Four of the worlds largest problems - RS

Four of the World’s biggest problems

Ronald Stein is an engineer, senior policy advisor on energy literacy for the Heartland Institute and CFACT, and co-author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated book “Clean Energy Exploitations.”

1.0 Lack of Conversations about Energy Literacy

The elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is that we’ve become a very materialistic society over the last 200 years, and the world has populated from 1 to 8 billion.

Today, at least 80 percent of humanity, or more than six billion in this world, are living on less than $10 a day, and billions living with little to no access to electricity.

Crude oil is the current foundation of our materialistic society as it is the basis of all products and fuels demanded by the 8 billion on this planet, the same products and fuels that did not exist before the 1800’s.

Two of the greatest inventions of all time are the incandescent light bulb and the telephone. Both the light bulb and telephone inventions came AFTER oil as all the parts of both are made with the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil.

Today the international community of the few wealthy countries are delusionally obsessed with the energy conundrum idea that electricity generated by wind turbines and solar panels can rid the world of its dependency on fossil fuels. 1

None of the ruling class recognizes that everything that needs electricity is made from oil.

An exercise for the ruling class: Identify which parts and components of wind turbines, solar panels, and EVs are NOT made from the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil?

The ruling class in wealthy countries are not cognizant that the planet populated from 1 to 8 billion, over the last 200 years. During that time, we learned through human ingenuity that crude oil is virtually useless, unless it’s manufactured (refineries) into oil derivatives that are the basis of the products and fuels in our daily lives that did not exist before the 1900’s.

Electricity CAN:

 Charge your iPhone but cannot make your iPhone.

 Operate a defibrillator but cannot make the defibrillator.

 Operate your TV but cannot make the TV.

Electricity ALONE CANNOT:

 Make wind turbine and solar panel components.

 Make tires for billions of vehicles.

 Make asphalt for the millions of miles of roadways.

 Make medications and medical equipment.

 Make water filtration systems.

 Make sanitation systems.

 Make fertilizers that come from natural gas to help feed billions.

 Make pesticides to control locusts and other pests.

From the proverb “you can't have your cake and eat it too” tells us that you cannot rid the world of fossil fuels and continue to enjoy the products and fuels manufactured from fossil fuels.

Let us look at a few infrastructures, and products, which did not exist before the 1800’s, that now need electricity to operate.

Exercise: Identify one thing in the following infrastructures that needs electricity that was NOT made from oil:

 Transportation

 Hospitals

 Medical equipment

 Appliances

 Electronics

 Telecommunications

 Data Centers

 Communications systems

 Space programs

 Heating and ventilating

 Military

Climate changes may affect some, but efforts to cease the use of crude oil could be the greatest threat to civilization, not climate change, and lead the world to an era of guaranteed extreme shortages of fossil fuel products, like we had in the decarbonized world in the 1800’s.

Without a replacement for crude oil to maintain the supply chain of the more than 6,000 products and fuels that are the basis of our materialistic “products” society, and may result in billions of fatalities from diseases, malnutrition and weather-related deaths.

This pursuit of just electricity generated by wind and solar, both of which cannot manufacture anything for society can only lead us back to shorter life spans, diseases, malnutrition, and weather-related deaths resulting from the elimination of the products from fossil fuels that are now benefiting society.

Just a few hundred years ago, before oil, the world was unspoiled, decarbonized, and dominated by mother nature and the wild animal kingdom. There was no coal fired power plants, nor natural gas power plants, and the Beverly Hillbillies had not yet discovered oil. There were fewer humans competing with the animals due to humanity’s limited ability to survive what mother nature provided. Before oil, life was hard and dirty, with many weather and disease related deaths.

Without crude oil, there are several conundrums that the 8 billion on this planet would need to adjust to:

 There would be no products that are based on oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil to make tires, asphalt, refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, X-Ray machines, life-saving medical equipment, and the other 6,000 products that did not exist 200 years ago that make our lives better, and just about everything we take to be modern, such as cell phones.

 The elimination of all of today’s hospitals, airports, militaries, and space programs as the world reverts to when civilization existed without the products and fuels from oil, i.e., the pre-1800’s.

 There will be no electricity. All the parts to generate electricity from wind, solar, coal, natural gas, hydro, and nuclear, and all the things that need electricity to work, are all made from the oil derivatives manufactured from raw crude oil. In the pre-1800s, before crude oil, humanity had no electricity.

In the event world leaders wish to continue their efforts to have the 8 billion currently on this planet to live without fossil fuels, here is an introductory preliminary A-Z list of Products that Wind and Solar Renewables CANNOT manufacture for Humanity.

A Airlines, Aircraft Carriers, Appliances, Athletic Shoes, and Asphalt for

the millions of miles of roadways in the world that accommodate the automobiles, trucks, and construction equipment that were not around a few hundred years ago.

B Bridges, Broadband, Batteries, and Bicycles for the billions on this planet as wind and solar CANNOT make any of the products that were not around before the 1800's.

C Communications, Cameras, Cosmetics, and contact lenses and more.

D Detergents and Derivatives that are manufactured from crude oil, that are the basis of more than 6,000 products that were not around 200 years ago, NONE of which can be made from wind turbines or solar panels.

E Electronics, EV Vehicle Parts, components, and tires that are now made from those oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil.

F Fertilizers, Filters, foot balls, fishing rods, fishing lures, and more that wind and solar CANNOT manufacture.

G Grease, Gasoline, and “Give me a Break”, as John Stossel often says about the very few parents, teachers, students, politicians, and those in the media, have any clues or understanding that the “GREEN” movement to occasional electricity from wind and solar CANNOT manufacture anything for humanity!

H Hospitals, Heating Equipment, and Hydro Power Plants that were nonexistent 200 years ago, before the arrival of the oil derivatives that are manufactured from crude oil that are now the basis of all medical equipment and medications.

I Irrigation Plants, iPhone, iPads, and Insulation for electric wires and households, and much more.

J Jackets, Jugs, and more that were not available a few hundred years ago.

K Kerosene and Knowledge that wind turbines and solar panels only provide JUST intermittent electricity generated from unreliable breezes and sunshine, as those renewables cannot manufacture anything for the 8 billion on this planet.

L Lubricants, Laptops, Life Saving Medications that support Life Expectancy increases from 40+ 200 years ago, to 80+ today that continues

to increase from the thousands of products made from oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil, the same products that wind and solar CANNOT manufacture!

M Machinery, Mass Transit, Medical Devices and Medical Materials in hospitals that we've become used to that did not exist 200 years ago, as the world has populated from 1 to 8 billion.

N Nuclear Power Plants and Nylon Rope made with the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil!

O Oil Lubrication for all the mechanical moving parts of machinery as wind and solar CANNOT make any of the mechanical equipment, nor the lubrication.

P Pharmaceuticals, Private Jets, Public Transportation, Pesticides, Phones, pianos, and all their parts and components, as renewables like wind turbines and solar panels CANNOT make anything.

Q Quality of Life that began after the 1800’s with the development of more than 6,000 products made from the oil derivatives manufactured from oil.

R Railways, Roads, Rubber, Respirators, and more are made the oil derivatives that are the basis of everything, none of which can be made from wind and solar.

S Solar Panels, Sanitation, Styrofoam, and Space Program components as well as all the components that make Smart Phones, surfboards, spandex and more are the basis of our daily lives!

T Tires, Transportation, Telecommunications, tennis rackets, and more that CANNOT be made by wind turbines or solar panels.

U Umbrellas and Upholstery that did not exist pre-1800’s.

V Vitamins, Vaseline, and Valves, that regulate, direct, or control the flow of gases, liquids, fluidized solids, and slurries by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways, such as heart valves.

W Wind Turbine Components, Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment, Washing Machines, and Waxes are made with oil derivatives from crude oil that were not available a few centuries ago.

X Xylene Solvents are used in the printing, rubber, and leather industries. It is

a common component of ink, rubber, and adhesives. In thinning paints and varnishes but cannot be made by wind turbines or solar panels

Y Yoga Pants, Yarn, needles, patterns, and supplies for knitters, crocheters, weavers & more!

Z Zero Products being made from wind turbines and solar panels, as those renewables can only generate occasional electricity from unreliable breezes and sunshine.

Wind and solar do different things than crude oil, as wind and solar only generate occasional electricity, but wind turbines and solar panels CANNOT make any products for humanity.

So, before we jump out of the airplane without a parachute, and revert to the pre1800’s, let’s identify the back-up “source” that can continue to support the making of more than 6,000 products and the various fuels for our materialistic society of the 8 billion on this planet that are now based on crude oil.

Please share this information with your friends to further enhance conversations about Energy Literacy as Breezes and Sunshine cannot manufacture anything. Electricity CANNOT exist without crude oil !

2.0 Supply chain of products to support the 8 billion people on this planet.

In addition to life longevity increasing with the support of the products in our materialistic world, and weather-related fatalities almost nonexistent, all because the different fuels for planes, ships, trucks, cars, militaries, and the space programs, and all the PRODUCTS and that did not exist before the 1800’s.

The more than 6,000 products in today’s societies are based on the oil derivatives manufactured from raw crude oil, that now supports:

 Continuous uninterruptible electricity that is being generated by hydro, nuclear, coal, and natural gas.

 Occasionally generated electricity from weather dependent wind turbines and solar panels.

 Airports that accommodate the 20,000 commercial aircraft, and more than 50,000 military aircraft.

 Shipping terminals that accommodate 50,000 merchant ships.

 Hospitals.

 Communications.

 Electronics.

 Data centers.

 Mining for industrial and precious metals.

 More than 1.4 billion vehicles in the world

 Almost 300 million trucks in the world

 Each year, approximately 2.5 billion tires are produced globally

All the above products and infrastructures did not exist a few short centuries ago, before the 1800’s. We’ve become a very materialistic society over the last 200 years, and the world has populated from 1 to 8 billion because of all the products and different fuels for planes, ships, trucks, cars, militaries, and the space programs that did not exist before the 1800’s.

World leaders continue experiencing a “dangerous delusion” of a global transition to “just electricity” that they believe will eliminate the use of the crude oil that made society achieve so much in less than 200 years. Without those products made from petrochemicals manufactured from crude oil, the policymakers must be imagining no jets, ships, defense, or space programs!

Over the last 200 years, after the discovery of the products and transportation fuels that could be manufactured out of crude oil, the world populated from 1 to 8 billion.

We're a materialistic society and need to replace oil to maintain that supply chain of PRODUCTS and FUELS. NONE of the 6 ways to generate ELECTRICITY (hydro, nuclear, coal, natural gas, wind, and solar) can make PRODUCTS for society, thus ELECTRICITY is not a source to support the supply chain of products and fuels.

I personally am NOT pro-fossil fuels, but I am pro for the products we get from fossil fuels. Ridding the world of crude oil, without a “replacement” that can continue to support the supply chain of the more than 6,000 products now demanded by the 8 billion on this planet could result in the loss of billions from starvation, diseases, and weather-related fatalities.

So, before we jump out of the airplane without a parachute and revert to the zero emissions society of the pre-1800’s, let’s identify the back-up “source” that can continue to support the supply chain for making of more than 6,000 products and the various fuels for the materialistic society of the 8 billion on this planet.

3.0 “Clean” Energy Exploitations

World leaders continue to support subsidies to procure exotic minerals and metals required for the construction of electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels, from locations around the world that have minimal environmental regulations and minimal labor laws to protect the workers.

Apparently, those world leaders have yet to read the Pulitzer Prize Nominated book “Clean Energy Exploitations” that brings transparency to the humanity exploitations and environmental degradation in the developing countries that are mining for the exotic minerals and metals required to create the batteries needed to store "green electricity".

Those subsidies are providing financial incentives for countries like China, Africa, and Brazil to continue the exploitations of people with yellow, brown, and black skin, and to continue environmental degradation of land in developing countries so that the wealthier countries can go “green”.

In addition, those subsidies encourage increases in worldwide emissions by manufacturing offshore in countries where there are no environmental regulations and emissions are rampant.

I personally thought that world leaders had higher moral and ethical standards that would stop them from financially encouraging developing countries from continuing their exploitation of the poor with yellow, brown, and black skin, and further environmental degradation to the landscapes in those distant developing countries, and uncontrollable emissions “over there” just to support clean air in “our backyards”!

China controls a stranglehold monopoly of about 80% of the global rare earth mineral supply needed for large EV batteries, such as lithium, nickel, and

manganese, with the Republic of Congo in Africa a 90% source of vital cobalt. Both China and Africa have minimal labor and environmental laws, resulting in extensive environmental degradation and humanity atrocities that support “clean” EV batteries.

It should concern everyone that all those “blood minerals” come from mining at locations in the world that are never seen by policymakers and EV buyers.

 For instance, to manufacture each EV auto battery, you must process 25,000 pounds of brine for the lithium, 30,000 pounds of ore for the cobalt, 5,000 pounds of ore for the nickel, and 25,000 pounds of ore for copper. All told, just one Tesla EV battery requires the processing of more than 500,000 pounds of materials somewhere on the planet

 A battery for a heavy-duty electric truck can weigh up to 16,000 pounds, which is 16 times more than the Tesla battery!!!! A single truck battery requires 8,000,000 pounds of earth to be dug up. That’s astounding – digging up 8 million pounds of earth for each truck battery!

EV’s are heavily subsidized in multiple ways: through direct federal and state tax benefits to purchasers, through government loan incentives to manufacturers, and through added production costs passed on to gasoline vehicle purchasers.

It appears that it is both unethical and immoral to continue financially encouraging China and Africa to exploit “their” poor with yellow, brown, and black skin, and financially support environmental degradation to “their” landscapes just to support clean EV batteries in “our backyards”!

4.0 Economics for Electricity and Products

The elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is that crude oil is the foundation of our materialistic society as it is the basis of all products and fuels demanded by the 8 billion on this planet, of which only one billion existed less than 200 years ago.

 As a refresher for those pursuing net-zero emissions, wind and solar do different things than crude oil. Wind turbines and solar panels only generate occasional electricity but manufacture NOTHING for society.

 Crude oil is virtually never used to generate electricity but when manufactured into petrochemicals, is the basis for virtually all the products in our materialistic society that did not exist before the 1800’s being used at these infrastructures like: Transportation, Airports, Hospitals, Medical equipment, Appliances, Electronics, Telecommunications, Communications systems, Space programs, Heating and Ventilating, and Militaries.

 We’ve become a very materialistic society over the last 200 years, and the world has populated from 1 to 8 billion because of all the products for society, and the different fuels for jets, ships, trucks, cars, military, and the space program that did not exist before the 1800’s.

 If the world governments want to rid the earth of crude oil usage, what's the back-up source that can manufacture the supply chain of products for refrigerators, tires, asphalt, X-Ray machines, iPhones, air conditioners, and the other 6,000 products that wind and solar CANNOT manufacture?

 The products from crude oil are essential to human flourishing for the foreseeable future. The pursuit of “net zero by 2050”, without first identifying the crude oil replacement, would be one of the most destructive developments in human history.

 Without crude oil, there would be nothing that needs electricity!! Everything, like iPhones, computers, data centers, and X-Ray machines, that need electricity to function is made with petrochemicals manufactured from crude oil!!!!!

 Until a crude oil replacement is identified, the world cannot do without crude oil that is the basis of our materialistic “products” society.

MOST importantly today, there is a lost reality that the primary usage of crude oil is NOT for the generation of electricity, but to manufacture derivatives and fuels which are the ingredients of everything needed by economies and lifestyles to exist and prosper. Energy realism requires that the legislators, policymakers, and media

that are demonstrating pervasive ignorance about crude oil usage, begin to understand the staggering scale of the decarbonization movement.

In fact, all electricity is only possible with the parts made from the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil for occasionally generated electricity from weather dependent wind turbines and solar panels, and for continuous and uninterruptible electricity being generated from coal, natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants.

Looking back at the history of the petroleum industry, it illustrates that the black cruddy looking crude oil was virtually useless, unless it could be manufactured (refineries) into oil derivatives that are now the basis of chemical products, such as plastics, solvents, and medications, that are essential for supporting modern lifestyles.

The more than 6,000 products that are based on oil are being used for the health and well-being of humanity and the generation of electricity did not exist a few short centuries ago.

Today, we have more than 6,000 products that are based on oil are being used for the health and well-being of humanity and the generation of electricity did not exist a few short centuries ago, as well as more than 50,000 merchant ships, more than 20,000 commercial aircraft and more than 50,000 military aircraft that use the fuels manufactured from crude oil. The fuels to move the heavy-weight and longrange needs of jets moving people and products, and the merchant ships for global trade flows, and the military and space programs, are also dependent on what can be manufactured from crude oil.

For aircraft and ships, just like that for the diverse options for the generation of electricity, they all utilize parts and components made from the oil derivatives manufactured from raw crude oil.

As a refresher of the limitations of wind and solar to achieve net-zero emissions, they do different things than crude oil.

 Wind and solar renewables only generate occasional electricity but cannot manufacture anything. The problem with renewable electricity from wind turbines and solar panels is that they don’t work most of the time, and thus are unreliable for “just electricity”!

 Then there is “the nameplate farce” of those renewables. There should be financial penalties for the subsidies and tax credits provided to wind and solar power plants for their inability to deliver at least 90 percent of their permitted nameplate ratings on an ANNUAL basis, like their backup competitors of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants that provide continuous uninterruptable electricity.

 Of the three fossil fuels, coal and natural gas are used to generate electricity, but the third, crude oil, is virtually never used to generate electricity. However, when crude oil is manufactured into petrochemicals, it is the basis for virtually all the products in our materialistic society that did not exist before the 1800’s.

From this quick refresher, conversations are needed to discuss the difference between just ELECTRICITY” from renewables, and the “PRODUCTS” that are the basis of society’s materialistic world.

5.0 The situation in 2074

My recently posted opinion in the Los Angeles Times on the subject of “My Take on homelessness”:

With the average debt in this country greater than $100,000 per person (across credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and student loans), and with more than half of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, society is facing an unsustainable problem where those “financially challenged” will never pay off their continuously increasing debt.

Thus, with the loss of just one paycheck, there are many millions of people on the verge of joining the growing homeless population.

The question is not how to reduce the number of homeless, but what is the forecasted growth rate in the homeless population?

Ronald Stein, Irvine

The few wealthy countries of the United States, Germany, England, and Australia representing about 6 percent of the world’s population (509 million vs 8 billion) are mandating social changes to achieve net zero emissions. Wealthier countries are subsidizing electricity and driving up the cost of electricity, products, and fuels that support all the infrastructures that make lives more comfortable.

The wealthier developed countries may not be cognizant that 80 percent of the 8 billion on this planet, which is more than 6 billion on this earth, are earning less than $10 a day, may never be able to enjoy the materialistic life styles of those in wealthier countries, nor ever own an automobile.

Today, at least 80 percent of humanity, or more than six billion in this world, are living on less than $10 a day, and billions living with little to no access to electricity.

Inflation is wreaking havoc on the residents of wealthier countries. Here’s a look at a 100-year span in 50 year increments, from 1974 to 2024 to 2074:

Inflation may be the insurmountable challenge for most of the world

Using California as an example because it is located within one of the wealthier countries on this

Projected inflation per year at a conservative 3% for 50 years

California Car price

California Home price

$5,000

$36,000

$49,000 Actual inflation rate was 4.6% per year for 50 years

$214,000

$860,000 Actual inflation rate was 6.5% per year for 50 years

$3,770,000

The wealthier developed countries may not be cognizant that 80 percent of the 8 billion on this planet, which is more than 6 billion on this earth, are earning less than $10 a day, may never be able to enjoy the materialistic lifestyles of those in wealthier countries, nor ever own an automobile.

Today, at least 80 percent of humanity, or more than six billion in this world, are living on less than $10 a day, and billions living with little to no access to electricity

For those less fortunate on this planet earth, they are falling behind financially at a quicker rate!