In this issue:
- What’s next?
- Fossil fuels in India: an insider’s perspective with Vijay Jayaraj
- Goodbye to Alex Trebek
- Quick updates
What’s next?
As America transitions administrations, one thing is clear: the new administration will be extremely hostile to energy freedom.
Some of this hostility will be almost impossible to stop–namely, anything that involves executive orders, such as rejoining the disastrous Paris Climate Accords.
But the worst part of the Biden agenda requires Congressional support from the House and Senate.
The more people in Congress we have who are armed with powerful talking points about energy and environmental issues, the higher our chances of minimizing the damage of the first two years of the Biden presidency and the higher our chances of getting even more pro-energy people elected in the 2022 elections.
Since EnergyTalkingPoints.com has gotten great feedback from dozens of political officials I plan to continue and expand this project going forward.
In addition to making more and more talking points publicly available I am planning to hold a regular (weekly or biweekly) conference call for elected officials to give them custom, current messaging for the battles they are fighting.
If you know anyone in Congress, the Senate, or a Governor’s office who would like to attend the Energy Talking Points calls, please put them in touch with me.
Note: For now the calls will only be open to members of government, not to industry. However, I am open to doing a separate weekly/biweekly industry call if there is demand.
More on this project as it develops.
Fossil fuels in India: an insider’s perspective with Vijay Jayaraj
On this week’s Power Hour, I interview Vijay Jayaraj, an up and coming energy/environment researcher based in India.
Vijay has experienced the reality of poverty, including energy poverty, firsthand–as well as India’s rapid rise from poverty using fossil fuels.
Some topics we discussed included:
- Why Vijay decided to study energy and environmental issues professionally.
- Vijay’s experience at the University of East Anglia during the “Climategate” scandal.
- What life in the unempowered world is like for women.
- What sanitation is like in the unempowered world.
- Hunger challenges in the unempowered world.
- How international investment revolutionized India.
- How coal revolutionized India.
- How the less-developed world can tell its energy story.
Toward the end of the episode we began what I hope is an ongoing discussion about how the unempowered/less-developed world can tell its energy story and advocate for its right to use more fossil fuels.
Vijay mentioned at the end of the episode that he’s available to do research and write papers. If you’d like to reach him his email is konsultvijay@gmail.com.
You can watch on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts.
Goodbye to Alex Trebek
I was sad to hear of Alex Trebek’s passing. 5 years ago I had the opportunity to have a long discussion with him about fossil fuels. He was the emcee at an event I was doing at Taft College and the organizers asked if I’d like to join him on the private plane they had chartered for him. Of course I said yes. I had a lot of fun talking to him because he started right out of the gate with some challenges to my view but sincerely listened to my answers. One of the coolest moments of my speaking career was having him both introduce my speech with: “Our next speaker is a very capable young man who is going to be able to do it handsomely.” And to conclude it with “I told you folks you were in for a good treat with Alex.” Goodbye, Alex Trebek, and thanks for being thoughtful both in public and in private.
Quick updates
- I was recently interviewed for the “Oil and Gas Industry Leaders Podcast.” The host asked me a lot of questions about the entrepreneurial side of my work, which led me to share some ideas I haven’t discussed publicly before.
- Last year I was interviewed for a documentary, “Return to Eden” by German filmmaker Martin Poels. While I was not featured in the documentary–which I recently watched and found very interesting–he shared the interview on his YouTube channel.
- I’m getting a lot of questions about the release date of my forthcoming book. I have some exciting news on this front but can’t share it until certain negotiations are done. I hope to be able to announce something in the next two weeks.
- Energy attorney Michael Mazzone, a long-time ally of mine as well as a former client (see our Power Hour segment about our work together) has published a valuable report on ESG policy. Titled “How do Oil and Gas Companies Create an ESG Policy That is Not a Policy of Transition to Extinction,” it draws on and builds on my and others’ ESG work.
- I have 5 extra copies of the Italian version of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels. If you want one, email my assistant Kelso at assistant@industrialprogress.net with your mailing address. First come, first served.
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter, and thanks especially to our Accelerators. Before the end of this month I’m going to do another Accelerator-only call to share some news and answer questions.
Also: Welcome to all the new readers who attended one of my recent virtual speeches.
To Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Energy,
Alex