For all my life, I have given little thought to how I get my electricity. That is true for most people. You flip a switch, and it is there, on demand, no questions asked. A big storm might hit your neighborhood and knock out power, but if that’s a concern, one has the option of installing a natural gas-powered backup generator. Speaking of natural gas, most people heat their homes with natural gas. It provides comfortable and reliable heating. As far as transportation goes, you probably don’t think much about that either. If you are like me, you stop into a gas station when you see that you are running low on gas, fill up, and are good to go for a couple hundred miles. Powering and heating your home and getting around involves no planning ahead, no wait and no thought...until now.

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So, what has changed? Nothing, except that a very vocal group of people want to change your energy habits, all in the name of saving the planet. It used to be that we would not have taken such people seriously, but now they are making a real nuisance of themselves. They are trying to interfere with every aspect of your comfortable existence. I would not underestimate their resolve. They are the same folks that hounded smokers from public spaces out into the cold recesses of a parking lot.

However, they have hit a snag with their current ambition. People are not buying into the “save the planet” racket like they used to. Undeterred, the vocal ones have dressed up their message. By following their program, you are not only averting planetary doom, but you are also saving money through being efficient and displaying to all that you are tech savvy to boot. By installing a heat pump and solar panels, driving an electric vehicle, and having an app on your phone to manage them all, you are showing that you are the smartest geek on the block. Think of it as a new form of shaming others. You are riding in a horse and buggy and along comes your neighbor in a horseless carriage.

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The vocal ones have also shifted their strategy toward outright sabotage. I call it engineering a crisis to drive their cause. Like past crusaders, they want to ensure that there are no means by which their followers can retreat. Like Cortés, who ordered that the ships that brought him and his conquistadores to Mexico be burnt in the harbor of Veracruz, so too, our modern-day crusaders are engaged in the wanton destruction of fossil fuel infrastructure: thermal power plants, gas and oil pipelines, the distribution system that brings gas to your home, and the refining capacity for gasoline for your car.

When there are no alternatives to their clean energy schemes and they end up failing as I would expect, the vocal ones will clamor for more investment in and commitment to a clean energy transition. It is all so transparent what will happen if they have their way. They will stop trying to persuade recalcitrant ones and demand compliance. They will push people around like so many ants and punish those who disobey. Don’t be deceived by their charming manner, they can be as ruthless as Stalin if given the chance. Don’t give them the opportunity.

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Image generated by ChatGPT.

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