Green Energy Stealing Resources From the Poor

Green energy is not ready for public consumption as witnessed by the failure of all such projects. But then it was never really meant to be workable, just used as a means to stop fossil fuel expansion and use.

Green energy is a 'straw man' used by environmentalists to stop the expansion of industry in this country and around the world. What the environs see fossil fuel recovery as the destruction of 'mother earth' through the consumption of our natural resources, but the rest of us see industrial expansion with fossil fuels as the future of freedom and prosperity. More than 50% of all energy in this country comes from fossil fuels.

With cancellation of the XL pipe line and the creation of 20,000 new jobs immediately, the Obama administration believes it is more important to cater to his environmental base then help our country to survive. Again, it's not about the country, it's about power, getting it and keeping it no matter the cost.

When "Being Green" Means Favoring the Rich
Source: Iain Murray and David Bier, "When 'Being Green' Means Subsidies for Rich, Harm for the Poor," Washington Examiner, January 23, 2012.

During last year's Occupy Wall Street protests, President Obama expressed sympathy with calls for more "green" policies from the self-styled advocates for the 99 percent. So far, however, the environmental agenda has overwhelmingly favored the 1 percent, say Iain Murray, vice president, and David Bier, a research analyst, at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Consider the Obama administration's subsidies for electric vehicles.

To start with, there is the $7,500 credit for the car itself. Add to that the recently expired $1,000 credit for installation of a 220-volt charger. And on top of these, the government has thrown more than $3 billion at the Chevrolet Volt alone -- which totals out to $250,000 per vehicle.

Not only do these credits go to corporate giants like General Motors, they subsidize cars for the wealthy. The Volt sells for about $40,000, while the Fisker Karma sells for $100,000 -- well above most Americans' price range.

That means that the federal government is again working to benefit the rich so they can drive cars that ease their environmental conscience. In fact, nearly every environmental policy hurts the poor the most.

Last year, Americans spent more on gasoline as a percentage of their income than they have for 30 years.

Yet that hasn't stopped the president, cheered on by his environmentalist allies, from rejecting the Keystone XL oil pipeline or restricting offshore oil permits.