Danielle Smith’s attack on clean power is an attack on free enterprise

[AlbertaFarmer5]

please tell us approximately what level of carbon taxes are required to stop high temperatures and droughts? $100, $200, $1000? inquiring minds would like to know.

Complicated by the fact that contrary to Chuck's made up data about climate change causing lower rainfall, both the ipcc and EPA indicate increasing rainfall.
So if we increase the CO2 tax to thousands of dollars per tonne to reduce CO2, it may increase droughts by decreasing rainfall, assuming that correlation was valid in the first place.
Decreasing the CO2 also reduces the drought tolerance of all non C4 plants.
So any droughts we do get will be much much worse for food production.
It will be interesting to see what CO2 tax number Chuck provides for an answer, considering the above inconvenient facts.

[ajl]

upchuck keeps talking about the free market. Well it ain't the free market that is building wind and solar farms: it is graft from the large emitters fund. This of course, is the AB carbon tax which needs to be removed. However, if we do that then the feds move in with their carbon tax on electricity. chuck needs to give it a rest as either he doesn't know what he is talking about or he is trying to deliberately mislead. You are not fooling anybody. I keep chuck blocked as that reduces the silly around here a lot.

[WiltonRanch]

Back in the early days of electrification of New York and such cities, Edison who had the corner of the industry at the time, and probably the ear of government, was pushing DC as the electricity everyone should use. It had problems with the need for heavy transmission lines and massive coal fired power stations every mile just about. Simply wasn’t practical beyond the inner city. Tesla, who started working with Edison, dreamed up AC which he presented to Edison but was eventually dismissed because he was too rigid in his thinking and honestly plain jealous of Tesla because he was much more intelligent. Edison slaved for years to figure out a viable light bulb. Tesla figured the ac alternator and motor in a dream. Tesla was digging ditches in NY when Westinghouse took him on because he saw merit in the efficiency of Tesla’s ac and thought Edison was an idiot, which Edison later proved. The fight was on to see who would get to electrify ny and the rest of American cities. Westinghouse ultimately won out because the tech was cheaper and more efficient. Succinctly Edison tried a smear campaign to discredit ac saying it would kill as opposed to dc. He would take it upon himself to publicly electrocute all forms of animals. It all came to a head when he invented the electric chair and didn’t have the desired result running 110v ac through the condemned. It was a slow excruciating death.

So my long winded post is making the point you can be on the cusp of technology but can become too rigid too soon and be eclipsed. Present ev’s and solar generation are the cusp but not the cheap and efficient “ac motor” so to say. What happens to these solar farms and ev’s, and reorganization of markets and supply chains when the far more efficient solution is found, or they are realized to not be worth the outlay? You have to be ready for that future so we don’t have a mess like all the decaying oil wells and leaching mines.

[kANOLA]

please tell us approximately what level of carbon taxes are required to stop high temperatures and droughts? $100, $200, $1000? inquiring minds would like to know.

Good question ,isnt it a bit arrogant to think that we can control Mother Earth that easily.Those earth muffins cease to amaze me.

[GALAXIE500]

This seems repetitive.
Neither the writer nor the whiner own land in AB, nor were they ever approached to sign a contract.

Certified land agents weren't used.
Contracts were garbage. Income was not guaranteed and speculative. And cleanup only above ground and only if company existed.
Landowners who signed made assumptions based on safe experience with O&G and were duped. Just like '47.

And again, some highly productive land was being taken out.
Definitely a victory for land owners and agriculture. Maybe write some thoughts on Right to Farm. Fanatics are incredibly intellectually lazy.
Let's see if the govt has fixed it properly.

Thank you Blackpowder for stating the real story!

[chuckChuck]

So BP why is it you think you can tell landowners what they can put on their own land and who they can sign land use agreements and business contracts with in a free market?

What happened to idea of property rights? Because Alberta is taking away the property rights of many landowners.

[goalieguy847]

Property rights. Cmon chuck.
My parents have a 7 wells on their property .... they were told they " may get paid" rent for 2022 2023 .. they have been, but only because the wells are productive. Many landlords we know arent gettin squat... land owner rights are a joke acrosd the board.

Plus. At some point you shouldnt be able to have everrrything approved... i mean, i dont know why i would get to build 140 ac of solar panels without some sort of approval.
do yoU get pissy when you have to pull a permit to build a garage kit on your home piece? Nah. Why would you when it doesnt fit the narrative...
alot of double standards here.

Starting to blow serious holes in your ....uhhhh.... arguments, i guess we could call them?

[WiltonRanch]

So BP why is it you think you can tell landowners what they can put on their own land and who they can sign land use agreements and business contracts with in a free market?

What happened to idea of property rights? Because Alberta is taking away the property rights of many landowners.

Duh? You need a permit at the very least to build anything on your property unless your RM is an outlier but that’s doubtful. They have an RM cop who accepts payment of grain dumped on the doorstep of the RM office for fines. Really doubt you slapped up your panels without some sort of permit. Heck to wire the blasted thing onto the grid required approval from Sask power. Good grief to think a tree worked hard to convert co2 to oxygen.

[chuckChuck]

Yep the oil industry has the benefit of government regulations that allow them to access your surface without a market based price discovery system. And then they can walk away without paying or cleaning up for their mess?

The same industry that wants small government and less regulation is happy to have regulated access over landowners rights that gives them immediate access?

The renewable industry has no such imposed access and is completely voluntary. As a landowner if you don't want them you don't have to sign and you can negotiate all the terms.

The real message is the Smith government wants to put road blocks to the growth, investment and jobs instead of being open for business in the energy industry!

Smith and the UCP are hypocrites and have a very obvious double standard in regulations for the renewable industry that don't apply to the oil and gas industry.

Its a glaring double standard!

The UCP is closing the door for billions in investment because they don't like the competition from cheaper renewables.

Not because they want to protect a relatively small amount of land or pristine views because the oil industry will continue to impact good quality land and pristine views just as before!

The irony and bullshit runs deep in UCP Alberta!

[13stripe]

I wish property owners would help each other more, we are the minority and being divided doesn't help anyone in the long run. I don't feel I have the right to tell someone what they should do, they should determine what is the best option for them. If someone determines that a contract, entered into with freewill, is what best serves them who am I to say that they shouldn't be able to. This would also free up water if it is on irrigated land for others to use. Lots of areas needed government support with the drought this year, people deciding that they should diversify their income stream seems only prudent.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

On the topic of property rights.
Do we have a right to solar and wind energy access?
If I install solar panels along a southern boundary, and my neighbor wants to plant a row of trees in front of them, or put up a big shop blocking them, is there any recourse?

If my upwind neighbor installs wind turbines and the turbulence affects the performance of mine, does the law have anything to say about it?

Since the law applies to upstream and downstream water( I can't dam my upstream neighbors water, or flood my downstream neighbor), I assume sun and wind should be no different, eventually?

What about solar power for growing crops? A tall building or trees drastically reduces productivity on the north side around here.

[TSIPP]

On the topic of property rights.
Do we have a right to solar and wind energy access?
If I install solar panels along a southern boundary, and my neighbor wants to plant a row of trees in front of them, or put up a big shop blocking them, is there any recourse?

If my upwind neighbor installs wind turbines and the turbulence affects the performance of mine, does the law have anything to say about it?

Since the law applies to upstream and downstream water( I can't dam my upstream neighbors water, or flood my downstream neighbor), I assume sun and wind should be no different, eventually?

What about solar power for growing crops? A tall building or trees drastically reduces productivity on the north side around here.

You definitely think way too much, it’s something we all need to consider though.

[Hamloc]

I wish property owners would help each other more, we are the minority and being divided doesn't help anyone in the long run. I don't feel I have the right to tell someone what they should do, they should determine what is the best option for them. If someone determines that a contract, entered into with freewill, is what best serves them who am I to say that they shouldn't be able to. This would also free up water if it is on irrigated land for others to use. Lots of areas needed government support with the drought this year, people deciding that they should diversify their income stream seems only prudent.

What about the economic damage that is done by foreign owned solar energy companies coming in and first inflating the value of rented land by paying much higher rates than adjacent farmers and at the same time reducing the pool of rentable land in the immediate area by taking that land out of production for 25 years?! No doubt solar companies view level cultivated land as a much less expensive place to put up solar panels as less remediation to the landscape is required. And the chances of cultivated land harbouring any unique animal species is also quite low. Your belief that taking irrigated land out of production would be fine, really makes me shake my head though.

[chuckChuck]

Its solar and wind companies driving up the cost of land and rent? LOL

It wouldn't be farmers who are paying more even where solar and wind have no impact?

The amount of land we are talking about is a very small amount especially compared to what land the oil and gas industry occupies.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

It is so refreshing to see Chuck advocating for land owner rights.
What a change.
Considering that this is a guy who previously thought farmers shouldn't own their own wheat, government does, and should be able to decide what farmers can grow.
You advocated for government to control what vaccines we have to take.
You wanted government to control who we can invite to our houses, where we can go, who we can meet.
You wanted government to control what businesses could be open, and under what terms and conditions.
You wanted government to tax certain industries, and transfer that money to other industries.
You wanted government to control what type of vehicle we can use, what type of energy we can use, and when, and how much.
You wanted government to overrule parental rights if kids want to mutilate themselves.
You wanted government to control the weather.
The list could go on forever.
But now, on this one issue, you are suddenly against government intervention.
Hypocrisy on full display.