and bipartisan.