Donald Trump on US Energy Policy -- CNBC

Earlier this morning Donald Trump was on CNBC. His views on US energy policy dovetailed nicely with mine.

You can see a summary of his interview at this link.

The United States is "the Saudi Arabia of natural gas" and has no business buying pricey oil from OPEC producing-nations, says real estate mogul and one-time presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Supply issues stemming from Middle East unrest coupled with refinery closures in the United States have lifted gasoline prices to a nationwide average of more than $3.70 a gallon, with most experts predicting that figure will easily top $4 a gallon.

The United States shouldn't be in this situation, Trump told CNBC.

The country has ample energy reserves at home, although excessive regulations under the Obama administration are preventing companies from producing oil and natural gas.

"I think it's devastating and much more OPEC than anybody else or anything else. They're sitting around the table and setting the price of oil and laughing at us because we have no leadership," Trump tells CNBC.

President Barack Obama never prioritized energy as an agenda and today, the country is suffering, Trump says.

Interestingly enough the article does not quote Trump on wind. Trump says the same thing I've blogged about wind: there is not one redeeming thing one can say about wind energy; and Europeans are now pulling the plug on wind (including The Netherlands and Spain).

He mentioned that the effect these wind turbines will have on birds is of concern. It was said in passing; I doubt Trump gets really, really excited about birds. But I get very excited about birds.

I am a member of the Massachusetts chapter of the Audobon Society (MassAudubon: Bird Conservation Programs).

I just received from MassAudubon a huge glossy and the "State of the Birds" in Massachusetts.

Here's the blurb on long-distance migratory birds, quoted in full:

Long-distance migratory birds such as the Wilson's Warbler now have to contend not only with the natural hazards of flying thousands of miles to reach nesting and wintering areas, but also with human-caused hazards such as pollution and high-rise buildings.

That's the full quote. What's missing?

Here's the blurb on migratory shorebirds:

In late summer and fall, some beaches and tidal flats harbor thousands of sandpoipers and plovers of many species. Despite significant concentrations, the populations of many of these migratory shorebirds are decreasing.

That's the full quote. What's missing?

The glossy is about 24 inches by 36 inches, full color, with about a dozen photos of colorful birds, and a map of the state of Massachusetts.

There is not one picture of the number one enemy of migratory birds, and not one picture of the enemy: the wind turbines.

And that's the problem I have with a lot of these organizations. I don't think Massachusetts has much of an oil industry, but faux environmentalists in the state have lots of problems with the oil industry. On the other hand, Massachusetts wants to be a lead in wind energy and yet no mention of the problems associated with the entire concept, not the least of which is a) the cost to the consumer; and, b) the cost to migratory birds.

The society points out "high-rise buildings" but never mentions wind turbines, the 800-lb gorilla in the room as far as risk to migratory birds go. So, the society will fight to slow development in Massachusetts, unless it's wind energy, I suppose, at least based on the glossy.