A Reply to NBC News' Story About a Climate Scientist

Kalmus, 49, thinks civilization is on the path to break down, the Biden administration is clueless on climate, and that he might get fired from his job at NASA if he is arrested for a third time protesting what he views as downright madness: the continued use of fossil fuels.

This is a reply to NBC's Christmas Eve story about climate modeler Peter Kalmus. I don't believe in politicizing Christmas, so I waited to reply.

I completely agree "the Biden administration is clueless on climate," However, I see not only the administration, but also Dr. Kalmus and his ilk, as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. For example, when I went to his Twitter/X site to get some biographic info, I found I am blocked even though I don't recall ever having an interaction with him. 

He is a climate extremist (he chains himself to buildings) who evidently doesn't wish to hear from others who have a different approach to solving the problem, even though he has no university education in meteorology or climate. I salute him giving up air travel and other modern conveniences as admirable when compared to most climate alarmists. But, the solution to CO2 concentration is not taking us back to the Stone Age -- it is creating a world of cheap, abundant energy via nuclear and, where possible, hydro. Instead, he has been an advocate of wind and solar, which have cost much and contributed little.

Even though it was cold (more electricity needed than usual) and sunny,
zero energy was being generated by this solar farm earlier this month because
the panels were covered by snow. 

Back in the 1990's, Al Gore and many others were discouraging nuclear and encouraging wind and solar -- which have proved to be (especially wind) expensive busts. It has been documented we have spent more than a trillion in the U.S.A on wind energy and additional huge sums on solar. 

If we had begun a mass effort to build-out nuclear in the 90's we would be enjoying their reliable carbon-free energy now. If President Obama, who was rumored to have originally planned to include a campaign to build nuclear in his "shovel-ready jobs program" had followed through, at least some of those plants would be online and the rest would be in another year or two. 

It is a fact of human nature the vast majority of people are not going to work hard every day for a lower standard of living. Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr. calls that an "Iron Law." They shouldn't have to because we could create abundant carbon-free energy. That we have chosen not to is because of the advocacy of the green energy movement. 

When you hear the green energy movement all too frequently saying "we aren't doing enough" it is because they want us to forget that they were the road block to effective action. 

As to Dr Kalmus, I wish him well in the New Year. He models tornadoes as part of his job at NASA and I hope he has a breakthrough.