Consider this a follow-up for my article “The Forgotten Solution.” Or maybe a lesson about the dangers of not listening to scientists, this time about incorrectly fighting global warming by championing stupid policies? The NYC City Council passed a new law towards the end of last year that bans the use of natural gas in all new construction in the city: no natural gas heating and no natural gas stoves and ovens, only electric. Let’s analyze how stupid this new policy is.
If everything in future construction must be electric, won’t the need for electrical power increase? My rough calculations (surely more than council members did) lead to a resounding “Yes!” Where will that come from? Will there be a compensating increase in solar, wind, and hydroelectric power? Forget it! The number of new wind turbines needed in NY harbor to generate this extra power is far too great (ships still have to enter there), and the number of solar panels required or new dams constructed for the additional power generation would also bankrupt the city.
I’m sick and tired of incompetent politicians who don’t release the numbers that will support their decisions. In this case, the council probably doesn’t have them! Generally speaking, of course, they haven’t worked out the numbers, instead resorting to unsubstantiated pronouncements just to score political points. If the lie sounds good, spit it out! Say it often enough and people will believe it! That’s these idiots’ motto, taking their cue from that infamous Nazi. No wonder people are losing faith in democracy. Stupid, incompetent leaders are making that happen! And this occurs at all levels, city, state, and national. Maybe some of these idiots even have good intentions but are too stupid to analyze the consequences of their policies.
The Council’s decision isn’t green; it’s obscene. I know many politicians are just failed lawyers, but they should at least have the decency and modesty to admit their lack of knowledge and consult with specialists who know more than they do (probably infinitely more, because anything divided by zero is infinity) and can advise and consent. Instead, politicians make policies and edicts that “sound good,” creating more problems than they solve while they sit on their fat asses doing nothing but scoring points to further their political careers.
Voters should take notice. It’s up to us to throw the bums out and replace them with competent leaders who make policy that’s backed up by science. Otherwise representative democracy will continue to fail the people it serves.