An Energy David Takes On
Global Warming Hysteria Goliaths

Very interesting interview in this weekend's WSJ with Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy, a coal mining concern. The whole interview can be accessed here but I'm posting some great excerpts below:

"The science of global warming is speculative. But there's nothing speculative about the damage a C02 capture program will do to this country. I know the names of many of the thousands of people -- American workers, their families -- whose lives will be destroyed by what has become a deceitful and hysterical campaign, perpetrated by fear-mongers in our society and by corporate executives intent on their own profits or competitive advantage. I can't stand by and watch."

This past March, Murray testified before Congress on global warming. Because of politically incorrect views, Democrats tried to block his appearance. When they were unable to do so, the comittee's Democratic chairman got up and walked out of the room when Murray began his testimony. (Isn't that priceless and just like liberals -- they're so tolerant and open-minded that when someone wants to express a contrary view, they try to suppress it and, when they can't, they refuse to even listen.) According to the Journal, Murray gave:

a useful, and irrefutable, analysis of just what today's legislative proposals for a global warming program would mean to the economy, including the nation's many miners. "Some 52% of this country's electricity is generated from coal," Mr. Murray says. "Global warming legislation would place arbitrary limits on the use of coal, yet there's nothing to replace it at the same cost. There's nuclear, but the environmentalists killed it off and aren't about to let it come back. There's hydro, but we're using that everywhere we can already. There's natural gas, but supply and pipeline capacity is limited, and it's three times the cost of coal. Politically correct -- and subsidized 'alternative energy' is very limited in capability and also expensive.

"So what you are really doing with a global warming program is getting rid of low-cost energy," he says. The consequences? Americans have been fretting about losing jobs to places such as China or India, which already offer cheaper energy. "You hike the cost of energy here further, and you create a mass exodus of business out of this country." Especially so, given that neither of those countries is about to hamstring its own economy in order to join a Kyoto-like accord.

After reading this interview, it's easy to see why Murray is so unpopular with liberal Democrats. Plain speaking and common sense are alien to Democrats and threaten their hold on the reins of political power. That's why they try to stifle these voices and walk out of the room covering their ears saying "I can't hear you!"