Watts Up With That – Genesis Wealth Defense https://genesiswealthdefense.com There's a thin line between ringing alarm bells and fearmongering. Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:09:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/cropped-Money-32x32.jpg Watts Up With That – Genesis Wealth Defense https://genesiswealthdefense.com 32 32 237551656 BRICS’ Kazan Declaration Trumps COP29 Climate Blather https://genesiswealthdefense.com/brics-kazan-declaration-trumps-cop29-climate-blather/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/brics-kazan-declaration-trumps-cop29-climate-blather/#respond Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:09:21 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/brics-kazan-declaration-trumps-cop29-climate-blather/ Gathering in the Russian city of Kazan and hosted by that country’s “alienated and sanctioned” leader Vladimir Putin, the heads of some of the world’s most powerful nations made clear that the so-called climate emergency was a secondary priority for them.

Attendees of the 16th annual BRICS summit represented more than 45% of the global population and 35% of global gross domestic product and included representatives of Saudi Arabia, China, India, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

The Kazan declaration they signed builds upon their already strong economic and diplomatic ties under the BRICS framework established in 2009 and expanded since then. However, most mainstream media didn’t notice—or intentionally underreported—that the core BRICS countries – including India, China and Russia – have openly declared that their domestic energy needs and economic wellbeing will take precedence over international climate agreements like the Paris Accords and “net zero” initiatives.

Interestingly, powerful leaders from these BRICS countries—such as China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi—are absent this week from the ongoing COP29 – the U.N.’s annual climate gathering. Only a third of the way through the 11-day COP29, the 80-person Argentinian delegation was called home, adding to the notion that the U.N. summit is little more than an overblown gabfest that produces nothing of substance.

“The departure of Argentina from the global climate talks COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, adds to concerns about the global climate fight, following the reelection of climate crisis sceptic Donald Trump, reported Sky News. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/brics-kazan-declaration-trumps-cop29-climate-blather/feed/ 0 227654 Trumping the Electric Vehicle Mandate https://genesiswealthdefense.com/trumping-the-electric-vehicle-mandate/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/trumping-the-electric-vehicle-mandate/#respond Sun, 17 Nov 2024 01:25:10 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/trumping-the-electric-vehicle-mandate/ One of Donald Trump’s main campaign themes was ending the federal electric vehicle mandate, which he calls a China-first policy that taxes the electric grid, subsidizes forced labor, and destroys American jobs. This means rescinding Biden Administration subsidies and mandates – but what else will he be able to do?

The worldwide revolt against the one-engine-fits-all strategy long favored by the European Union began in Italy, just two months after the EU struck a provisional deal on a new vehicle emissions law that would have banned the sale of internal combustion engines by 2035.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government raised objections to the scheme, as the march toward an EV-only vehicle fleet had already hit the Italian auto industry with job cuts. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini argued that ICE vehicles were already running on carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner then demanded an exception in the EU mandate for hydrogen-derived, carbon-neutral synthetic e-fuels, on which Porsche had already invested $75 million. Germany Transport Minister Volker Wissing, insisting that anyone serious about climate-neutral mobility must rely on all available options, did not understand why anyone would want to “ban some technologies.”

Auto industry veteran Andrew Graves suggested that e-fuels could be the answer for keeping older model ICE vehicles on the road. He also cited the significant risk that there could not be enough EV charging stations or battery manufacturing plants to satisfy demand by 2035. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/trumping-the-electric-vehicle-mandate/feed/ 0 227536 ‘Climate Extremism’: Biden-Harris Admin’s Own Data Undermines Its Fav Selling Point in Push to ‘Electrify Everything’ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/climate-extremism-biden-harris-admins-own-data-undermines-its-fav-selling-point-in-push-to-electrify-everything/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/climate-extremism-biden-harris-admins-own-data-undermines-its-fav-selling-point-in-push-to-electrify-everything/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2024 05:34:29 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/climate-extremism-biden-harris-admins-own-data-undermines-its-fav-selling-point-in-push-to-electrify-everything/ The Biden-Harris administration released data on Oct. 17 suggesting its push to electrify everything will ratchet up costs for American households, contradicting one of the White House’s favorite selling points for its green agenda, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Biden-Harris administration has made a crackdown on residential fossil fuel consumption a key aspect of its environmental strategy, justifying the push in part on the grounds electrification will lower energy costs. Now, Oct. 17 residential energy price data from the Department of Energy (DOE) shows electricity was roughly four times as expensive as natural gas in 2024, with experts telling the DCNF the White House’s electrification push is an example of extremist climate policy hurting everyday Americans. (RELATED: Forget Stoves! The Biden Admin Is Working Overtime To Phase Out All Your Gas Appliances)

“The Department of Energy has consistently shown that natural gas is a much cheaper energy source for households than electricity,” Daren Bakst, director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment, told the DCNF. “Government policies trying to block the use of natural gas in favor of electricity will significantly drive up prices, making home heating and appliance use needlessly expensive. The poor will get hurt the most because, compared to higher income households, they spend a greater share of their household income on meeting basic needs such as staying warm in the winter.”

The Biden-Harris DOE has issued a slew of rules restricting the use of gas appliances, including issuing revised standards on furnaces in September 2023 that could prohibit 40-60% of gas furnaces in homes, and increased efficiency requirements for water heaters that the agency claimed would save U.S. consumers $11.4 billion on their energy and water bills every year.

The Oct. 17 data showed electricity was significantly more expensive than fossil fuels, with a price of $47.36 per million British Thermal Units (BTU) compared to $13.38 and $33.59 per million BTU for natural gas and propane respectively. Thus, according to the Biden-Harris administration’s own data, switching from gas-powered appliances to electric appliances could increase utility costs by over 3.5 times, in addition to heightened installation costs. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/climate-extremism-biden-harris-admins-own-data-undermines-its-fav-selling-point-in-push-to-electrify-everything/feed/ 0 227057 California Keeps Driving up Gas Prices With ‘Layers and Layers’ of Green Rules and Regs https://genesiswealthdefense.com/california-keeps-driving-up-gas-prices-with-layers-and-layers-of-green-rules-and-regs/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/california-keeps-driving-up-gas-prices-with-layers-and-layers-of-green-rules-and-regs/#respond Sat, 26 Oct 2024 15:50:51 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/california-keeps-driving-up-gas-prices-with-layers-and-layers-of-green-rules-and-regs/ California’s latest law cracking down on fuel refiners in the state is likely to drive already-high prices at the pump even higher, according to several energy experts.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed ABX2-1 into law on Oct. 14, empowering state bureaucrats to require refiners to maintain certain inventory levels in an effort to prevent alleged price gouging by energy companies and adding to the list of anti-fossil fuel industry policies and regulations in the state. Along with rules already on the books, the new policy will further squeeze refiners and fuel producers, undermine supply and send prices even higher with the help of other costly rules on the books regulating the fossil fuel industry, according to several energy sector experts.

At about $4.64, California already has the highest per-gallon gas prices of any state in the U.S., according to AAA gas price data. In the week since the bill became law, Phillips 66 announced that it plans to close one of its refineries in the Los Angeles area in 2025, meaning that one of California’s nine refineries and 8% of the state’s available refining capacity will be closing down, according to the Los Angeles Times. (RELATED: What Has California’s War On Fossil Fuels Actually Accomplished?)

“Price spikes have cost Californians billions of dollars over the years, and we’re not waiting around for the industry to do the right thing — we’re taking action to prevent these price spikes and save consumers money at the pump,” Newsom said upon signing the bill. “Now, the state has the tools to make sure they backfill supplies and plan ahead for maintenance so there aren’t shortages that drive up prices. I’m grateful to our partners in the Senate and Assembly for acting quickly to push this forward and help deliver relief for Californians.”

However, Patrick De Haan, a prominent gas market analyst who writes for GasBuddy, rejects Newsom’s contention that energy companies are ripping off Californians. He instead places most of the blame for the state’s high energy costs at the feet of overzealous regulators and politicians. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/california-keeps-driving-up-gas-prices-with-layers-and-layers-of-green-rules-and-regs/feed/ 0 226983 The Fatal Flaw in Artificial Intelligence: Climate Change??? https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-fatal-flaw-in-artificial-intelligence-climate-change/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-fatal-flaw-in-artificial-intelligence-climate-change/#respond Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:01:25 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-fatal-flaw-in-artificial-intelligence-climate-change/ The development of large language models (LLMs) has transformed our world in many ways, making artificial intelligence (AI) a powerful tool capable of generating and interpreting massive amounts of information. These models, however, are fundamentally shaped by the data that feeds them—data taken from the internet, which is itself a collection of human input. While AI has the potential to aid in a variety of fields, there is a glaring flaw inherent to its very design: its reliance on human data. If this data is corrupted, biased, or fundamentally flawed, then the AI simply echoes and amplifies those same distortions.

One of the clearest examples of this issue is the topic of climate change. Whether you use a search engine or consult AI for information on climate change, the overwhelming majority of the data you will find supports the concept of catastrophic anthropogenic climate change (CACC). This is no coincidence—it is a reflection of the sheer volume of information that has been generated by those who have accepted this hypothesis, compounded by the biases of institutions and corporations that build the algorithms responsible for curating and ranking this information.

AI and the Dangers of Entrenched Misinformation

Artificial intelligence, by its very nature, is designed to draw conclusions from existing data. However, when that data is overwhelmingly one-sided or biased, AI becomes a tool for amplifying misinformation rather than a mechanism for critical analysis. In the case of climate change, AI is unlikely to offer nuanced perspectives or promote healthy skepticism. Instead, it mirrors the consensus-driven model that has been artificially constructed by political, financial, and globalist interests.

The danger here extends far beyond the academic realm. As LLMs and AI increasingly become integrated into decision-making processes—whether in government, business, or education—this flaw in their design becomes a genuine threat to freedom. The ability to challenge prevailing wisdom and to question powerful institutions is fundamental to a free society. However, if AI consistently promotes only one perspective, it serves to stifle dissent, limit critical thought, and bolster the authority of those in power. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-fatal-flaw-in-artificial-intelligence-climate-change/feed/ 0 226452 Human CO2 Emissions Are Supercharging Corn Yields https://genesiswealthdefense.com/human-co2-emissions-are-supercharging-corn-yields/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/human-co2-emissions-are-supercharging-corn-yields/#respond Sat, 21 Sep 2024 14:50:19 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/human-co2-emissions-are-supercharging-corn-yields/ How can carbon dioxide, which has been portrayed as a dangerous pollutant threatening the very existence of humankind, be considered even remotely beneficial? Sadly, such a question can be expected from people – children and adults – who have been fed irrational fears in place of well-established science that shows CO2 to be an irreplaceable food for plants and necessary for all life.

Even some who recognize CO2 as sustenance consider increasing atmospheric concentrations of the gas to be potentially catastrophic, a view devoid of scientific basis and inimical to the fortunes of malnourished millions.

Corn, or maize, is foundational—along with rice, wheat, soyabean—to global food security, serving as a critical source of nourishment for both humans and livestock. Over the past few decades, increases in atmospheric CO2 from industrial emissions have tracked with notable boosts in corn yields.

Between 1900 and 2024, the national corn yield in the U.S. rose to 183 bushels per acre (bu/A) from just 28 bushels. During the same period, atmospheric CO2 increased from 295 parts per million (ppm) to 419 ppm. Worldwide, corn yield rose from a mere 29 bu/A in 1961 to 86 bu/A in 2021. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/human-co2-emissions-are-supercharging-corn-yields/feed/ 0 226057 Michigan Union Members Blame Biden Electric-Vehicle Mandates for Auto-Industry Layoffs: ‘Want to Slit Our Throats’ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/michigan-union-members-blame-biden-electric-vehicle-mandates-for-auto-industry-layoffs-want-to-slit-our-throats/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/michigan-union-members-blame-biden-electric-vehicle-mandates-for-auto-industry-layoffs-want-to-slit-our-throats/#respond Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:03:38 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/michigan-union-members-blame-biden-electric-vehicle-mandates-for-auto-industry-layoffs-want-to-slit-our-throats/ ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The auto industry is big business in Michigan, and a major round of layoffs is revving the election into high gear for industry workers in the critical swing state — who blame the Biden-Harris administration’s heavy-handed electric-vehicle mandates for the painful job losses.

Stellantis, which manufactures Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles, announced last month it will lay off 2,450 workers at its Warren plant. While industry jobs in the state have been declining since 1990, Michigan autoworkers explained to The Post why Team Biden’s green-energy rules are at fault this time.

United Auto Workers member Isaiah Gordon, 24, works on hybrid batteries at Ford’s Rawsonville plant and said the forced transition to electric vehicles is damaging the industry.

University researchers have been branded “hypocrites” for condemning air travel as bad for the planet but then flying to conferences anyway. The Times has more.

A study found that about a third of the academics at a leading U.K. university had flown to at least one meeting in the previous year, despite a large majority expressing concerns about aviation emissions.

“There is a level of hypocrisy: academics know that flying is bad for the environment,” said Professor Jonas De Vos of UCL, the lead author of the study. “But still, we often fly to international conferences, often to [make the argument] that society should be more sustainable.”

Aviation is estimated to account for about 4% of global warming and almost all climate scientists agree that reductions in air travel would be needed to meet the 1.5ºC Paris target. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shift to holding conferences and other events online.

However, in a study published in the journal Global Environmental Change, De Vos and his colleagues describe how flying remains “deeply embedded in how the global academic system functions”. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/michigan-union-members-blame-biden-electric-vehicle-mandates-for-auto-industry-layoffs-want-to-slit-our-throats/feed/ 0 226011 The SEC’s Risky Plan to Decarbonize the U.S. Financial Markets https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-secs-risky-plan-to-decarbonize-the-u-s-financial-markets-2/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-secs-risky-plan-to-decarbonize-the-u-s-financial-markets-2/#respond Sun, 15 Sep 2024 08:28:43 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-secs-risky-plan-to-decarbonize-the-u-s-financial-markets-2/ Reports of the impending death of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) movement have been greatly exaggerated.

While several sustainability-minded companies and Wall Street firms have recently adopted a lower ESG profile due to the public backlash, this is largely a tactical retreat until the government provides air cover. Financial regulators are now riding to the rescue, passing rules that make the entire climate-focused ESG system compulsory and prescriptive.

In March 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued final climate disclosure rules that require every large U.S. corporation to report in detail all the climate-related physical and transition risks faced by their businesses, along with the size of their carbon footprints.

The new SEC rules will force the management of all reporting companies to act as meteorologists and disclose every conceivable weather impact to their businesses over exceedingly long investment horizons, thereby reinforcing the climate change narrative. They will also discourage investment in the traditional energy sector by highlighting the outsize regulatory, litigation, contingent liability, and reputational risks now facing the industry due to government climate policies.

However, rather than de-risking the financial markets by improving disclosure for investors as promised by the SEC, the agency’s new rules will have the opposite effect. By imposing a climate test on all issuing and investing companies—basically, every financial market participant in the U.S.—the SEC’s goal is to help force the clean energy transition by stigmatizing carbon-emitting industries in general and specifically redirecting capital flows away from fossil fuel producers.

The SEC’s climate disclosure rules are part of the federal government’s coordinated climate plan and the latest piece in a sweeping regulatory attack on the oil and gas industry since President Biden took office. Defunding oil, gas, and coal companies arguably represents one of the most effective ways to shrink domestic hydrocarbon supply and cut national emissions. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/the-secs-risky-plan-to-decarbonize-the-u-s-financial-markets-2/feed/ 0 225771 Gov. Gavin Newsom Wants Mandate for Oil Companies to Create Stockpile of Gasoline https://genesiswealthdefense.com/gov-gavin-newsom-wants-mandate-for-oil-companies-to-create-stockpile-of-gasoline/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/gov-gavin-newsom-wants-mandate-for-oil-companies-to-create-stockpile-of-gasoline/#respond Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:12:36 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/gov-gavin-newsom-wants-mandate-for-oil-companies-to-create-stockpile-of-gasoline/ Legal Insurrection readers may recall my report about Chevron’s California operations.

Chevron had been headquartered in California for over 140 years, giving it strong roots in this state. However, the toxic policies of California’s lawmakers and regulators have killed those roots.

The fossil fuel giant will relocate to Texas.

Sacramento sees gasoline firms and petroleum refineries as cash cows that will always agree to be milked despite being made into a climate villain and accused of corporate greed.

So, to resolve the state’s serious energy challenges, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a special session Saturday after the Assembly rebuffed his efforts to pass an energy package before a critical deadline passed. […]

]]> https://genesiswealthdefense.com/gov-gavin-newsom-wants-mandate-for-oil-companies-to-create-stockpile-of-gasoline/feed/ 0 225570 Volvo Abandons 2030 EV Target as Market Woes Continue https://genesiswealthdefense.com/volvo-abandons-2030-ev-target-as-market-woes-continue/ https://genesiswealthdefense.com/volvo-abandons-2030-ev-target-as-market-woes-continue/#respond Thu, 05 Sep 2024 11:16:18 +0000 https://genesiswealthdefense.com/volvo-abandons-2030-ev-target-as-market-woes-continue/ Swedish automaker Volvo Cars said on Wednesday that it is scrapping its goal of going fully electric by 2030 as the electric vehicle (EV) market continues to struggle.

The company announced it now aims for between 90% and 100% of its cars to be fully electric or plug-in hybrids by the end of the decade, with the remainder being “mild,” non-plug-in hybrids, a company press release stated. Volvo’s backpedaling comes amid lower-than-expected consumer demand for EVs and a recent industry shift away from electrification. (RELATED: REPORT: $84 Billion Worth Of Biden-Subsidized Manufacturing Projects Floundering)

“While Volvo Cars will retain its position as an industry leader in electrification, it has now decided to adjust its electrification ambitions due to changing market conditions and customer demands,” the company wrote. “The strategic adjustments to its electrification ambitions ensure that Volvo Cars has a flexible plan that meets customer preferences and enables value creation as a business.”

“We are and will remain an industry leader in electrification and nearly half of our global sales are either fully electric or plug-in hybrids,” a Volvo spokesman told the DCNF. […]

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