In that the island nation of Cuba, which seems to be at the Holy Grail, Nirvana, if you will, the Holy Grail of the Climate Movement, Net Zero, it seems odd to Francis Menton that there is no celebration to commemorate. Wouldn’t you think the Times, which has been demanding the elimination of fossil fuels for several decades, would be leading the parade?
To read the Times’ piece, Donald Trump is helping Cuba to achieve Net Zero by preventing oil tankers from landing there. Somehow, in this piece, that is spun as a bad thing. It has brought Cuba “to its knees.”
The Manhattan Contrarian has a funny little story to tell. Somewhere over a year ago, we had a president in Joe’s administration using every government powerup their sleeves to force Americans to stop using fossil fuels. By 8 Dec 2021, Joe Biden had directed all federal agencies to pursue an aggressive “all of government” operation to achieve “net zero” on an accelerated schedule.
Goals number 1 and 2 from that EO are “100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity on a net annual basis by 2030,” and “100 percent zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035.” In 2023, the Department of Transportation released a “Blueprint” for eliminating all carbon emissions from the transportation sector. In 2024 EPA released a plan to eliminate fossil fuels from electricity generation. Similar initiatives were everywhere in the government.
Interesting that the Times doesn’t suggest that the by ending the use of fossil does not bring America to her knees. Or that forcing the end of fossil fuels was any sort of problem. If the Times suggested that, Mr. Menton confesses, he never saw that.
Instead … the Times was the biggest cheerleader for the use of government coercion to suppress the use of fossil fuels, at least if the use was by America. And yet, if you believe yesterday’s article, the banishment of fossil fuels, which was to be such a boon to the United States, is somehow a problem in Cuba.
From the Times article (accompanied by a photo, Garbage Piling Up)
In Cuba, people are struggling with frequent blackouts, shortages of gasoline and cooking gas, and dwindling supplies of diesel that power the nation’s water pumps. Trash is piling up, food prices are soaring, schools are canceling classes, and hospitals are suspending surgeries.
The Manhattan Contrarian wonders what he is missing.
Since when are fuels like oil, gasoline, natural gas, and diesel any longer necessary, or even useful or economic, for providing energy to the people?
For years, writes Mr. Menton, the Times has been beating a relentless drumbeat that wind and solar are now the cheapest way to produce energy, and any sane person will flock to the Times as the best source.
More from the Times:
As the planet registers the highest temperatures on record, rising in some places to levels incompatible with human life, governments around the world are pouring trillions of dollars into clean energy to cut the carbon pollution that is broiling the planet. The cost of generating electricity from the sun and wind is falling fast and in many areas is now cheaper than gas, oil, or coal. Private investment is flooding into companies that are jockeying for advantage in emerging green industries.
For example, to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in Cuba, just slap up some turbines and solar panels, and run the economy on its abundant juice.
Meanwhile, let us be the first to congratulate Cuba on being the first to achieve Net Zero.
